How to Get Rid of Alcohol Breath

A breath filled with the strong odor of alcohol can be quite bothersome and embarrassing. If you want to avoid walking into an event with a pungent alcohol smell on your breath, there are a few useful methods to help reduce the scent. Through careful eating habits, personal hygiene, and the following preventative steps, you can confidently walk around with a fresh breath, free from the lingering smell of alcohol!

Eat Before and While Drinking Alcohol. Having a snack while drinking beer or alcohol can help reduce the odor of alcohol on your breath. The food will absorb some of the alcohol and stimulate saliva production. This process helps prevent dehydration, which is a key reason for the alcohol smell in your breath.

• Bars often serve snacks like peanuts, popcorn, and other finger foods to ensure customers don’t get too drunk. Be sure to enjoy these snacks while drinking alcohol.
• If you’re heading to a friend’s house for drinks, offer to bring snacks for the group. You could bring a few bags of potato chips or some popcorn. Not only will the snacks help reduce the alcohol smell in your breath, but it will also make you look generous in the eyes of your host.

Try eating onions and garlic. Foods with strong, pungent odors can help mask the scent of alcohol on your breath. Both red onions and garlic leave a lingering smell on your breath that can help eliminate the alcohol scent.

• You can order a few snacks that include onions and garlic. Dishes like garlic fries or garlic butter bread are often served at bars.
• Add red onions to sandwiches, hamburgers, or salads after drinking alcohol.
• Some people even eat raw garlic and onion to combat the smell. While effective, remember that raw garlic and onion have a very strong odor. This smell doesn’t only affect your breath but can also seep out through your pores. If you’re trying to mask the smell of alcohol because you have somewhere to go, this might not be the best option. While garlic’s taste is tolerable in conversation, it could also be as unpleasant as the smell of alcohol itself.

Chew gum. Chewing gum can help eliminate alcohol breath. It not only has a refreshing scent that covers the smell of alcohol but also stimulates saliva production, which reduces the intensity of the alcohol smell.

• Try sour-flavored gum to increase saliva production, which helps remove alcohol breath more quickly. The sour flavor may be difficult at first, but it becomes milder as you chew.
• Mint-flavored gum is also a great choice. Its cool mint scent can quickly overpower the alcohol smell and is often used to freshen breath.

Drink coffee and water. Drinking coffee and water can both help reduce the alcohol smell on your breath. Water replenishes fluids lost from drinking and stimulates saliva production, which helps wash away the alcohol scent. Coffee, on the other hand, has a strong aroma that can cover up the smell of alcohol. However, coffee is best consumed in the morning after drinking alcohol. The combination of stimulating substances and soothing effects may boost your energy and reduce intoxication, but it can also lead you to drink more than you should.

Brush your teeth for more than two minutes. Brushing your teeth can significantly reduce alcohol breath. Spending a few extra minutes on oral hygiene can effectively eliminate the strong alcohol odor.

• Use a toothpaste with a strong, refreshing flavor, such as mint. This type of toothpaste works wonders in getting rid of the alcohol smell on your breath.
• Spend an additional two minutes brushing your teeth. This extra time is necessary to remove the alcohol and food residues that may still be lingering in your mouth after drinking.

Floss your teeth. Don't skip flossing your teeth after a night of drinking. Food particles soaked in alcohol often get stuck between your teeth and contribute to the lingering alcohol breath, no matter how hard you try to brush your teeth.

Use mouthwash. After brushing your teeth and flossing, make sure to rinse your mouth and throat with a good mouthwash. Mouthwash helps eliminate bad breath and typically has a minty flavor that can counteract the smell of alcohol. Be sure to follow the instructions on the bottle, usually 30 seconds, then spit it out and rinse with clean water.

Take a thorough shower. Alcohol doesn't just affect your breath; it can also seep out through your pores, leaving a strong alcohol smell on your body. Always shower in the morning or evening after drinking.

• Shower as usual, but make sure to scrub your body thoroughly.
• Soaps, shampoos, and conditioners with strong fragrances can help eliminate or reduce the alcohol smell.

Drink in moderation. To reduce the smell of alcohol, it’s better to drink in moderation rather than get excessively drunk. Try to limit yourself to just a few drinks throughout the evening. Drinking too much not only makes your breath smell stronger but also leads to other health problems, especially when done frequently. Drinking less and not getting drunk can prevent the alcohol smell on your breath.

• Try to limit yourself to just two drinks per sitting.

Avoid mixing different types of alcohol. Each type of alcohol has its own distinct scent, so mixing different kinds can create a terrible odor. Stick to one kind of alcohol that you enjoy for the evening, as this can help minimize the smell of alcohol on your breath.

Stick to simple alcoholic drinks. Some types of alcohol, especially those containing herbs or spices, can have a stronger odor than beers, wines, or spirits. Choosing simpler drinks will help reduce the alcohol smell on your breath.