Smells nice and does the job (Febreze Classic)

Member Name: thehonesttruth

Product:	Febreze Classic
Date:	03/12/07 (170 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Does what its meant to do '

Disadvantages: Made by a company that performs animal testing

Any house, no matter how much time you spend cleaning it, is bound to have its fair share of smells every so often. Mine is no exception. Home to one cat, one child, me, and my boyfriend, who both smoke, it often needs a little freshening.

Easiest way of course is to find out what smells, and wash it. However, sometimes that's just not practical, because of time constraints. For example, when visitors pop round on short notice, you can't very well say 'Just wait there 2 hours while I wash and press the cushion covers' can you?

Well, one night we hosted a party ... with lots of smoking, some spicy food, some spilled beer, and all manner of craziness. The next day, my house smelled like a pub, and I KNEW my mum was coming down that night.

I have a dislike for most spray air fresheners, they generally smell strong and overpowering, and often the fumes tickle at my throat and bring on a choking fit. So Febreeze, which claims to get rid of the odour's rather than cover them up, seemed a good bet.

At a little over £2 in my local shop, it was a good £1.30 more expensive than their bog standard room spray, but it was worth a try.

The bottle instructs you to try a test patch, on some fabric where it won't be noticed, so, I tried it on the back of the curtains. They didn't immediately dissolve into ruin, so I decided to go spray lots of things - the sofa, the rug, the curtains etc. The spray had a light scent, but nothing too overpowering, and it didn't irritate me.

Or course, the key test was to find out whether it did actually remove the smell, as opposed to covering it up. Leaving the house to go pick my daughter up from her dads, I came home an hour later and it still smelled fresh. The faint Febreeze smell had gone, but there was no beer smell, no smoke smell, and definitely no hint of the spicy curry or the anal eruptions caused by it.

Since then, its been used on a variety of smells - from getting rid of cat sick smells, to de-musting the winter coats, and even as an emergency freshen up of clothing before a job interview. Its coped well every time, although stronger smells need a few more sprays.

I used this product daily - not because I always need to, but to keep things smelling fresh - after all, I smoke, and while I may not be able to always smell it in my home, I'm sure non-smokers can, and I like to keep my house fresh. It's easily available in supermarkets and in many corner shops and they've added a few other scents now, although I prefer the original - not too overpowering, not particularly floral, and rather neutral.

There is one thing that may be a drawback for some people - this product is manufactured by Proctor and Gamble, who do some animal testing on products. If you have strong beliefs in this area, you may wish to avoid this product and look for an alternative. I didn't find this out until after I'd purchased and used the product, and it does put me off buying the product again (once the bottle I have is finished).

Overall, a long-lasting, decent value product that does the job. Five stars for the product, one star knocked off for the manufacturer's animal testing.

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