We’ve probably all read this entry in SD:
My question is does Febreze work differently somehow, or is it still just covering up/anesthetizing your nose? Cecil answered that query 30 years ago, I was curious what, if any, the technological advance of Febreze is.
“The product’s active ingredient is beta-cyclodextrin, a naturally occurring molecule with a “donut-like” molecular shape. The manufacturer claims that molecules of this plant bind hydrocarbonic compounds within the donut shape,[2] thus retaining malodorous molecules so that they are no longer detected as a scent.”
Perhaps this will be on a related note, since I don’t know if Febreze makes the claim, but there are odor eliminators that claim to “destroy” odor. Where does it go?
Someone who knows much more than I do will probably be along shortly, but think about what odors are for a second. They’re actually molecules that float around in the air, hitting receptors in your nose, causing you to receive signals that your brain interprets as smell. If you break up or otherwise change those molecules, they’ll no longer be the right ‘shape’ to stimulate those smell-receptors in your nose. Voila! Destroyed odors.