Technology That Helps Control Facility Odors

Some manufacturers in the professional cleaning industry have expanded their selection of fragrances to include new fragrances with what is known as "olfactory disruption technology." Olfactory refers to our sense of smell.

While a fragrance with olfactory disruption technology (ODT) does not eliminate our sense of smell or of a particular smell, it safely alters it in such a way that malodors, for instance, are less detectable or not detectable at all.

Olfactory disruption technology is not "white noise for the nose," says Robb Bergen, director of marketing for Impact Products, which manufactures fragrances with this technology. "Instead, it changes our perception of the malodor."

To help clarify exactly what olfactory disruption technology is all about, Bergen provides the following key points:
• When molecules containing airborne odors are inhaled, they are detected by olfactory receptors in our nose.
• The olfactory receptors have nerve cells connected to the brain.
• These nerve cells help the brain detect and interpret the smell, helping us identify it.
• Fragrances with olfactory disruption technology reconfigure the interpretation of the odor so that, for instance, it is no longer a malodor but a fresh, pleasant fragrance.
• ODT does not mask or cover up odors.
• Fragrances containing ODT are safe

Fragrances with this technology are available in different forms. Very often they are included in a fragrance "stick," which can be discreetly attached to a wall or on top of a partition, according to Bergen.

As to where fragrances with this technology should be used, Bergen explains that "they are typically installed in areas where there are secondary odors to contend with, such as baby changing stations, trash storage, etc. They should not be used in place of effective and thorough cleaning."