11 Easy Ways to Get Rid of Alcohol Breath

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Simple & natural ways to hide the smell of alcohol on your breath

Co-authored by Tiffany Douglass, MA and Devin McSween

Last Updated: October 5, 2024 Fact Checked

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Foods & Drinks

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Cleaning Off the Smell

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Preventing Alcohol Breath

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Expert Q&A

After a fun night of drinking, dealing with unpleasant alcohol breath can be an annoying and embarrassing hassle. Luckily, there are quick and simple ways to reduce and mask the smell of booze on your breath. Whether you’ve been drinking beer, wine, mixed drinks, or spirits, we’ll show you what foods and drinks get rid of alcohol odor, how to clean the smell off your body, and what you can do to prevent alcohol breath in the first place.

Things You Should Know

Cover up your alcohol breath by drinking a cup of coffee or lemon water. Or, eat onion, garlic, or peanut butter.
Freshen up your breath by brushing your teeth, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash. Also, take a shower to scrub off the alcohol smell on your skin.
Prevent alcohol breath by sticking to 1 to 2 drinks a night, hydrating with water between each drink, and eating beforehand.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Covering Up Alcohol Breath with Foods and Drinks

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1
Drink coffee and water to cover up the alcohol smell. Coffee has a strong, distinct smell that can easily cover up the boozy odor on your breath. It also helps wake you up in the morning after a night of drinking.^{[1]
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Research source} Accompanying the coffee with a glass of water helps replenish the hydration you lost while drinking and promotes salivation, which can lessen alcohol breath too.^{[2]
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Trustworthy Source

Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

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- Do not mix coffee (a stimulant) with alcohol (a depressant). This can cause a spike in energy that makes you feel less drunk but leads you to inadvertently drink more than you can handle.^{[3]
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  Cleveland Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  
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- Foods and drinks only mask alcohol breath instead of getting rid of it. The distinct, slightly sweet smell comes from your lungs and stomach, not your mouth.
- The only way to truly cure alcohol breath is to wait for the alcohol to metabolize out of your system. Your body typically processes 1 ounce (30 ml) of liquor (and its equivalent to beer and wine) in 1 hour. However, the time it takes depends on how much you’ve drunk and other factors like age and gender.^{[4]
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2
Eat strong-smelling foods like onion and garlic to mask the alcohol. Highly aromatic foods can help override alcohol breath by coating your mouth with their odor. Red onion and garlic both stay on your breath for a long time, reducing the smell of alcohol.^{[5]
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- If you’re out at a bar drinking, order foods that contain onion or garlic like garlic fries or garlic bread.
- Or, add red onions to a sandwich, burger, or salad after drinking.
- Simply eating onion or garlic raw can replace alcohol breath with another strong, often undesirable, smell. If you’re heading off to work or another event, use one of the other methods to leave your breath smelling more pleasant.
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3
Snack on some peanut butter to get rid of your alcohol breath. Peanut butter has a strong, sweet, and salty smell that can overpower alcohol odors. Its thick consistency also works to coat your mouth and throat, helping the smell linger for longer.
- Simply eat a spoonful of peanut butter, make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or slather the peanut butter on crackers to mask your alcohol breath.
4
Chew minty gum to keep away odor-causing bacteria. Gum infuses your mouth with a minty aroma, but the act of chewing it also helps keep away the alcohol smell. Chewing increases your saliva production, which prevents bacteria from forming that can worsen your alcohol breath.^{[6]
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- Mint, spearmint, and cinnamon-flavored gum are typically the best at reducing alcohol odors.
- As an alternative, try breath mints or suck on mint or herbal-flavored cough drops.
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Drink lemon water to neutralize alcohol odors. Lemons are natural deodorizers and bactericides that help hide your alcohol breath and kill odor-causing bacteria and microorganisms in your mouth.^{[7]
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Research source} To make lemon water, cut the lemon into thin disks and pour water over them in a glass. Or, simply squeeze a lemon into a glass of water.^{[8]
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- If you don’t like lemon, use another strong-smelling citrus fruit like lime, orange, or grapefruit.
- This method also keeps you hydrated, which helps prevent hangover symptoms and reduce alcohol breath.
6
Consume tomato juice or tomato soup to hide the alcohol smell. Tomatoes have a strong, distinct odor and an acidic composition that can prevent bacterial growth.^{[9]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health

