Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Companies Spice Up the Smell Of Clean

Moroccan bazaar scent says you tidied up ... even if you barely did

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 3, 2009 1:02 PM CST

(Newser) – Makers of household products are constantly working to redefine the smell of clean, the Wall Street Journal reports, even as Americans are spending 40% less time actually tidying up than they did 40 years ago. One of the newest is Procter & Gamble’s Moroccan Bazaar, a ginger-edged scent for those wishing to add a hint of bustling Marrakesh market to freshly scrubbed homes.

Scent “megatrends” come along every decade or so, Procter & Gamble developers say, as consumers keep sniffing for change. Smells evoking rain were hot in the ‘90s; the past decade smelled faintly of linen. Ginger is probably too “edgy” to be more than a fad, one expert predicts, but lavender vanilla may be the one to keep your nose out for.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Spices are piled up for sale at a souk in Fez, Morroco. (Creative Commons)

Scent developers working for companies making cleaning products are constantly testing new fragrances in an effort to redefine what "clean" is supposed to smell like. (Shutter Stock)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Your home could look clean, but if there's an absence of scent, you don't really know. Scent is a signal you've done something.
- Scott Beal, a Procter & Gamble brand manager for P&G's Febreze air-care line

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

'Pup Perfumes' Soothe Fido

Pheromones don't work for everybody, but calm some

(NEWSER) - Businesses are churning out pet "pheromone perfumes" to give Fido—and Puff—the kinds of smells they require to keep calm and happy. The pheromones can be sprayed, hooked up to a dog collar, and plugged into wall sockets for room coverage to diffuse chemical compounds aimed at soothing animals. The "perfumes" do the trick with some pets in some situations, though they're not as surefire as drug therapies like antidepressants, say experts. For dogs, pheromones seem to work best when used with training. More»

Cheaper Tide Rises in Hard Times

Procter & Gamble agonizes over risky move

(NEWSER) - A cheaper Tide is rolling in: The recession-friendly Tide Basic drops some of the high-tech cleaning components—like anti-pilling ability—contained in the detergent’s traditional form, in exchange for a 20% lower price tag, the Wall Street Journal reports. But the decision to release the new Tide was no easy one for Procter & Gamble, whose executives worry that a less-expensive version could hurt sales of the classic stuff. More»

Opera Sounds Good, But How Does It Smell?

New work opening at Guggenheim blasts 23 scents at audience

(NEWSER) - A new opera premiering at the Guggenheim Museum in New York later this month will be a feast for the ears, the eyes—and the nose. Green Aria, a 30-minute "scent opera" years in the making, pairs music with 23 distinct odors blasted at the audience via individual microphone-like emitters. "Perfumery should be the same kind of discipline as music or visual art," the opera's fragrance master tells the Wall Street Journal. More»

NY Maple Aroma Mystery Solved

NJ fragrance factory source of mysterious smell

(NEWSER) - The maple syrup-like smell that pervaded Manhattan at certain times in recent years, puzzling residents and government officials, came from a New Jersey factory, the New York Post reports. After a lengthy investigation, city officials today revealed that the aroma originated at the Frutarom fragrance factory, which produces ester, a substance used to make scents and food flavorings. More»

Chemists Sniff Out Household Stinks

Smell squad recreates odors to wipe them out

(NEWSER) - Chemists are trying to replicate the odors of stale smoke and rotting garbage in a quest to make America a better-smelling place, the Wall Street Journal reports. A specialist squad working for the International Flavors and Fragrances company captures common bad household smells, brings them back to the lab, and tries to recreate them in order to concoct better deodorizers. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Companies Spice Up the Smell Of Clean