Like most people, you probably encounter a musty smell or foul odor in your space from time to time. Most of the time, it is coming from your upholstery, carpets, or even curtains. Naturally, you want your space to smell fresh and what better and easy way to do it than with an air freshener?
One of the most popular ones in the market has to be Febreze and rightfully so because it is known to eliminate musty odors from upholstery, to clothes and carpets.
That said, you would want the fresh smell to linger for a long time, no? So, how long does Febreze last? Typically, this spray will last 30-45 minutes in small spaces like your car. If you have a larger space, it will be shorter than that. Another factor that will affect its longevity is the strength of the odor you are trying to mask. As you can imagine, stronger odors will require you to use more products and they will not last as long.
How Does it Work?
Febreze is formulated to eliminate bad odors from fabric. Now, the spray does not eliminate odor molecules, but it does trap odor molecules and prevent them from being detected until you clean your fabric.
When you spray Febreze on your fabric, the water in it begins to dissolve odor molecules. After that, beta-cyclodextrin, which is an active ingredient in the spray binds with the odor molecules in your fabric and prevents them from getting to your nose’s odor receptors.
As such, what your nose will perceive are the fragrance molecules in Febreze rather than the foul odor molecules in your fabric.
How to Use Febreze
- Always begin by shaking the bottle before spraying. By so doing, you ensure that the ingredients in the formula mix well for maximum efficacy.
- Next, you want to hold the bottle upright while it is about eight inches away from the fabric you want to spray. This will ensure that none of it gets into your mouth or eyes.
- You may also want to place a towel or an old rug on the floor to catch spills if there are any. If you are spraying something that is hanging down, ensure that they are not hanging over anything that may cause fire like a stove or candle.
Pros
What are the benefits of choosing Febreze spray? Here are some of them.
- It comes with different scents. This is commendable because it caters to even people who are allergic to strong fragrances or simply do not like them. The brand even features unscented options and some with mild scents.
- The spray is easy to use. All you are required to do is hold the bottle at least six or eight inches away from the fabric you want to spray and allow it to dry.
- It is reasonably priced considering how long its scent lasts and how many sprays you can get out of a single bottle.
- The product comes in a plastic bottle that can be recycled. Of course, this is good for the environment. What’s more, the company encourages users to return their bottles once the product is finished to facilitate recycling.
Cons
While Febreze is a great product, it also has its shortcomings albeit a few. These include:
- The product is not ideal for suede and leather. These fabrics are delicate and should ideally be cleaned professionally. Febreze is likely to damage or cause discoloration to these fabrics, especially if misused.
- This spray is likely to cause irritation to your respiratory system or eyes if not used properly. Besides, it contains alcohol, which can dry out your skin or even irritate it in the worst-case scenario.
- If you have pets particularly birds, the Febreze spray may be detrimental to them. This is because birds are quite sensitive to most of the ingredients contained in the spray. Improper use and carelessness on your part may lead to respiratory issues for your pet and even death in some cases.
Tips for Using the Febreze Spray
There’s no doubt that most users would want to get the most out of their Febreze spray. You can only achieve that by using it correctly. Here are some tips to help you do that.
- Be cautious when using the product. As such, you want to avoid spraying it anywhere near an open flame or heat source as it may cause a fire or explosion. This goes for any aerosol spray as well.
- Always shake the bottle before spraying to ensure that the ingredients in it are mixed up evenly for maximum effect. This ensures that odors are eliminated effectively and as fast as possible.
- Never spray Febreze directly on a fabric. Instead, hold the bottle at least eight inches away from your clothes, carpet, or upholster. If you fail to do this, chances are that there will be too much of the product left on your fabric and this could in turn cause over-saturation of musty smells in the fabric instead of spreading in the surrounding.
- Ensure that you use it as a deodorizer. This means spraying it before cleaning your fabric. The beauty of Febreze is that it will remove odors without the need for washing first. All you have to do is spray it on your fabric before cleaning it. You can also spray your curtains after cleaning before hanging them up. This will keep them smelling fresh for longer.
- It is easy to go overboard when using Febreze, but this is where the ‘less is more’ saying applies. You do not need to soak your carpet, upholstery, or clothing in the spray for it to work. For best results, spray it sparingly onto your fabric rather than spraying the air first.
You may also want to spray it in small spaces rather than entire rooms. People tend to do this because they think spraying it in the air will work better. However, the contrary is true considering Febreze is designed to eliminate odors in small areas. Overusing it may make things worse.