Draught Excluder for Doors With Double Sided Seal, Noise Blocker, Door Seal with Ideal Fit, Draught Insulator Strip Foam Seal Fits to Bottom of Door, Under Door Draft Stopper (1, Grey)

Cooking particles are small enough to travel under a closed door. You can shut the kitchen door, run the extractor, and still get curry smell in the hallway because warm air is creeping out through the gap at the bottom. This strip seals that gap.

Why bother?

Because closing the kitchen door is the cheapest containment method, and sealing the gap underneath makes it actually work. Without a seal, closing the door reduces smell spread by maybe 60-70%. With a seal, it's closer to 90%. The difference is noticeable.

Our guide on stopping cooking smells going upstairs recommends this as the first physical fix before spending money on air purifiers or upgraded extractors.

How it works

Double-sided adhesive strip. Sticks to the bottom of the door. The brushes or foam on each side create a seal against the floor on both sides of the door when it's closed. Still opens and closes normally.

What else it does

Blocks draughts (reduces heating bills, especially in older houses). Reduces noise transfer between rooms. If you've got a separate kitchen in a terraced house, it does three jobs for under a tenner.

Limitations

Doesn't help in open-plan layouts where there's no door to seal. If that's your situation, an air purifier with a carbon filter in the living area is the more relevant fix. Also doesn't help if the main escape route for cooking smell is through an internal window or gap above the door.

For the full containment strategy, see our main cooking smells guide.