Wednesday, March 3, 2010

bogus product of the week

I'd like to take a moment to talk about something that nobody needs. Air fresheners.

This morning, while tossing the coupon pages into my fireplace, I came across countless coupons for endless varieties of air fresheners. Plug-ins, Febreeze, toilet roll holders that release fragrance...you know the ones. I have to know...since when do we have a nationwide epidemic of Stink House? This seems to have become a MAJOR ISSUE. Does everyone in America really live in a house that smells like a sewage treatment plant? I THINK NOT. And believe me, I should know. If anyone is going to have Stink House, it should be me. We have four dogs. And livestock. We sweat a lot, there's manure, we have skunks, we have dead animals, you name it - if it smells bad, we probably have it. And guess what? No Stink House here.

People, you have been duped. And it goes way beyond the air in your home. You've been conned into believing that everything in your life should smell pleasant! It should smell like "Spring Rain" or "Mountain Meadow" or "Morning Mist" or some such chemical absurdity. But really, it's okay for things to not smell like anything at all. If you need some fresh air in the house, open a window and let some in. Even if it's cold outside, it probably won't kill you. If you want the whole house to smell nice, bake some bread or cookies! Plant some fragrant herbs or flowers in a sunny windowsill. Sit on the porch and enjoy the real smell of spring rain. If you really DO have Stink House (and sometimes you do, I know), a little essential oil or an incense stick should take care of it. Don't be suckered.

6 comments:

  1. Ha you are so right. I LOVE opening the windows when it's raining...such a great (natural) smell.

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  2. THIS!!! What you said!!!

    I have also noticed lately there are TONS of adverts on TV and in print for air fresheners or products that are supposed to somehow actually kill theoretical stinky bacteria in the air.

    I think it may be an extension of the germphobia that is also being marketed like crazy in the form of antibacterial everything.

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  3. I would LOVE to open a window in the upstairs bathroom...but there isn't any. I use to buy the rug deodorizor for my room but now I just buy baking soda for it. I can't wait until it's warm enough for me to have my bedroom windows opened 24/7.

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  4. *LOL. Air fresheners and a lot of other stuff! Actually, I think those air fresheners stink themselves. They have a chemical smell that is really unpleasant.

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  5. No stink house here either; stink garage maybe. If the temperature is anything above 60* I prefer to open the windows. Hubby's stinky hockey gear was banished to the garage long ago. Even though he hangs it to dry on the hockey "scarecrow" it still stinks. He likes to use Febreeze on it, but spraying the gear with chemicals really bothers me. (Believe it or not, most of his team mates leave their wet gear INSIDE their bags for use next week - not washing it at all: that would be bad luck, or so I've heard.)

    Candles, incense or open windows when possible.

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  6. I get some stink house, because I have cats. Trash days are Tuesday and Friday, and on Mondays and Thursdays I have found that burning a couple of sticks of Nag Champa or Gonesh #8 is called for.

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