Why is this horrible smell getting worse?

[ZebedeesJeans]

At about 930 this morning DH took a pack of butter out of the fridge and put it on top of the Aga to soften for a minute. Half an hour later I came home from DDs ballet lesson to horrid burning smell, and DH had forgotten all about the butter, so the whole pack had melted everywhere.

He cleaned up, we've had the fan on, a scented candle lit and now (5 hours later) have opened the windows and doors (and yes, it's snowing) and have now barricaded ourselves in another room as we all have sore throats and stinging eyes. It's an awful, acrid smell, not lovely and buttery like you'd expect.

Why does melted butter smell so horrid and why is it getting worse, rather than better? And any tips for making it better? The packaging wasn't damaged, so it can't be that

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

It's not melted though is it, it's burnt? Burnt butter smells like hell itself.

I'd check the packaging again, and then see if it's burnt onto something somewhere.

[Jennifer25]

I hate to suggest it but could it be a bit of a fire hazard if it's melted into the insides of the Aga?

[wowfudge]

You have put the burnt wrapper in a bin outside haven't you? Try bowls of bicarb, heating up vinegar and water in a pan and putting into bowls dotted about and slicing up a lemon and bringing that to a boil then leaving in bowls around the place.

I would also clean everything again using a strong solution of bicarb in water. If there is any greasy residue, sugar soap is brilliant.

[ZebedeesJeans]

Thanks for all the suggestions - having checked, DH had just wiped rather than scrubbed. So I've gone in with the bicarbonate (which I use for oven's summer clean anyway, just hadn't thought of digging it out today) and now I'm boiling vinegar (the kettle was ready to be de-scaled, so killed two birds there!) and lemons. We're going out in half an hour, so hopefully the bowls of bicarbonate and lemon will do their job while we are gone. Fingers crossed it all works

[Skippedthelightfandango]

chuck some cinnamon sticks in with the lemons - and cloves too if you have them. REALLY helps with burning smells. Not that I have ever done that you understand. Certainly never more than once. or more than twice....

[wowfudge]

Any improvement OP?

[ZebedeesJeans]

We've come back home and it's a bit better, but half an hour pottering in the kitchen and it's starting to make my eyes sore again. I'll try the cinnamon and gloves now and hope it's more pleasant in the morning.

Thanks for all the tips

[TondelayaDellaVentamiglia]

turn it up high and burn it all off properly....like self cleaning ovens.

are there fire rope bits to insulate the lids on the hotplate....has the burned butter got into those? You may have to change them.

I once had a pyrex dish full of toad in the hole batter explode on the top of the range...batter everywhere , but luckily it peeled off the fire rope, but butter would surely be soaked into it

[ZebedeesJeans]

Well our kitchen pretty much smells normal again ... at last. I think it was a case of letting it burn off, aided by turning up the heat overnight. Thanks for all the suggestions - lemon, bicarbonate and cinnamon have all been put away

[wowfudge]

I've put bicarb in my car (desperation) - DP transported fish and chips on the passenger seat at the weekend and it reeks. Why not the bloody footwell then I could at least have taken the mat out?!