Go to source} Both of these qualities work to mask your alcohol breath. Either drink tomato juice for an extra hydration boost, or make some comforting tomato soup.^{[10]
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- To help absorb any remaining alcohol in your stomach, make a grilled cheese sandwich and pair it with your tomato soup.
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Munch on odor-fighting herbs and spices like parsley and cinnamon. Parsley is a natural deodorizer that can get rid of general bad breath and strong, garlic odors.^{[11]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source} Chewing on a few fresh leaves can also help limit alcohol odors. Cinnamon also helps neutralize odors and keep bacteria at bay, making it effective at reducing alcohol breath.^{[12]
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Trustworthy Source

PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health

Go to source} Simply suck on a cinnamon stick, or drop a few into a cup of tea.
- Alternatively, use parsley as a garnish on potato or pasta dishes. Or, cook parsley into a soup or simply saute it.
- Coriander, rosemary, and spearmint are also deodorizing herbs and spices that can help you get rid of alcohol breath.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Cleaning Off the Alcohol Smell

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1
Brush your teeth with toothpaste containing menthol. Brushing your teeth is an easy way to help lessen bad breath associated with drinking. Use a strong-smelling toothpaste, like one that contains menthol, to cover up the alcohol smell the most effectively.^{[13]
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- Spend an extra 1 to 2 minutes brushing to get the alcohol residue and alcohol-soaked food out of your mouth.
Floss your teeth to remove any stubborn alcohol smells. Don’t forget to floss after a night of drinking. Food particles that are saturated with alcohol often get stuck between your teeth. They can contribute to alcohol breath even after you've brushed your teeth thoroughly.^{[14]
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3
Gargle with mouthwash to leave a fresh, minty aftertaste. After you've brushed and flossed, rinse your mouth with an alcohol-free mouthwash for around 30 seconds to 1 minute. Mouthwashes are designed to eliminate bad breath and usually have a minty scent that helps cover alcohol breath.^{[15]
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- Spit out the mouthwash after you’re done gargling, then rinse your mouth with water.
4
Shower or bathe to remove alcohol odors on your skin. Alcohol does not just affect your breath. As your body metabolizes and processes the alcohol, the odor also seeps through your pores, causing a boozy scent to waft from your skin.^{[16]
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Trustworthy Source

Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source} Take a shower or bath after drinking or the next morning.^{[17]
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- Use strong-smelling soaps, shampoos, and conditioners to help eliminate or lessen the smell of alcohol.
- If you still smell slightly boozy after a shower, spray your body with perfume or deodorant to help mask the smell.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Preventing Alcohol Breath

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1
Drink alcohol in moderation. Drinking moderately, which is defined as 1 standard drink for women and 2 for men, prevents a greater buildup of alcohol in your system that can lead to unpleasant alcohol breath. Instead of binging 4 or more drinks in a night, stick to sipping 1 to 2 drinks over the course of the evening. Binge drinking can not only result in a strong smell but other health problems, especially when done frequently.^{[18]
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Trustworthy Source

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services

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- Cutting back on drinking, and not drinking to get drunk, can also help prevent alcohol breath.
- A standard, US alcoholic drink is either a 12-ounce beer (around 5% alcohol by volume (ABV)), 5 ounces of wine (about 12% ABV), or 1.5 ounces of liquor (about 40% ABV).
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Drink a glass of water after every drink. Alcohol is a diuretic that causes you to urinate more, which can lead to dehydration. When your mouth is dry, bacteria are more likely to develop and intensify the smell of alcohol on your breath.^{[19]
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Research source} Drinking a glass of water after every alcoholic drink keeps you hydrated, which helps you avoid alcohol breath, excessive drinking, and a hangover the next day.^{[20]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

