This Gets Right Up My nose! (SC Johnson Oust)

Member Name: janharper

Product:	SC Johnson Oust
Date:	20/02/08 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Pretty can!!

Disadvantages: Sneezing, asthma allergic reaction to contents.

There are several varieties of Oust Odour Eliminator, or air spray, for those of us who aren't quite so posh. The only one I have tried is the 'outdoor scent' flavour, so that's the only one I can comment on, and the only one that I am likely to try, as you will understand after you read this article.

This product is an aerosol made by Johnson & Johnson and it is supposed to eliminate nasty smells without simply masking them. According to the manufacturer it has a very special chemical formula that neutralises bad odours. Complicated chemical compositions generally start alarm bells ringing in my head, particularly when linked to aerosols and ozone layers and other such green things.

The 300 ml can itself is white with a pretty country scene at the top. The lettering is blue and purple and the cap is green. What a pity the contents don't match the idea of fresh country living and fragrant, natural environments.

This spray has a sharp, stinging kind of scent that immediately irritated the lining of my nose and made me sneeze. This was followed by an asthma attack and sore eyes. The contents are obviously not anti allergenic.

The spray didn't clear the smell of 'stinky dog' from the room. It only covered up the odour and seemed to hang around in the air for ages. I had to open the windows on a freezing cold day to get rid of it. It does say 'use only in well ventilated areas' on the can, but if you have to open the windows to ventilate the room you may as well save your money and freshen the air that way.

The writing on the can warns that the user should not breathe in the spray, or the droplets. This is good advice but how do you spray this into a room and get out without breathing any of it in? Obviously you have to spray and run, closing the door behind you, but then you would be disregarding the first instruction about ventilation,wouldn't you?

Anyway, I found this product useless. It didn't clear those 'nasty niffs', it made me sneeze uncontrollably and it set off an asthma attack. If you are susceptible to respiratory problems, or allergies, stay away from this stuff. Open your windows for ten minutes. It's healthier, quicker, more effective and could save you having a nasty allergic reaction.

I have used other air freshener sprays that didn't give me such a strong allergic reaction but I certainly would not buy this one again. At £1.28 it was a complete waste of money.

Summary: If you or someone in the family has allergy problems stay clear of this stuff.