Febreze is an American brand of household odor eliminators manufactured by

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/con ...

. It is sold in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. First introduced in test markets in March 1996, the fabric refresher product has been sold in the United States since June 1998, and the line has since branched out to include

air freshener Air fresheners are products designed to reduce unwanted odors in indoor spaces, to introduce pleasant fragrances, or both. They typically emit fragrance to mask odors but may use other methods of action such as absorbing, bonding to, or chemically ...

s (Air Effects), plug-in oil (Noticeables), scented disks (Scentstories), odor-eliminating candles, and automotive air fresheners. The name ''Febreze'' is a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

of the words ''fabric'' and ''breeze''. In many non-English speaking countries, the products are sold as

Ambi Pur Ambi Pur is a Spanish brand of air freshener owned by Procter & Gamble. It was first introduced in 1958, in Spain, and is now sold worldwide. History Ambi Pur's first product was launched in 1958 in Spain by Cruz Verde. In 1984, Sara Lee Corp ...

Ingredients

The active ingredient in several Febreze products is hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin (HPβCD). The molecule traps and binds volatilized

hydrocarbon In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and Hydrophobe, hydrophobic; their odor is usually fain ...

s within its structural ring, retaining malodorous molecules, which reduces their volatility and thus the perception of their scent. The active ingredient is produced from

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

cobs. The use of cyclodextrin as a sprayable odor absorber was patented by Procter & Gamble. The products include additional ingredients such as emulsifiers, preservatives, and perfumes.

Benzisothiazolinone Benzisothiazolinone (BIT) is an organic compound with the formula C6H4SN(H)CO. A white solid, it is structurally related to isothiazole, and is part of a class of molecules called isothiazolinones. BIT is widely used as a preservative and antimicr ...

is a preservative included in some of the products.

Lines

There are many types of Febreze branded products. For example, the main Febreze products are air freshener sprays, which are claimed to have a disinfectant effect. There are specialized ones for odor from pets, for cars, and for fabric. Some are aromatic and others are odorless. *Air Effects *Bedroom Mist *Fabric Refresher *Febreze ONE Fabric *Bedding Refresher *NOTICEables *3VOLUTION *Bedroom Diffuser *Bedside Diffuser *Set&Refresh *Stick&Refresh *CAR Vent Clip *Candles *Wax melts *Sleep Serenity In other countries, there are Febreze products for house dust and toilet facilities.

Marketing

The product was initially marketed as a way to get rid of unpleasant smells. It sold poorly until P&G realised that people become accustomed to smells in their own homes, and stop noticing them even when they are overpowering (like the smell of several

cat The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

s in a single household). The marketing then switched to linking it to pleasant smells and good cleaning habits instead, which resulted in a massive increase in sales. Only after the product became well established in the marketplace did the marketing go back to emphasising odour elimination properties as well.

Animal safety

Febreze fabric freshener products are considered safe for use in households with pets. However, the package labeling indicates that the product is considered not safe around

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

s, and results from testing with other animals are not indicated.

References

External links

*
Material Safety Datasheet for Febreze
{{Procter & Gamble Procter & Gamble brands Cleaning product brands Perfumes Products introduced in 1996