Stamping out smell of smoke
June 1st 2007

Although smokers are prevented from lighting-up in all businesses from 1st July, the challenge for those involved in cleaning will be to get rid of the stale residue of smoke that lingers long after the smokers have gone.The Smoking Ban, says JohnsonDiversey's Kathryn Berry, is just the tip of the iceberg

Sounds like something out of a Hammer House of Horror movie, doesn't it? The smoke clears and out of the darkness, an effigy rises.Or, in this case, does not rise. In fact, despite the clear presence of something lurking, it takes no form whatsoever.The only tell-tale is a lingering smell.

The Smoking Ban is upon us. Businesses from care homes, to hotels, to food service, to just about everybody are affected, as are those responsible for their maintenance and cleaning. It is as simple as: 1 July, Smoking Ban. Or is it? Whether smokers themselves find the ban palatable remains a heated issue. Only time will tell how much non-smokers will benefit as a result of not breathing second hand smoke.What is increasingly being learnt from our counterparts in Europe, is that the ban itself is just the beginning Dispersing the initial waft makes way for all manner of stubborn malodours to be unmasked - from the stale residue of the smoke itself in curtains, upholstery and carpets, to previously hidden odours like beer smells around bar areas, body sweat and even urine in washrooms. For many, certainly those involved in cleaning, eliminating residual smells will be the real challenge – the knock-on reality of the Smoking Ban.

Sensory perception is the ultimate barometer of cleanliness and human odour memory 'falls off' less rapidly that any other sensory recollection (Source:Miles & Jenkins, 2000). An independent survey* concluded that odour control improvements were needed in 70 per cent of hotels, 56 per cent of non-food retail establishments, 46 per cent of nursing homes and 43 per cent within other retail businesses.

While the smell of freshly baked bread and newly brewed coffee has been proven to entice prospective home buyers, it is no surprise that some odour memories paint a less positive olfactory picture.

Perfumes and fragrances have been used throughout history for their many practical and emotional benefits.

Natural scents such as oranges and other citrus fruits were once used as room deodorants. Indeed the clovestudded festive orange and muslin drawer pomander both stem from the days when people dried fragrant spices and herbs that weren't available all year round.

Potpourri, created in the 12th century to freshen castle rooms,was also used to perfume women's petticoats, at a time when the convenience of bathing and washing linen was limited.The list goes on.

Research into the way fragrances and perfumes interact with our olfactory system, plus the ways human senses respond to certain smells and translate them into 'good and bad odours' is now more clearly understood.

Sensory perception is the first signal of cleanliness; malodour is perceived as lack of cleanliness. So how can we take what we now understand about perfume, and indeed deodorising, and translate it into a Smoking Ban solution? Odour Neutralising Technology offers a solution.The technology was created by technical experts frustrated by the huge spread of perfumed deodorisers on the market, from air fresheners to air conditioning systems, which simply masked malodours by perfuming the air, rather than making them go away.The technology has resulted in effective odour control products and systems, including a range named 'Good Sense'.

The ONT technology found within Good Sense contains an active ingredient that chemically encapsulates and neutralises offending malodour molecules, turning each into a non-odorant new molecule and locking the smell away for good.The range combines cuttingedge technology with a choice of natural, fresh fragrances to provide subtlety and deliver image-enhancing ambience.This fast-acting solution to common malodours caused by anything from kitchen cooking, drains, smoking and, in this case, the aftereffects of smoking, has been created to help businesses create a long-lasting, positive impression for guests and customers Time-saving and cost-effective, Good Sense is available in a variety of platforms, from liquid-based products that provide instant, directed odour control, to discreet refillable units that tuck neatly above the door and battery-powered dispensers that provide over 50 days' freshness. Gel plaques impregnated with concentrated ONT and fresh fragrance can be installed into the air conditioning units of buildings for rapid, even dispersion. Good Sense Service offers up to 10 weeks of continuous odour control, after which plaques are replaced.

Good Sense is just one of a range of odour control products and systems available from JohnsonDiversey to ensure even the most difficult in-grained problem areas are left clean and fresh.The range includes multi-surface cleaners and deodorisers, carpet and fabric cleaners and even odour control granules that can be used in a vacuum.

*Independent EMA Survey conducted by JohnsonDiversey

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