We've just spilled the can of used meat-grease we collect so that it doesn't go down the drain and it turns out it was rotten. Now the granite counter-top and the wood-laminate floor of the kitchen smell very bad even after repeated cleaning with (1) dish-soap, (2) vinegar and (3) Murphy's Oil Soap as well as an enzymatic product called anti-icky-poo.
Extensive googling suggests that the smelly chemical is either putrescine or cadaverine. Am I right about that? How can I clean my kitchen such that it does not smell so bad?
Answer
If the stench is caused by putrescine or cadaverine, then you are in luck! Both putrescine and cadaverine are amines ($\ce{RNH2}$), which react with acids to form water-soluble ammonium salts ($\ce{RNH3+}$). Most soaps, surfactants, and other cleaning products are basic to help remove fats and oils (by hydrolysis). Try white vinegar, which contains acetic acid. If that fails, you can buy muriatic acid (a dilute solution of hydrochloric acid), which is used to clean pools. Find it wherever pool supplies are found.
Caution: While both of these solutions are fine for the granite, muriatic acid may not be fine for your floor - test in a small hidden area first. Vinegar should be okay for the floor as long as you don't let it soak.
Putrescine:
Cadaverine:
No comments:
Post a Comment