What Are the Features of a Good Car Air Freshener

Summary

 – Car air freshener: the origin of minor odors

 – Car air freshener: types and characteristics

 – Car air freshener: prices

 – Car air freshener: alternative solutions

The interior of a car is a closed space and can quickly become a concentration of bacteria and minor odors. Car air fresheners are there to counteract these nauseating odors. We tell you all about these fragrant compounds. What are the different types of air fresheners, their costs, effectiveness, and disadvantages…

Car air freshener: the origin of minor odors

A car’s interior is a small space where odors take hold, but what is their origin?

The smell of new

Characteristic of a vehicle coming out of the factory, it is a pleasant odor, undoubtedly linked psychologically to the satisfaction of the appropriation of one’s car. 

However, these smells of leather or imitation leather, plastic, and other materials are harmful to the occupants: just like in a new house, the materials and other assembly products release aggressive substances into the body.

Bad smells

What could be more unpleasant than entering a vehicle that emits terrible odors, especially if it is not your own? 

These odors are linked to the proliferation of bacteria, germs, and fungi, which develop under the following conditions

 – the absence of ventilation in the cabin, favored, for example, by the “interior recycling” position of the air conditioning;

 – Humidity;

 – poor maintenance of the air conditioning and the cabin filter, a real melting pot of micro-organisms;

 – poor vehicle sanitation.

They can also be linked to smoking and are deeply rooted in the cabin (upholstery, carpets, glass surfaces, etc.).

Car deodorizer: types and characteristics

Car air fresheners are used to eliminate unpleasant odors and come in different forms.

Plates

They are made of blotting paper, soaked in deodorant made with synthetic molecules, reproducing various scents (pine, lavender, coconut, red fruit, etc.).

They are suspended in the passenger compartment and come in various forms (animals, trees, figurines, flowers, candles, etc.). Their limited action, around 15 days, requires their periodic replacement.

The diffusers

Fixed on a ventilation grid, diffusers are made up of a refill of liquid deodorant that slowly evaporates in the cabin through a blotting filter. They have an average lifespan of one month and are renewed by replacing the cartridge.

The components are either synthetic molecules or essential oils; in the latter case, the effectiveness of the air freshener, in the long term, can be more important (multiplied by two).

Good to know: essential oils are concentrates of aromatic plants obtained by distillation; they can have an anti-bacterial effect and are used in alternative medicine and aromatherapy. Because of their high concentration, they are not recommended for young children.

Air fresheners for an air conditioning treatment

Air conditioning is conducive to developing micro-organisms, and preventive treatment can be carried out.

In the position of interior recycling, air conditioning is activated in a closed vehicle without occupants. An aerosol can is sprayed through the air vents for several minutes. While its primary function is anti-bacterial treatment, the product can also leave a pleasant odor for several days in the cabin.

Car air freshener: prices

Car air fresheners are available at all car dealerships (car centers, dealers, specialized websites…) and in some supermarkets. Here is an overview of the prices:

Car air fresheners: alternative solutions

While most of these products give the sensation that the air is purified, some are not neutral for your health. Here are some simple tips to limit their use:

 – Cleaning is the first reflex against bad smells, and it must be done with natural products based on baking soda. The interior should be reviewed and cleared of all detritus (paper, packaging, food scraps, etc.).

 – Ventilation: as with a house, the vehicle must be regularly ventilated to renew the stale air.

 – Air conditioning maintenance: the cabin filter, or pollen filter, must be replaced regularly.

Good to know: against tobacco odors, remember to clean the windows of smoke deposits (also beneficial for the vision) and the ashtray, always using baking soda. To fight against humidity, spread a few moisture-absorbing desiccant blocks in the vehicle (remember to replace them regularly).