Archive · 30 Sep 2025
Simple Tricks to Avoid Tearing Up While Chopping Onions
When you chop onions, they can make your eyes water!
This happens because onions release chemicals that irritate your eyes.
Luckily, there are easy ways to stop the tears.
You can peel off the onion's outer layer, soak it in cold water, or put it in the fridge before cutting.
Some people also hold water in their mouths or chop near a fan.
These tricks prevent the irritating chemicals from getting to your eyes.
Following these tips can make kitchen work easier and more comfortable.
Rinsing your eyes can also help.
Tears while chopping onions are caused by sulfur compounds.
Removing the outer peel can reduce irritation.
Soaking onions in cold water helps lessen sulfur compounds.
Refrigerating onions can prevent tearing.
Chopping near a fan can disperse the irritating compounds.
- Who
- People cutting onions, especially homemakers
- What
- Avoiding tears while chopping onions
- When
- Article published September 30, 2025
- Where
- Kitchens
- Why
- Sulfur compounds released from onions cause eye irritation
- Problem
- Tears while chopping onions
- Cause
- Sulfur compounds in onions reacting with eyes
- Solution 1
- Remove outer peel
- Solution 2
- Soak in cold water
- Solution 3
- Refrigerate onions before cutting
- Solution 4
- Submerge cut onions in water
- Solution 5
- Keep water in your mouth
- Solution 6
- Cut in front of a fan