Did you buy a party popper for your friend’s last birthday? The whole room is filled with confetti when you burst the party popper! That’s similar to the mechanism of an air freshener!
Air fresheners release fragrance compounds into the air, eliminating the smelly odour of the room or the vehicle. Depending on the concentration of these compounds in the air freshener container, you will notice a strong or mild fragrance. This blog will give you a tour of the compounds that help an air freshener last much longer.
Types of Air Fresheners and How they Work:
Refer to this table to decode the various types of air fresheners and how they work.
| Types | How do They work? | Tips for Long-Lasting Fragrance |
| Spray Air Fresheners | Press the trigger, and the bottle will spray the liquid through the nozzle. | Use sparingly if you want to avoid overpowering the scents. These fragrances are ideal for on-the-go refreshments. |
| Gel-Based Fresheners | Open the lid of the container, and the fragrance will circle around the whole room without any extra effort. | Please place them in cup holders or under the sofas or car seats for continuous scent diffusion. |
| Vent Clips | Attach these to the air vents as they release air when air blows through the clips. | Adjust the intensity of the scent by regulating the airflow. |
| Cardboard Hanging Fresheners | These are usually hung on the rearview mirror as they produce a scent from the infused essential oils. | Use well-ventilated spaces to hang them to notice a better and long-lasting effect. |
Why Do Some Air Fresheners Last So Long?
When researching this topic, I noticed a rather funny question on Quora. The person has written, “I flush my toilet, and the odour stays in the washroom for 1-2 hours. However, I spray 4-5 pumps of my air fresheners, and the fragrance stays for 30 minutes.”
Let’s understand why some air fresheners last 7-8 hours while others fade away in just a few minutes.
- Quality of Essential Oils:Humans have duplicates for everything. Now, even essential oils are of two types. The first one is authentic, natural extracts from plants, and the second category is synthetics. If your air freshener brand prefers cost-cutting at the manufacturing stage, it will probably use synthetic essential oils.
That’s why it’s necessary to read the ingredients of any air freshener before you look for the check-out counter. Highly concentrated essential oils evaporate slowly, allowing the scent to linger longer. On the other hand, lower-quality oils lose their effectiveness much faster.
- Types of Air Fresheners:Refer to this table to note the approximate period of an air freshener:
| Type | Suitable For | Lasting Period |
| Essential Oil Diffusers | Rooms and halls | 5-6 Hours |
| Activated Charcoal Air Fresheners | Work as odour absorbers and get rid of foul smells. | 1-2 Months. |
| Gel-Based Air Fresheners | Cars and sitting areas | 1-1.5 Months |
| Vent Clip Air Fresheners | Offices with central duct system | 4-6 weeks |
| Hanging Cardboard Air Fresheners | It is best suited for cars. | 2-4 weeks |
- Proper Storage:You would never put a chocolate bar or a block of butter directly under the sun, right? Similarly, air fresheners need to be stored in cool and dry places. Heat and humidity can quickly evaporate the fragrances, so you must protect them from direct sunlight.
- Keep Them Sealed:Never unwrap the air freshener completely when you use a hanging air freshener. The unwrapped air freshener will evaporate slowly and will last longer.
- Airtight Containers:If you bought many air fresheners on your last visit to the mart, store the unused ones in an airtight container. You can also store these air fresheners in a zip-lock pouch for better accessibility and storage. These zip-lock pouches won’t occupy much space in your cabinet, either.
Effect of Temperate on Air Fresheners:
Refer to this table to understand the effect of temperature in a better way:
| Hot Temperature | Cool Temperature |
| 1. Essential oils evaporate more quickly. | 1. Slows down the evaporation of essential oils. |
| 2. Direct sunlight makes the essential oils lose their potency. | 3. Essential oils last longer and help emerge intense odours. |
| 4. Hot air flows faster because it is light and contains less moisture. So, the fragrance of the air freshener becomes more intense when sprayed. | 5. In cool temperatures, the air is heavy with moisture particles and can, therefore, carry fewer fragrance compounds. |
So, the next time you plan to spray air freshener in your room, switch off the air conditioner for 10 minutes and let the air return to its normal temperature.
Rate of Fragrance Release:
Have you ever finished a packet of 1 kg breakfast cereal in 5-6 days?
The following can be the probable reasons for the same:
1. The cereal was delicious.
2. You took too much quantity in each serve.
3. You share your breakfast cereal with your family members as well.
4. You spilt half of the cereal on the floor when pouring it into your bowl.
Anything mentioned above can cause air fresheners to fail to last long. That’s why we will offer tips to help your air freshener last much longer.
- Tighten the nozzle:When using a bottled air freshener, make sure to decrease the release rate. A dedicated air freshener enters the trigger every time you press the trigger. But if you reduce the amount by tightening the nozzle, you will save some liquid on every spray.
- Vent Setting:When using an air vent air freshener, ensure that the vents are half closed so that air will flow through only half of the product, preserving the potency of the other half.
- Packaging:Don’t unwrap the product because it looks aesthetic. Try to keep half of the product under wraps so that it doesn’t come in direct contact with the air freshener.
So, the next time you think an air freshener does not last long, try any of the practices mentioned earlier. If you like what you read in this blog, please leave a comment below.