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- Choose alcoholic drinks that contain water, like mixed drinks with club soda, to hydrate as you drink. Or, water down liquor with ice cubes.
3
Eat before and while you're drinking. When you drink on an empty stomach, alcohol enters your bloodstream quicker.^{[21]
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Trustworthy Source

Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source} This can cause you to drink more and get dehydrated, which can lead to worse alcohol breath. Eating food helps absorbs some of the alcohol you drink while also stimulating the production of saliva to help prevent dehydration.^{[22]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

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- Bars often provide snacks like peanuts, popcorn, and other munchies to make sure patrons don't get sick from over-drinking. Snack on these complimentary foods while you're out.
- If you're drinking at a friend's place, bring a snack for the group like bags of potato chips or microwave popcorn. This can help you reduce alcohol breath and make you look generous in the eyes of the host.
4
Do not mix different alcoholic drinks. All alcohol, even the seemingly odorless vodka, gives off a distinct, sweet smell as your body processes it. Each alcohol has a slightly different smell that can combine into an overall worse odor if you mix them together. So, stick to 1 type of alcohol you like for the night to help lessen your alcohol breath.^{[23]
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- For example, if your first drink was a beer, keep drinking beer for the night. Or, if you ordered a vodka soda, stick to that or other vodka mixed drinks.
Mixed drinks that contain sugary liquids, herbs, and spices tend to have a stronger odor than beer, wine, and liquor. Thus, consuming drinks that contain fewer ingredients and aromas helps lessen the smell of alcohol on your breath.^{[24]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How can I talk myself out of drinking alcohol?

Tiffany Douglass, MA
Founder, Wellness Retreat Recovery Center
Tiffany Douglass is the Founder of Wellness Retreat Recovery Center, a JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) accredited drug and alcohol treatment program based in San Jose, California. She is also the Executive Director for Midland Tennessee at JourneyPure. She has over ten years of experience in substance abuse treatment and was appointed a Global Goodwill Ambassador in 2019 for her efforts in residential addiction treatment. Tiffany earned a BA in Psychology from Emory University in 2004 and an MA in Psychology with an emphasis on Organization Behavior and Program Evaluation from Claremont Graduate University in 2006.

Tiffany Douglass, MA

Founder, Wellness Retreat Recovery Center

Expert Answer

If you're craving a drink, pause and think about the consequences of having that drink, like feeling ashamed or guilty later on or going on to binge drink. Reminding yourself of what might happen can help you resist your urge. You can also try distracting yourself with an activity until your craving goes away, like exercising, taking a bath, or going for a walk.

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Tips

If you think you have a drinking problem, consider going to a social support group like Alcoholics Anonymous. Connecting with a community of people who are supportive and understand what you're going through can help make quitting drinking easier.^{[25]
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Tiffany Douglass, MA
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Expert Interview. 10 March 2020.}

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Talk to a therapist if you're worried about how much you're drinking. Talking to an unbiased person can help give you perspective.^{[26]
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Tiffany Douglass, MA
Substance Abuse Treatment Specialist

Expert Interview. 10 March 2020.}

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If you're struggling with alcohol addiction, talk to a family member or loved one about what's going on. Being honest is an important step toward recovery.^{[27]
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Expert Interview. 10 March 2020.}

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I like using fruity gums over minty ones, as they're usually a lot stronger.

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Warnings

If you feel like you need to cut down on alcohol, are annoyed about people telling you you are drinking too much, feel guilty after your drink, or think you need a drink in the morning to get you going, you might have a drinking problem. Talk to your doctor about how much you are drinking and what you can do to cut back.

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