Strong odors in your living or workspace aren’t just annoying, they can create genuine distraction and even health hazards. Apart from excellent ventilation, the only recourse for many people is the use of air fresheners or room sprays. There are many varieties to choose from, and selecting the wrong scent could make things worse. We’ve decided to turn to our sources to discover the top five best air freshener sprays to fill your home with fresh, pleasant scents.
Sometimes, we just don’t have enough time to do a deep clean to eliminate odors. Does your idea of cleaning the house revolve around spraying some good-smelling fragrances to cover up a bigger stink? It turns out the average American admits to using five different “cleaning shortcuts” while tidying up their home. The survey of 2,000 people delved into some of these dubious shortcuts and found the most common one to be misting the room with air freshener (40%) — instead of actually cleaning dirty or stinky surfaces. Lighting a scented candle (37%) ranks as the second most popular “cleaning shortcut.” While it may hide bad odors, it can also adversely impact the air quality in respondents’ homes. Air fresheners are great for a short-term hack, but if a persistent smell is bothering you, further cleaning may be necessary.
It turns out the way your home smells may be a direct reflection of who you are, according to a survey of 2,000 U.S. adults. Three in four respondents echo that sentiment, with the same percentage of people saying the way a person’s home smells can leave a long-lasting impression. Sixty-nine percent of respondents worry their homes may smell bad to others. That may be why seven in 10 will do anything to ensure their digs have a good scent. The average respondent spends $221 per year on items to improve their home’s aroma. Survey-takers shared how they keep their space smelling fresh – from purchasing liquid potpourri, to live pinecones, to cookie dough, and even a dill pickle-scented air freshener. Commissioned by Scentsy and conducted by OnePoll, the study also revealed that when having company over, 72 percent say their homes must smell good beforehand, and 61 percent hold off from having guests over entirely if their homes aren’t smelling so nice.
There’s no reason to halt your social life when you have the best air freshener sprays on hand to perk up your home and welcome guests. A fresh smelling dwelling or office space can make your day brighter. It’s time to have a closer look at the top five products to spritz at home. Let us know your favorites in the comments below!
The List: Best Air Freshener Sprays, Per Home Experts
1. Febreze
It’s hard to imagine that Febreze was only released in the 1990s considering how ubiquitous a brand it has become. Allure writes, “you’re probably familiar with Febreze’s Odor Eliminating Air Freshener Room Spray in some capacity — after all it’s a household staple for a reason. The Febreze air freshener makes your home smell like freshly-washed laundry, thanks to its notes of crisp linen. Like every air freshener on this list, this spray is also free of red-flag ingredients like phthalates and formaldehyde.”
According to Good Housekeeping, “this doesn’t just cover up smells, but actually neutralizes and eliminates them by encapsulating and deactivating odor molecules in the air while adding a burst of fragrance. That’s a lot of bang for the buck. We first tested Febreze many years ago in our GH Cleaning Lab and it continues to perform well in our tests. It gets rid of strong smoke and cooking odors quickly, even in our large Good Housekeeping test kitchens, and pet owners who tested this at home reported that it eliminated the dank smell in their living areas where pets hang out. The trigger spray nozzle is comfortable to hold, and it uses nitrogen to propel a fine mist from the can. Safety note: Be sure to wipe up any overspray that falls onto bare floor surfaces. It can make them slippery.”
An important distinction for Febreze is that it is an odor eliminator rather than merely a cover-up. The Spruce claims, “Febreze is your best bet when trying to clear the air of a smoky smell. Just spray it in a sweeping motion throughout the space you’re trying to freshen up, and be amazed by the instant results. The brand has a patent on its reliable deodorizing technology. Instead of masking smells, it neutralizes alkaline and acidic particles in the air (i.e., the stinky ones) with a chemical reaction. The scent can be a bit strong, but it dissipates within an hour or two.”
2. Mrs. Meyer’s Room Freshener
Mrs. Meyer’s brand has a distinctive slim bottle with a spray pump handle rather than aerosol propellant. The Street offers the following details, “This air freshener from Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day is a must-have if you want your home to smell like lemon and herbs. The air freshener, made with essential oils and carefully chosen ingredients, uses no artificial colors or preservatives which could damage your health. The air freshener is also safe to use on most fabric types except delicates(sic) with no toxic ingredients. Further, the non-aerosol spray means that the spray bottle can easily be refilled or even re-used for other purposes once the fragrance has emptied. You’d also be pleased to know that the air freshener is cruelty-free, meaning that it hasn’t been tested, nor has it hurt any animals during its production process.”
Mrs. Meyer’s sprays smell great, but they might be less appropriate for those who need to remove foul odors. Real Simple has this to say, “For an instant fresh feeling, reach for a bottle of Mrs. Meyer’s Room Freshener. Made with essential oils and plant-derived ingredients, this spray does not contain the phthalates, parabens, or propellants that you’ll find in similar sprays. Plus, it’s packaged in a non-aerosol bottle, making it one of the cleanest air fresheners on the market. Mrs. Meyer’s offers everyday scents like lavender and rose, in addition to seasonal favorites like fresh-cut grass, geranium, and mint, so you can transform your home into a spring garden or a winter wonderland. Compared to the more chemical sprays that smell synthetic, these fragrances are both powerful and subtle, and, while the scent might not linger as long, each bottle packs at least 100 sprays.”
