Choosing Products That Will Freshen The Air

Once the source of odors has been identified and dealt with, distributors can recommend fragrances that will freshen or offer a pleasant scent to the air. Unfortunately, there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to selecting scents. A good selection process involves encouraging end users to strategically pick scents based on different desired outcomes, not necessarily personal preference.

For example, Sims recalls a scenario where a customer chose a cinnamon scent to be used throughout their spa. He points out that cinnamon actually evokes more energy and stimulates appetite.

"They should have considered a light citrus scent, which evokes strong perceptions of fresh and clean,” he says. “Or they could integrate a lavender note, which induces a calming effect that would be more befitting to a spa.”

He adds that many of the leading distributors and service companies will have scent offerings related to suggested use cases. They should encourage end users to be strategic about choosing between these scent offerings.

Used correctly, end users can implement fragrances to provide differentiation or a competitive advantage over other properties. But Carrizales encourages distributors to express caution to these customers, reminding them of the perils of overusing fragrances.

“It is possible to over-scent the air in a facility,” he says. “The easiest way to avoid this is through staff training and following the directions on the label. Some custodians like a heavy scent, but they need to be aware that they are not the only people in the building.”

Ultimately, impressions of a facility will be influenced by what occupants smell when they are inside it. Other efforts, including touchpoint disinfection, will remain priorities as more facilities reopen doors, but the perceptions of occupants — who are more apprehensive than ever before — can be spoiled by a failure to address odor control, no matter how well other cleaning tasks are performed.

“We feel that odors being contained in facilities while also being complemented with the proper scenting strategy is vital,” says Sims. “In our 25 years in the industry, we’ve seen retailers and residential companies be able to charge more for their products if they have an effective scenting strategy that enhances the brand image. We’ve also seen people walk out of amazing-looking establishments that had unwanted odors, never to return. If malodors exist, it suggests the space is dirty, unkept, unhealthy or unsafe. Now more than ever, facilities not only need to be clean, they need to smell clean".

Shannon O'Connor is a freelance writer from Mason, Ohio.