Fresh Again Deodorizing Spray

Odor Perception
Odor perception occurs when airborne gaseous molecules contact membranes in the nasal passage, which are rich in odor receptors. It is important to note that solids and liquids do not smell! However, solids and liquids do produce gases which we perceive as odors.

Odor Physics and Chemistry
Liquids evaporate, or turn into gaseous molecules. Some solids undergo a process similar to evaporation (called sublimation). Mothballs are a common example of a solid which sublimes into gaseous, odor-producing molecules. The molecules which make up all solids, liquids, and gases are in constant motion: the molecules in solids move relatively slowly, the molecules in liquids move somewhat faster, and the molecules in gas move even faster. At higher levels of molecular activity (molecules moving faster), some of the molecules break free from the surface of a substance and become airborne gaseous molecules ... which we then can perceive as odor. Increases in molecular activity can come about in several ways. Increased temperature can cause evaporation, as with boiling water. A more subtle example is human perspiration which is helped to evaporate by our body temperature. Changes in atmospheric pressure or exposure to atmosphere can also assist evaporation. Until perspiration reaches the surface of our skin it has nowhere to go. When it does reach the surface and is exposed to air, some of the perspiration molecules break, free to become gaseous body odor molecules. It is important to remember that solids and liquids do not smell -- only airborne gaseous molecules smell.

Before FRESH AGAIN, there were four typical methods of deodorizing, all of which had their own advantages and disadvantages:

1. Masking: Odor maskers employ the perfume concept. Perception of an unpleasant odor is simply overwhelmed by a more powerful and hopefully pleasant odor. Maskers comprise the preponderance of commercial and consumer deodorizers. Maskers offer the advantage of NOT being odor specific -- a single masker can purport to overcome a wide variety of unpleasant odors. They have the disadvantage of being temporary in that the pleasant odor often fades relatively quickly, revealing the underlying and usually more persistent malodor. The most obvious disadvantage of maskers lies in the fact that the unpleasant odor remains present -- only hidden temporarily.

2. Olfactory Saturants: The sense of smell (olfactory sense) can be saturate; that is to say, a single odor can trigger all of the olfactory nerves thereby rendering them unable to sense any other odors. Some so-called deodorizers employ the olfactory saturation concept. This principle is well known to breeders of hunting dogs. A hunting dog's keen sense of smell can be ruined (saturated) by certain odoriferous compounds like petroleum products and solvents. Olfactory saturants tend to be used in commercial applications to deal with particularly strong and persistent odors. They are generally neither pleasant nor unpleasant smelling to most people. They have the advantage of being highly concentrated which gives the illusion of economy in that a very small amount will desensitize one's sense of smell to very strong odors. Like maskers, they are temporary, often fading to reveal the underlying odor when olfactory saturation wears off. Also like maskers, olfactory saturants leave the unpleasant odor in place.

3. Absorbers: Odor absorbers trap odors. Common odor absorbers include activated charcoal and sodium bicarbonate (common baking soda). Odor absorbers offer the advantage of physically dealing with the unpleasant airborne gaseous molecules by capturing them. Absorbers are disadvantageous in that all of the air bearing the unpleasant gaseous odor molecules must pass through a sufficient quantity of absorber material for the odor to be captured effectively. This requires mechanical air movement and filtration devices which require periodic and often expensive replacement of odor absorbing material.

4. Enzyme Digestion: Enzyme digestion is a biological process which acts directly on odor producing. solids and liquids. Essentially, microbes "eat" odor-producing solids and liquids, changing them into compounds which have no perceivable or unpleasant odor. Of the traditional and contemporary deodorizing concepts, only enzyme digestion acts directly on odor-producing liquids and solids to eliminate odor at the source. Unfortunately, enzyme digestion is a very slow process. Further, the biological nature of enzyme digestion and its method of action limits its uses. It is most commonly used to deal with large, commercial quantities of odoriferous waste.

It is important to note only one of the four deodorizer methods actually eliminates odors. That one method, enzyme digestion, is not appropriate in the vast majority of malodor situations that are part of the everyday human experience.

The FRESH AGAIN Solution
The FRESH AGAIN product takes a "prescription approach" in that there is a specific FRESH AGAIN odor neutralizer for each of the most common sources of unpleasant odor. FRESH AGAIN products do not hide odors, desensitize us to their perception, inefficiently absorb their molecules, or slowly digest them. FRESH AGAIN prevents malodor sources from releasing gaseous molecules which we can smell, and/or changes gaseous molecules back to odor-free solids and liquids instantly.