Companies Spice Up the Smell Of Clean

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. (More smell stories.)