How to Get Rid of Alcohol Breath Fast: 10 Brilliant Home Remedies

You probably went out boozing last night and now you can’t figure out how to get rid of the smell of alcohol on your breath. After all, you cannot show up to work or Sunday brunch at your parents’ reeking of alcohol.

Alcohol breath refers to the bad breath, or halitosis, caused by prior consumption of alcohol. Your body treats alcohol as a toxin and refuses to absorb it. Instead, it is slowly metabolized by the liver. In the meantime, it stays in your bloodstream and therefore the lungs, lending a distinct smell to your breath and in some cases even your sweat.

While drinking is a great way to unwind after a hard day at work or an extremely tiring week, the strong smell of alcohol breath can be extremely off-putting and rather inconvenient if you have a meeting with someone you are hoping to impress.

In addition, your employer is not going to pat you on the back for your Herculean effort to drag yourself to work with a hangover and alcohol breath. Not to mention that if you get a reputation as a drunkard, you can say goodbye to an expected promotion or an upward career trajectory.

So, what can you do? Make sure to drink lots of water throughout the day to flush out and detoxify your system.

Plus, here are 10 simple and natural home remedies that can effectively get rid of alcohol breath fast, either by eliminating or by camouflaging the smell of alcohol on breath.

Method 1: Mouthwash

This is a very basic method that can be used to remove the smell of liquor from your mouth. However, it won’t eliminate the alcohol smell coming from your stomach, throat and skin.

Single-Step Treatment: Rinse your mouth with mouthwash

• Use strong-smelling toothpaste, preferably containing peppermint or any other strong herbs, to thoroughly clean and brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes.
• Gargle and spit out the toothpaste.
• Also, clean your tongue thoroughly to eliminate any lingering traces of alcohol.
• Use a mouthwash with a strong minty or fruity smell. After brushing, take the prescribed amount in your mouth and swish it around in your mouth for the recommended time, usually 30 seconds for fresh and clean-smelling breath.
• Also, gargle with it to clean the back of your throat.

Note: Do not use an alcohol-based mouthwash, as it will only enhance the liquor smell.

Method 2: Gum

Chewing gum is not just used by your average truant to look cool. It is also helpful in popping your ears at high altitudes, and nowadays many people chew sugar-free gum to burn fat off their faces for a more chiseled look.

However, the primary purpose of chewing gum is to mask foul mouth odor, such as the smell of booze on your breath.

Single-Step Method: Chew sour-flavored, sugar-free gum

• Pick a sour-flavored chewing gum, not a sweet one. The tartness of the sour gum will cause your salivary glands to produce more saliva, which will help eliminate the alcohol smell from your breath.
• You can choose a mint-based gum, but its strong smell may indicate that you are trying to cover up or hide something. It can be highly effective but, at the same time, very obvious.
• Be sure to choose sugar-free gum to avoid bad breath from sugar decay and cavities.

Method 3: Garlic

Garlic is a strong-smelling ingredient that can help mask the smell of alcohol breath. In fact, the odor of garlic is so strong that people often use home remedies to get rid of garlic breath after a tasty, garlic-flavored meal.

Upon consumption, the smell of garlic stays with you for a long time and even emanates from your stomach and skin pores, making this a highly effective remedy to mask or eliminate alcohol odor from every possible source in your body.

However, this method is not advisable if you have an important meeting or a date, as garlic breath can be as off-putting as stale alcohol odor.

Single-Step Method: Eat something with garlic when out drinking or the next day

• While you’re at the bar enjoying your drinks, eat some garlic-flavored food like garlic bread or garlic fries.
• Chew 2 raw cloves of garlic in the morning to coat the alcohol smell, or crush them and mix them into 1 tablespoon of raw, organic honey and spread it on your morning toast. You can also add chopped garlic into your omelet. You’ll smell of garlic at work the entire day. People will still avoid you, but they will only question your food choices and not your lifestyle.
• Order dishes like garlic fried rice or noodles for lunch to keep alcohol halitosis in check while you’re at work.

Method 4: Onion

You’ve probably had crispy red onions in vinegar as a condiment on your dinner table, but did you know that you could also use them to camouflage the odor of booze on your breath?

Red onions have a strong smell that can linger on your breath for hours or even overnight. This makes consuming red onions a good option for masking the smell of liquor on your breath.

Single-Step Method: Eat red onions when out drinking or the next day

• Order your salad with chopped red onions mixed in it. Finely sliced onion rings also taste great with burgers, sandwiches and grilled meat skewers, ordered alongside or after drinks.
• If you are hosting a party at home, using raw, red onions to make a dip can be a great way to mask the smell of beer and spirits.
• You can also make a mixture of mashed-up garlic and red onions and consume it with food, such as with your eggs.

