how does stainless steel work to remove the onion smell from skin?

Question

I was chopping onions the other day and was getting aggravated that no matter how many times I washed my hands they still smelled like onions. So I looked up ways to remove it and the internet told me a stainless steel spoon. I rubbed the spoon with water all over my hands and the smell is magically gone. How does that work?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

The smells from onions comes from sulphur compounds. The steel binds to the sulphur molecules, preventing them from forming the gas produced when exposed to the moisture from your skin.