# Febreze - what is it & how does it work?b

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/febreze-what-is-it-how-does-it-work-b/278693>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 8, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/febreze-what-is-it-how-does-it-work-b/278693 "2004-12-08T04:38:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![fighting\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac8455/32.png) [@fighting\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fighting_ignorant)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/febreze-what-is-it-how-does-it-work-b/278693/1 "2004-12-08T04:38:18Z")

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Is it more like a deodorant (i.e. scented to mask the odor) or some kind of disinfectant? Or some other thing altogether?

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/febreze-what-is-it-how-does-it-work-b/278693/2 "2004-12-08T05:43:10Z")

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Febreze employs [cyclodextrins](http://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/7903/7903prod2.html) to mop up odors:

> [@](#):
>
> One of P&G’s biggest recent successes has been its Febreze odor-removal product line, which is based on cyclodextrins—ring-shaped molecules based on six, seven, or eight glucose monomers that can either deliver or entrap odorous compounds.

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/febreze-what-is-it-how-does-it-work-b/278693/3 "2004-12-08T05:43:32Z")

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According to the ingredients, it contains:

Water, alcohol, odor eliminator derived from corn, fragrance.