Retail Plus
Hyderabad
The lingering fragrance of freshness
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Its time we gave the much used room sprays a long and much needed rest, and switch to more effective and trendier options
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FROM the results of a mini survey conducted, we have come to understand that even in this techno world of innovation and novelty, people are still stuck to something as stereotypical a freshener as a “room spray”. While the market is flooded with plethora of products to combat stench and unpleasant odours, 16 out of the 20 people used as subjects, still have not gone beyond quick-fix-room-sprays.
Sharmila, an interior designer cum cleanliness freak tells us how she swears by the magic of pot pourri. “Pot pourris come in so many different fragrances that I have a tough time choosing which one to pick, and most often I end up buying more than two different ones, so that later, I don’t regret not buying any”, she says. For those of us who have known but never understood the functioning of pot pourri, here’s some help. It is a mélange of dried exotic flowers, aromatic herbs and leaves, spices and sometimes fruits.
These ingredients are blended together in such a way that their aromas don’t clash with one another but help soothe the atmosphere. Sharmila chooses her fragrance depending on the general mood of the particular room. “Most often I go for lavender or oceanic fragrances for my bedroom, I stick to peach for the living room as it is extremely refreshing and I opt for lemony, fruity flavours for the bathroom! lemony flavours are strong, but very subtly so”, she adds with a rather wicked grin.
Pot pourris are a great option to fight the odour in the loo, as they not just fix the odour but also cleanse the air.
The many fragrances available are coffee, green tea, green apple, peach, lavender, rose, sandalwood, forest flower, ocean mist, ocean breeze, grape, etc and each of them comes with a small bottle of scented oil to replenish the pot pourri with its fragrance as they tend to wear off after a month or so. These oils are there for us to buy even otherwise.
Diffusers have been around for years in the oriental countries and they are now being welcomed Oh!-so-well globally! Diffusers consist of a pot filled with the scented oil of you choice and rattan (bamboo) sticks are placed in the pot to help the aroma spread evenly through out the room it is placed in. These are said to have enormous healing powers, but irrespective of their powers to heal ailments, they act as wonderful freshners. A small diffuser set is available in the market for about Rs. 345 while the bigger ones cost around Rs. 750, subject to change according to the aroma you choose.
Wardrobes, whether or not you want to accept it, have the tendency to rub “the smell” off onto the clothes. Be it drawers, shelves, cupboards or racks, no matter what form of storage you use, the clothes that went in fresh from wash start smelling like they were never washed if not in use for a while. But not anymore! What with the umpteen types of wardrobe freshening sachets that are at your disposal, you might not even need deos any longer! These too come in yummy fragrances like grape, black currant, vanilla, oceania, etc. Modestly priced at two digit rates, these are definitely an investment you ought to make!
Incense sticks are no longer restricted to pooja rooms and temples, but their entry into the other rooms have made them a rather dependable trouble shooter. Owing to their multi dimensional appeal incense sticks are by far the cheapest and also the most traditional form of freshener.
There are the single digit costing ones and the more “exotic” triple digit (yes! Rs.999 for a pack of 50 sticks) ones that are for you to buy and enjoy! But whether or not one appreciates the universality of dhoops and incense sticks, resisting the fragrance of green apple based incense is not possible. And for the hedonistic rebels (or whatever they are called) there are also, ahem, other intoxicating aromas like opium, and the likes!
Scented candles made their entry into the market almost a decade ago, or at least that’s when people realised they existed! The shapes, colours, sizes, range, and fragrances are all inexplicable varied and so is their utility! There are scented floating candles which, when placed as the centre piece on the coffee table, shall do more tasks than one! It adds a touch of beauty to the look of the house plus its fragrance is just as beautiful!
Oil burners too are effective yet chic when it comes to combating stench. The availability of various scented oils have made oil burners quite popular among people. Within seconds of burning the candle underneath the oil holder, the fragrance starts to spread and depending on how strong or subtle you like the scent to be, you can play with the quantity of oil. These are extremely cost effective, quick and dependable.
The clichéd odour control bars that we find in almost every common man’s bathroom have also undergone a dramatic change in terms of their range of fragrances, and understandably so! There are odour control sachets that are meant to be placed in the shoes when not in use, which has come as a boon to many men. There are “refreshers” that come in bottles and are to be emptied into ashtrays, which prevent the foul smell of accumulated ash. These are to be emptied every now and then depending on how productively they have been made to work.
Bath salts are also a fabulous way to counter unseen (unexpected and unaccounted for) odours. A tad bit of bath salt mixed with some spring water, when shaken well and sprayed around the house leaves the house smelling like heaven!
Hometown sells most of these products for reasonable rates and so do many other retail stores like Home stores, Lifestyle, Suriti, Inhabit contemporaries, etc. Its about time we gave the much used room sprays a long and much needed rest, and switch to more effective and trendier options, specially when they cost much lesser than quick fix fresheners!
DIVYA BHAT
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