Purple Wren: Ladiesrooms Need Fresh Air!

I don't think we can talk about ladiesrooms without discussing indoor air quality and the popular habit of using room fresheners and deodorizers. It's part of the customer experience.

Personally, I don't like them - at all. And I'm not the only one.

What's wrong with a good air handling system? Or exhaust fans? Clean doesn't have to smell. We want fresh air!

I'm sure the manufacturers will disagree because they make money (lots) by selling these products, but according to many authorities, the ingredients are not good for us, especially in closed rooms. Funny, that's where we use them.

Read the label on your favorite product. There's probably a warning about using in a well-ventilated area. That's because the ingredients are toxic. I've been in public bathrooms where the automatic sprayer on the room deodorizer must be set on high - it sprays a mist every few minutes. When you walk in the front door of the building you can smell the bathroom freshener. Yuk.

Many studies show that indoor air quality is worse than outdoor air. We have forgotten what clean and fresh smells like. It's really a neutral smell and it doesn't come in a can, bottle, box, jar, candle, oil, plug-in or sprayer. Those products work in one of four ways: 1. interfere with ability to smell; 2. coat nasal passages; 3. cover up the smell with another; 4. break down the offensive odor. Usually it's one of the first three ways. Pay attention to how you feel when you are in an environment with a lot of "air freshening" products.

Go ahead - do some research of your own. Here's some links to get you started.