How to Get Fishy Smell Off Your Hands (9 Tips That Work!) - Fishing Skillz (2023)

​If you've ever touched a fish, you know that it can be very difficult to get the smell of fish off your hands. Unfortunately, soap and water won't work. So how are you going to get the fishy smell off your hands? In this post, I'm going to share with you the top 9 ways to do just that.

The best way to remove the fishy smell from your hands!

I recently took my son on a multi-day canoe camp. Fortunately, we caught a lot of fish along the way. Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass and Carp. And as you can imagine, catching all those fish can leave your hands smelling like fish. And when you're sharing a small tent with an 8-year-old, you want to know what's best to get the fishy smell off your hands.

As fishermen, this is probably one of the most important things we all have in common…experiencing fishy smell on our hands and always trying to find the best way to get rid of fishy smell.

The problem is that the fishy smell is not easily removed. In fact, you can scrub and scrub with soap and water, dry your hands, and still have the fishy smell on your skin.

It's frustrating to say the least. So what can you do about it?

In this article, we'll look at some of the best ways to get the fishy smell off your hands. Here are tried-and-true methods for cleaning up that strong fishy smell, by real fishermen and cooks around the world.

So what is the best way to get rid of that fishy smell on your hands? She continues reading to find out.

Further reading:

• Ultimate Guide to Trout Fishing (Tips & Techniques)
• Ultimate Guide to Bass Fishing for Beginners

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How to get the smell of fish off your hands

1. GOZOhand cleaner

Starting this list is my number one method for getting rid of fishy smelling hands… GOJO. In my opinion, this is by far the best way to get rid of that bad smell for good. GOJO Mechanic Hand Cleaner is a citrus-based hand cleaner designed to remove the toughest oils and grime from mechanics' hands. And the fish oil in your hands doesn't stand a chance against GOJO.

Using a small amount of GOJO, rub your hands together to spread the GOJO and rub in any fishy-smelling areas. Then just rinse with water. Is that!

GOJO sells this hand cleaner in small 7.5 oz. squeeze bottles which is perfect for anglers. Tuck a bottle in your backpack or tackle box and you'll always be ready to get that fishy smell off your hands.

I usually get a container of Amazon Gojo at the beginning of my fishing season.You can check Amazon here to see if they have any in stock.

2. tomato sauce

That same. Ketchup... The red tomato-based condiment that we all have in the fridge. It works wonders to remove the fishy smell from your hands.

When I was a kid, a friend's mom showed us this trick after coming back from a local pond that smelled like fish.

I was surprised to learn that few fishermen know this trick. But all you have to do is pour a generous amount of ketchup on your hands and rub them together really well. I usually leave it on my hands for a few minutes, then wash it off with hot, soapy water. Is that!

3. Soap. without water

Another way to remove the fishy smell from your skin is to use your favorite soap and not rinse it out. This method has worked very well for fishermen and chefs who handle a lot of fish.

All you have to do is wash your hands with real soap and water and scrub them together vigorously to get a nice soapy lather. But don't wash off the soap. Instead, use paper towels to clean up the soap. After waiting about 10 minutes, go back and wash your hands again. Only this time, rinse off all the soap.

I don't know why or how this works, but for some reason your hands won't smell fishy anymore!

4. sal

One thing that many anglers swear by works great for getting rid of fishy odor on their hands is adding salt to your hand washing routine.

Keep a can of salt next to the sink. When it's time to get the fishy smell off your hands, add a generous amount of salt to some lemon dishwashing liquid and scrub, scrub, scrub.

Anglers who do this will say it works every time.

5. bleach

You have to be very careful with this method of getting the fishy smell off your hands, because it bleaches! It's a powerful thing and it will ruin your clothes if you touch it and it's a very bad thing if it gets in your eyes.

But it's that same power that kills the fishy smell. And as a bonus, bleach also works well for cleaning your boat and anything else that might make your fish dirty.

6. Baking soda

Baking soda might not be one of the things you'd naturally think of taking with you camping or fishing, but it might be worth taking a small container with you on your next trip.

Just make a thick paste of baking soda and water and use it to rub your hands together. You will be impressed with how easily it removes those fishy odors that like to linger on your hands.

7. Toothpaste

Rub a generous amount of toothpaste on your hands after washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water. After rubbing the toothpaste into your hands, rinse with water only.

Just as some additional information... this method doesn't tend to work well with eel odors if you're planning on trapping or handling eels.

8. Hydrogen peroxide

Believe it or not, pure hydrogen peroxide can also get rid of fishy odor. Simply pour directly from the bottle and onto your hands. I like to rub it on my hands and let it sit for a few minutes before washing it off.

Just be careful of any small cuts or nicks you might get on your hand. Hydrogen peroxide can sting a bit. But at least your cuts will be clean too!

9. Saltine crackers

This might be the most amazing way to get your hands off the fish on this list.

What you can do is wash your hands very well with soap and water and dry them as you normally would. Then, with dry hands, crush some cookies and rub them into your hands like soap.

You'll be amazed at how well it works the first time you try it!

What makes your hands smell like fish?

The fishy odor that lingers on your hands after handling fish is actually coming from amines in fish, such as dimethylamine, trimethylamine, and methylamine... all of which have unpleasant or offensive fishy odors.

Ideally, find a substance with a low pH that will help eliminate the fishy odor. Examples of a low PH substance would be like lemon juice or vinegar. That's why things like GOJO, ketchup, and lemon do a great job of getting rid of the fishy smell.

What do you use to get the fishy smell off your hands?

What is your favorite method to get rid of the fishy smell on your hands? Do you have a secret that you would like to share? Drop me a note and let me know. I would love to put you on this list!

Conclution

I am sure any of the methods on this list will help you get rid of the fishy smell. But without a doubt, the best way to end fish hands is with GOJO.

If you want to try GOJO, you can find it here on Amazon. Grab a bottle before your next fishing or camping trip.