Even though it may not last all-day with a single spray, Mrs. Meyer’s sprays are still very popular and well-reviewed. “This bottle of Mrs. Meyer’s Room Freshener offers a more budget-friendly approach to flameless home fragrance. This reviewer-favorite air freshener comes in 11 different options, but whenever we find the limited-edition Rose scent, we get it. Clean and uplifting with notes of rose and apple, this spray lingers briefly in the air without ever being overpowering,” says Best Products.
3. Poo-Pourri Before-You-Go Toilet Spray
The name says it all as Bob Vila.com explains, “With its tongue-in-cheek name, Poo-Pourri is memorable for sure. But does it work? The answer is a resounding yes, and with all-natural ingredients, no less. To avoid bathroom smells altogether, simply ‘spritz the bowl before you go.’ The original nonaerosol spray contains a blend of lemon, bergamot, and lemongrass essential oils. But buyers can also choose from the brand’s wide selection of fragrances, including humorously named blends like ‘Deja Poo’ and ‘Ship Happens.’ All Poo-Pourri sprays contain natural compounds and no harsh chemicals, parabens, phthalates, or formaldehyde. This is a great product for guest bathrooms or anywhere else a little discretion is required.”
All jokes aside, This Old house.com claims: “It goes without saying, but your bathroom is the area of your home that most likely needs an air freshener. Thankfully, this non-toxic spray prevents odors altogether. You simply spray it on the surface of your toilet bowl’s water three to four times before you sit down…Amazon reviewers felt like this spray did its job. They said it left a fresh scent, was long-lasting, and masked common bathroom odors. However, unhappy customers had issues with the nozzle, which sometimes leaked or didn’t release spray.”
According to The Spruce, this product continues to be very highly rated among consumers. “Poo-Pourri earned a 4.8 out of 5 score from our home tester. This bathroom freshener pre-emptively coats the toilet water with a scented-oil barrier to prevent odors from escaping. We’re pleased to report that it definitely works. The concept is undoubtedly clever, and we appreciate the all-natural formula. That said, while the directions on the bottle are clear, one potential drawback is that you can’t necessarily expect every person to read them and use it as directed.”
4. Caldrea Linen and Room Spray Air Freshener
Caldrea is another hand pump spray brand that avoids metal canisters and propellants. According to Best Products: “One reviewer calls this air freshener from Caldrea ‘Febreze for rich people,’ which we’d say is a pretty apt description! The Lavender Cedar Leaf Linen and Room Spray smells lightly woodsy and herbal … yet, it’s not overly floral. It’s a perfect pick to spritz in the linen closet or over a pile of laundry that’s still warm from the dryer. You also get a lot of bang for your buck with this air freshener, as its 16 ounces of fragrance is sure to last you quite a while.”
Good Housekeeping adds, “Luxurious and versatile, this spray can be used to add a rich, inviting fragrance to your home, car or linens. Caldrea is known for its creative mix of unique essential oils that produce fragrances with depth and pampering qualities. We especially like spraying it on clean bed linens when making up the bed. Trust us, you’ll feel like you’re in a 5-star hotel when you slip between the sheets. It can even be sprayed on linens as you iron.”
This Old House.com also adds some critical feedback, “This freshener is made from natural ingredients that are safe to spray directly onto linens and garments. Whether you want to freshen up your teenager’s room or get rid of a musty linen closet smell…Customers were pleased that this air freshener required a minimal amount to be effective, came in an elegant-looking bottle, and didn’t leave streaks on their clothes.”
5. Dyptique Baies
Dyptique might seem exorbitantly pricey, but the claims of its quality enthusiastically defended by stans. The Beauty Look Book states, “Diptyque is my all time favorite for home fragrance. They are quite a splurge but once I tried one, nothing else seemed quite as good. I have quite a few loves from other lines including Henri Bendel, Jo Malone, Byredo and Cire Trudon, but my heart belongs to Diptyque. In addition to the candles, there are a number of other ways to enjoy Diptyque scents. I’ve been enamored with their room sprays which come in a selection of fragrances.”
Allure adds, “This fruity-floral cocktail contains harmonious notes of roses and blackcurrant leaves that’ll make your home smell as delicious as a freshly-baked pie.”
Even Gear Patrol admits the following, “Yes, Diptyque’s products are expensive. Yes, it’s a luxury brand. That doesn’t matter. This is one of those times when the seemingly inflated price of a luxury product is 100 percent justified in our eyes. Of all the room sprays we tested, none came close to matching Diptyque’s overall combination of scent quality and staying power. We tested its most popular Baies scent, which translates to berries, but in our experience smelled more like walking into a fresh meadow of spring flowers and raspberry bushes than a pile of fruit — and that’s a good thing.”
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Sources
- Gear Patrol
- Good Housekeeping
- The Beauty Look Book
- This Old House.com
- The Spruce
- Allure
- Best Products
- Real Simple
- Bob Vila.com
- The Street
Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations.