May 10, 2025, 9:48 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Everyone has likely encountered this problem at some point: You chop onions or peel garlic, and afterward, your hands have an unpleasant odor—often lingering for an extended period. The so-called stainless steel soap is said to provide a solution.
Have you ever heard of stainless steel soap? It might sound contradictory at first, but it actually exists. However, it’s not an ordinary, foaming hand soap that gets used up over time. Instead, as the name suggests, this soap is made of steel. It’s reputed to do something remarkable: Unlike conventional soaps, it is said to truly neutralize odors, even stubborn ones like garlic or onions.
Overview
What Is Stainless Steel Soap?
Stainless steel soap usually has a spherical shape, often resembling a silver egg or a flat, rounded stone. It is typically made of stainless steel and has a fine to microstructured surface. Manufacturers often claim that it is dishwasher-safe and virtually indestructible.
Said to Eliminate Stubborn Odors
Often referred to as anti-odor soap, it carries this title for a reason. The purpose of this special soap is to rid hands of unpleasant kitchen odors. These are smells that cling to the skin when working with onions, garlic, fish, or cheese.
It is also said to be helpful with gasoline, making the smell disappear as if by magic. The process is particularly skin-friendly and gentle, as no additional agents or chemical substances are needed. Only water is required, although some manufacturers recommend using regular soap as well.
Does Stainless Steel Soap Really Work?
When you wash your hands with regular soap after cutting onions, the onion smell is usually masked by the soap’s fragrance. This means it doesn’t disappear and is often still noticeable, which is anything but pleasant. Stainless steel soap, on the other hand, is supposed to completely remove odors—the reason being a chemical reaction of the metal.
But is this really true? Scientifically, this effect has not yet been conclusively proven. “One possible explanation could be that the stainless steel binds odor-causing substances and promotes oxidation processes on the surface, converting these substances into water-soluble compounds that can be rinsed away,” explains Birgit Huber from the German Cosmetic, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association (IKW) to myHOMEBOOK.
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Does Stainless Steel Soap Replace Regular Soap?
The word soap automatically suggests a cleansing effect. Is this also the case with stainless steel soap? “No. A soap effectively removes dirt and bacteria through surfactants, which are able to bind fat and water, thus removing dirt particles and germs from the skin. Stainless steel soaps are not capable of this,” explains Huber from the IKW.