Deodourisers - how do they work?

Coming up smelling sweet

We all like to have our homes, offices and workplaces smelling their best. Bad smells such as pets, urine, rubbish, mildew, cooking smells, sweat all waft into the air. So why not use an air freshener to get rid of them? Odours can be masked by a nice floral, lemon or pine scented air freshener.

There are many types of air fresheners available, but not all are created equal and not all are equally appreciated. In fact, the name air freshener is somewhat misleading. Air fresheners don’t actually improve air quality by removing impurities, air fresheners cover up bad odours with perfume.

According to a 2021 study published in the Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health journal, around one in three adults have a reaction to perfumed products, such as air fresheners.

Air fresheners contain ingredients that are associated with various health issues, and constant exposure can well be a cause for concern. Along with headaches, they can cause breathing problems, asthma attacks, skin reactions, runny noses and even cancers. Recent research found a volatile organic compound (VOC) called limonene which is used heavily in air fresheners and scented candles to give a citrus smell is dangerous to inhale on its own and can become formaldehyde when it mixes with other airborne elements. It is most closely linked with cancers of the nose and throat.

Since fragrances can affect so many of us, you would expect ingredients in air fresheners to be listed on labels so we can make informed choices. However, manufacturers often write nothing more detailed than “fragrance” or “parfum”. According to a spokesperson for the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), its members are only committed to disclosing 26 fragrance allergens. Manufacturers could cram as many toxic ingredients as they liked under the umbrella term ‘fragrance,’ without being required to name them specifically.

Getting to the bottom of the stink

Bad odours are caused by bacteria. Covering up or masking that bad smell with an air freshener can only make it worse in the long run. To remove the stink, you have to kill the bacteria that is causing it. Deodourisers destroy bad smells at their source. Bio-enzymatic cleaners contain special organic molecules that absorb bad odours and then leave a clean, fresh scent. The product does not mask or hide the odour, it destroys the cause of the odour.

How do enzymes remove odours?

Enzymes remove odours by consuming the odour causing bacteria. A type of protein, enzymes are produced by living organisms, but they are not alive. An enzyme is made up of a chain of amino acids, and they cause a biological or chemical reaction that breaks organic material down into smaller parts that ‘good’ bacteria can more easily consume. These smaller particles - organic wastes, urine, grease, stains - become ‘food’ for bacteria to digest and break down into two basic compounds: carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). As long as there is ‘food’ present and surfaces are sufficiently damp, these microscopic cleaners will multiply, continuing to remove traces of grime and odour from surfaces hours or even days after the initial application.

Getting the most out of bio-enzymatic cleaners

Bio-enzymatic formulations work particularly well for these types of cleaning:

Drain Maintenance

Bio-enzymatic products are a safer, gentler way to keep pipes free flowing, as they break down organic materials like grease, fats and scum that can clog plumbing and cause odours.

Urine and uric acid

Bio-enzymatic cleaners attack stains and uric acid odours from toilet and bathroom surfaces, including hard-to-reach crevices and grouted areas, and will continue to keep working, leaving everything smelling fresh and clean for days.

Carpet Cleaning

Enzymatic products can be used for carpet cleaning as they can penetrate soft surfaces without discolouring them due to their near-neutral pH levels.

What is in the air?

A pleasant environment is possible without air fresheners. Many people in fact prefer fragrance-free air in workplaces, businesses, hotels etc. Because the brain gets used to a constant smell thanks a process called habituation, you might not even be able to smell air freshener after being immersed in it for a time, but to others it can be almost overpowering.

No more smells at yours

If there is an unpleasant odour that needs getting rid of, the best approach could be to get to the source of the problem and eliminate it, rather that covering it up with a somewhat ironically named air freshener.

If you'd like to remove some of the more unpleasant scents at your workplace, our powerful, safe bio-enzymatic cleaners will turn a stinky thing into a thing of the past. If you would like to speak to a member of our team, simply call 0508 467 462. At Insinc we’re always here to help.