Does the Vanotium really stay odor-free after garlic or fish?

That lingering smell thing is actually what I was most curious about before buying mine too. I had read all the marketing stuff about it being odor resistant, but I figured that was just typical product hype.

So my personal test came a couple weekends ago. I made a big batch of salmon and chopped a ton of fresh dill and lemon on it. Normally with my old plastic board, I swear the dill smell would hang around for days no matter how many times I scrubbed it. With the Vanotium, I rinsed it off right after and honestly forgot about it until the next morning. I went to grab it to cut some bread for breakfast and put my nose right on the surface just to check. Nothing. Like literally nothing. I was actually kind of shocked.

The garlic thing though, that’s a bit different for me. I don’t notice it on the board itself after washing, but I do catch a faint whiff when I first pull it out of the drying rack if I chopped a lot of garlic the night before. It’s not the board smelling bad, more like that last little bit of aroma that lingers in the air or on my hands and transfers. Once it’s fully dry, it’s gone.

So I guess my answer is yes, it does stay pretty odor free, but I wouldn’t say it’s magic. It’s way better than anything else I’ve used, but if you chop like half a bulb of garlic, give it a proper wash and let it dry completely before you judge it.

I just don’t cut anything super smelly on mine. Like I’ll use the plastic board if I’m dealing with something really strong. I haven’t noticed anything major with the Vanotium, but then again I’m not exactly testing it hard either.

Mine is about six weeks old and honestly I don’t get the smell complaints. I’ve done onions and a bit of raw tuna on it and after a quick rinse with soap there’s nothing left. But I also never leave stuff sitting on the board after I’m done cutting. I wash it right away before moving on to cooking. I think that’s the key, leaving it for ten minutes with fish juice on it is probably where the problem starts. I’ve got a cheap plastic board that still smells like garlic from two weeks ago so compared to that the Vanotium is doing fine. I can see how someone might notice something faint if they’re really sniffing the surface up close, but in normal use after a wash it’s not there.

I’ve had mine for about four months now and I’m on the opposite side of this. I’ve chopped raw garlic, shallots, and even some marinated shrimp on it and never noticed anything after a regular rinse with soapy water. I don’t scrub it crazy or use any special cleaner either. Just a normal wash and let it air dry on the rack.

I do wonder if the people getting smells are leaving food sitting on it for a while before cleaning. That would probably make any board hold onto something. But if you’re wiping it down right after cutting, I genuinely think there’s nothing to worry about with this one. The surface just doesn’t seem to absorb anything like wood or plastic does.

I’m not saying your nose is lying, but mine has been fine with some pretty pungent stuff so far.

Garlic lingers on mine unless I hit it with soap right away.

I’ve had the opposite experience. Mine’s been through a lot of salmon and curry paste and it still smells like nothing after a quick rinse. Maybe I got lucky with the coating, but I really haven’t noticed any ghost odors.

I think a lot of it comes down to how fast you wash it. I’m not saying that to defend the board, but I’ve noticed that if I get lazy and let something sit for a bit, that’s when I catch a smell. If I rinse it right after I’m done cutting, I don’t notice anything. That said, I’m not expecting it to be magic. I got it mainly because I was tired of my old plastic board staining, and that part has been fine. The smell thing I just factor into my routine. I don’t know, maybe I’m just used to being a little careful with it. I’d probably be more annoyed if I was the type to leave stuff on the counter while I cook other things.

I got mine for the same reason, heavy fish user here. I will say the smell does fade but it takes a couple of extra minutes of rinsing compared to what the ads show. It’s not magic, but it’s way better than my old plastic board ever was.