Commercial Odor Eliminators vs. Masking for Industrial Facilities
Running a business means dealing with organic waste, whether it’s from a restroom, kitchen, manufacturing zone, or trash collection area. But with so many options for addressing bad smells, it can be hard to know what will be best for neutralizing your facility’s specific odors.
At State Chemical, we manufacture and distribute chemical and biological solutions for various applications, including odor control. You know that you want to get rid of odors, but does it really matter whether you use an odor eliminator or a masker? What will the difference be?
To help you understand the difference between odor masking and odor elimination, we will explain how odor masking works, how odor elimination works, and when each is best applied. After reading, you’ll understand which product will best solve your facility’s odor problems.
What is an Odor-Masking Commercial Air Freshener?
Odor maskers are products that use a fragrance to cover up a malodor. They don’t remove odors from the air; instead, they overwhelm the odor with a pleasant scent so the fragrance becomes the only thing your nose picks up.
When you think of an odor masker, you’ll probably think of a handheld aerosol air freshener, the most classic example. There are exceptions, of course, but usually, when the term “air freshener” is used and no reference is made to odor elimination on the label, the product is considered an odor masker—not an odor eliminator.
How Do Commercial Odor Eliminators Work?
On the other hand, odor eliminators usually work by changing the chemical composition of an odor so that the nose no longer recognizes it. This renders the odor undetectable.
Used in a commercial space, an odor eliminator will neutralize odors from the air—and usually, the product will also contain a masking fragrance to give the area a fresh scent. This said, the fragrance is an optional component to create ambience. The core of an odor eliminator is its odor-fighting power.
Commercial odor eliminators come in aerosol cans, ready-to-use cans and bottles, or fragrance systems, but they’re not usually marketed solely as “air fresheners.” Instead, their labels will generally also claim that they are “odor eliminators,” “odor neutralizers,” or “deodorizers.”
When to Use an Odor-Masking Air Freshener in Commercial Facilities
There’s never a wrong application for odor-masking air fresheners, but there are more fitting and less fitting applications. It all depends on your odor control goals.
If your aim is to cover up mild odors or add a pleasant ambience, odor-masking air fresheners are the right choice for you. These air fresheners will be able to overcome mild odors and introduce a pleasing fragrance to the area. This is an effective solution for milder problems and for purely adding ambience.
However, if your intention is to eliminate powerful odors, odor-masking air fresheners are not the solution for you. Imagine spraying a can of floral fragrance to combat sewage odors—it’s just not going to make an impact without a chemical to fight the already-present odors. In these cases, it’s best to use an air freshener that also contains an odor-neutralizing ingredient.
Having a fragrance is usually helpful for combatting odors and creating a fresher atmosphere. But the only time to forego an odor-eliminating air freshener is when its effectiveness is not a pressing requirement.
When to Use a Commercial Odor Eliminator
This being said, it’s never a bad idea to use an odor eliminator when dealing with odors. Even if your facility’s odors are minor (e.g., an occasional bad smell when someone uses the microwave), an odor eliminator will always go the extra step to neutralize malodors from a space. In heavily odorous environments, this is even more important.
Take a landfill, for example. It’s unlikely that adding a fragrance to heaping piles of garbage will help matters—in fact, it might even make things worse. But by using an odor eliminator to block malodors from traveling, your property can prevent odor complaints from the surrounding community.
Additionally, using an odor eliminator that also masks odors can be helpful. For example, if your facility has a trash room, you might want to use an odor-neutralizing fragrance system to keep odors in check, but if the system also adds a pleasant fragrance, the room can present as fresher and better-maintained than if it were simply devoid of smell.
For the most part, it’s best to use commercial air fresheners that contain both odor-eliminating and odor-masking ingredients. Spaces lacking scent can be jarring, and odorous spaces filled with additional fragrance can be unappealing. Therefore, the most comprehensive solution is usually to use both in tandem.
Learn About State Chemical’s Odor-Eliminating Fragrance Systems
All facilities deal with some level of odors, and it’s not always clear what the best method to address them is. Now that you know the merits of using odor elimination hand-in-hand with odor masking, watch the video below to learn which of State Chemical’s fragrance systems is the best fit for your facility.