3 days after frying fish, the smell is gone

I vowed a long time ago never to fry fish in the house because of the stink. It's been so long that I cooked fish at home that I forgot my own rule. Last weekend I browned some halibut steaks on the stovetop for 4 minutes before taking them outside on the grill.



The smell from four minutes of browning took about 72 hours to vacate the premises, even after leaving windows open and running the exhaust fan hood. The halibut steaks were delicious, but if there is ever a next time, I need some tips to keep the smell at bay.

Being a Nebraska boy who didn't eat a lot of fish growing up, I need help from Minnesotans who fry, broil, parbroil or cook fish more often. Surely you've got this Fish-B-Gone thing down pat. Here are some tips from Chowhound, but I'm curious what you think works best.

+Soak the fish in milk for a few hours before you cook it.

+Put out a small bowl of vinegar for a day after. (One wiseguy then asked how to get rid of the vinegar smell.)

+Create a masking odor such as making coffee or chocolate chip cookies. Others suggest burning a citrus-secented candle.

+ Try a Lampe Berger burner, but they're expensive. The burners start at $40, the scents about $15. Sold locally at Stone Crop in Maple Grove and also on eBay.

+ Lavender oil. Put a  few drops on a cloth and wipe affected areas with it.

+Try to prevent the odor by using a splatter screen, a vent fan and an....air purifier. Run the exhaust fan for an hour after cooking fish. If you can remove the exhaust filter, wash it.

+ Febreze (Another wiseacre commented that if her house smelled like Febreze or cheap, scented candles, she would fry fish to get rid of it.)

+Take a whole clove (the prickly thing you stick in a ham) and simmer it a little water.

+ Stick a fan in the kitchen window while cooking fish and leave it on for a while afterwards.

That's nine tips. What say you, oh natives of the Land of 10,000 Lakes? 

Here's one more tip from me: Cook fish on the day before the garbage truck arrives. I made the mistake of cooking fish the day after garbage day. I endured a dead smell in my garage (where my association make us put our garbage cans) for almost a week.