Poll on "The Smell of Virtue"

[Harriet]

Here is a link to an articleabout a new scientific study, "The Smell of Virtue" upcoming in the journal Psychological Science, that proved that a clean-smelling environment, or simply the scent of cleaning products, can encourage people to act in a more moral or virtuous way.

"(It) elevates people’s core choices," the lead author says. "These clean scents activate moral awareness."

In the study, "citrus" was the scent used, btw, but the authors say it had nothing to do with a particular product, just that there was obviously the scent of a cleaning product, or not. The article mentions extending this research to using cleanliness to fight crime, correct children's behavior, calm workplaces.

At the end of the article, the lead author acknowledges that her mother will feel vindicated by the research and feel she was correct to insist on housecleaning for her family.

Do you have cleaning scents that you allow to linger as the "signature" aroma of a room, or do you consider the scent of household cleaning products to be inferior to other types of scents? Does anyone in your home mention liking or approving of a certain cleaner's scent? Do you suspect a family member likes or approves of a certain cleaner's scent, or reacts positively to it?

Take the poll or give us a longer opinion/ideas. The poll runs until the 24th.

[Emptynester]

I love the smell of orange cleaner when I dust the wood in my RV. I also use some of those cleaning cloths in a pop-up plastic tub (can't remember the name) when I clean the bathroom. It makes it smell clean.

After I am done cleaning, I light a vanilla candle. I think the calming smell of vanilla adds to the satisfied feeling of knowing I have a clean house.

If the house (RV) gets that stale smell when closed up in the winter - I will put some orange peelings and a dash of cinnamon in some water on the stove to simmer and then just sit. It also smells good.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I try to avoid using non-natural products and thus avoid scents. Vinegar and baking soda are my staples.

I do have to have products with scents (orange glo wood polish for instance) but their smell makes me ill and I can hardly wait for the smell to go away after using them.

[NC SHE]

I tend to use cleaning products which have less of an aroma (and I chose NOT to use cleaning products with strong aromas).

However, I LOVE the smell of Pine-Sol. I don't actually clean a lot with it, but I pour some in the kitchen sink with some water at the smell motivates me to get moving!

[LurkyLou]

I don't have "smelly" cleaners, but I do like to light my lilac candle when everything is done....smells like spring back home!!

[Harmony]

Had a hard time figuring how to answer this question.

I choose my cleaners first by their performance. Then I eliminate any I don't like the scent of.

I do like the orange furniture polish I use, but I dislike clorox smell (though I use some where necessary).

DH is rather sensitive to chemicals / smells, so I don't do anything very strong. The smell I absolutely detest is Febreze. Once I was in a very cheap motel with DH and we complained about the odor and they came in and sprayed something like Febreze everywhere. So that scent triggers an awful memory for me. I knew that place was dirty, so that's what I think of when I smell Febreze.

I feel virtuous when I look around and everything is clean! Not sure about the smell!

[Harriet]

I found it very interesting that "citrus" would be the cleaning aroma type used in the study. It is not only used in proprietary cleaning products today, but lemons are also a traditional cleaning product that has been a homemade help for generations. In many "How Clean is Your House" episodes, there would be lessons for traditional use of a lemon in cleaning, for instance with salt to scrub a bathtub, also other citrus fruits used by "cooking" in the microwave to change an unpleasant odor there. It occurs to me that "citrus" could as easily be an environmentally friendly cleaning scent.

I do buy Pine Sol specifically because of positive opinion of the scent. Here, HRH likes to smell Pine Sol as NCShe does. Several times he's commented upon arriving home that it was nice to smell the Pine Sol when he walked through the door. (HRH hates the smell of Febreeze like Harmony, btw, and had to leave the bed one time because I had used a fabric softener containing Febreeze on the sheets. Interesting that a product created to make things smell good would have such a negative reaction for him, but a cleaner would be so positive.)

One example of how a cleaning product's smell can dominate a house is my first dmil's old home. She used the regular (blue) Downy and for some reason the smell was always really obvious. It became so ingrained for me to associate it with her home that I have never bought that product in the 33 years since we briefly lived with her!

One time ds did something dishonest and came home and began to vomit into the toilet because of the guilt. Maybe it was because I had recently cleaned the bathroom and it caused moral thoughts?

Would I go out and buy Windex Citrus just because of reading about the study? Well, I will pick it up and look at it - maybe spritz a little in the air, yes.

Will I clean more because I think my family might be more virtuous? Well, I'll feel more virtuous when I clean, anyway. I'll also feel better about giving dd11 more cleaning chores as she grows up!

[Indiana]

I enjoy scents. As many of my cleaning products as I can get are citrus. The next scent is vanilla. The only one I won't use is flower based scents except for lavender.

If I don't have a scented product I'm cleaning with I will spray the room lightly with vanilla.

All of the scented candles I burn are not flower scented. I do have a lilac one I use sparingly and a cucumber and melon one I also use sparingly.

There is something about a citrus or vanilla or apple scent that is relaxing.

[Lisa B.]

I know the poll is closed but I love the smell of lemon in cleaners.

As I use a few Amway products, especially their fabric softener which has an alpine smell, most are fragrance free. Their furniture polish has a citrusy scent which smells divine when used.

The other fragrance my DH and I use a lot of is lavender - we both find it relaxes us and calms us down a lot.

I have used freshly sliced lemons in bowl of water and placed it inside the microwave like on 'How Clean is your House?' and it really does get rid of lingering smells and gives a lovely pleasant odour.


I think I need to buy some vanilla candles and try them as most of you like the smell. Will have to try it.