Method 5: Coffee

Coffee is a strong-smelling, aromatic drink that can be used effectively and conveniently to cover the odor of hard liquors like scotch and whisky on your breath.

Additionally, unlike garlic or onion breath, smelling like coffee is socially acceptable and is even considered to be attractive. After all, you must have experienced the bliss of drawing in a deep breath in a coffee shop, amidst the freshly roasted and brewed coffee.

Plus, a strong cup of fresh coffee will provide relief from a hangover and make you more alert, especially if you are going to work. Of course, the oils from the coffee will help cover the alcohol smell coming from your mouth.

Single-Step Method: Enjoy a little extra coffee throughout the day

• Drink a cup of strong black coffee (preferably no sugar) with your breakfast in the morning.
• Have coffee throughout the day, especially before a big interview or meeting.
• You can also munch on a few roasted coffee beans every few hours to exude a rich, coffee scent.

Method 6: Peanut Butter

This childhood favorite has a strong peanut flavor and smell, so it easily covers up the odor of strong spirits on your breath and can be used to hide the fact that you’ve been out drinking.

Single-Step Method: Enjoy peanut butter on your toast

• Slather peanut butter on your breakfast toast the morning after an evening of drinking to get rid of alcohol breath.
• If you don’t want others at home to know you’ve been drinking, keep a jar of peanut butter in your car and gobble up a mouthful before going inside.

Method 7: Lemon

The acid in lemon juice prevents the growth of oral bacteria, and its pleasant citrus smell helps mask unpleasant odors like bad breath or alcohol breath.

You can rinse your mouth with water mixed with fresh lemon juice and salt to counter the smell of spirits on your breath. Also, you can add a fresh lemon slice to a cup of black tea to freshen your breath.

Things you’ll need:

• Warm water – 1 glass
• Lemon juice (eliminates alcohol breath) – 1 teaspoon
• Salt (eliminates alcohol breath) – ½ teaspoon

Step 1: Add lemon juice and salt to a glass of water

• Add 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice to a glass of warm water.
• Add ½ teaspoon of salt.
• Mix all the ingredients together.

Step 2: Rinse your mouth with the lemon and salt water

• Use this solution to rinse your mouth. Swish it around in your mouth for 30 to 60 seconds before spitting it out.
• Repeat every 3 to 4 hours to keep your alcohol breath in check.

Method 8: Parsley

Aromatic herbs like parsley can be used to get rid of alcohol breath.

Parsley has antibacterial and deodorizing properties that help eliminate the stench of spirits coming from your mouth and stomach.

Single-Step Method: Chew fresh parsley leaves every few hours

• Simply chew some fresh parsley leaves dipped in vinegar for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Put some parsley leaves in a zip lock bag and take it with you to work. You can chew a few leaves every 2 to 3 hours or whenever the smell of alcohol on your breath becomes too obvious.

Method 9: Mustard

The yellow mustard found in your fridge or even in a bar or restaurant is a perfect remedy to stave off alcohol breath. This pungent condiment has a sharp smell, which masks the smell of beer or any spirits that you have been drinking.

Single-Step Method: Rinse your mouth with mustard and swallow some

• Put a spoonful of yellow mustard in your mouth, then rinse it out with water.
• Do multiple rinses until your breath clears up.
• You can also consume 1 teaspoon of yellow mustard and wash it down with some water to counteract the smell of spirits coming from your stomach.

Method 10: Tomato Juice

Tomato juice is known for its ability to mask the smell of skunk spray. Since it can help eliminate such a vile and overpowering stink, rest assured that tomato juice is highly effective at masking the odor of alcohol as well.

Single-Step Method: Drink a glass of tomato juice

• Drink a glass of tomato juice with your breakfast to mask the smell of spirits on your breath after a night of drinking.

Tips to get rid of alcohol breath

• Take a long, hot and soapy shower to flush the alcohol essence out of your pores.
• Avoid combination drinks like Long Island Iced Tea or mixing different alcohols, as these cause more noticeable odors the next day.
• Avoid drinking on an empty stomach.
• Drink in moderation. The more you drink, the more problems you have to deal with – like a terrible hangover and overwhelming alcohol breath.
• Keep chewing aromatic spices like cloves, cardamom and fennel seeds at regular intervals throughout the day to mask the alcohol odor on your breath.
• Chewing fresh mint leaves every few hours also works well.
• Use perfume, cologne or deodorants to mask the alcohol smell emanating from your body.
• Eat fruity candies or suck on fruit-flavored lozenges.
• Tuck a small cinnamon stick inside your mouth. Keep sucking on it to keep your alcohol breath in check.

Summary of How to Get Rid of Alcohol Breath

Download this infographic.