EXCURSION INTO THE WORLD OF SCENTS

Why do we perceive some odours as negative?

There are around 350 different types of olfactory cells in the human nose that can perceive different scents. There are about 50,000 of each of these olfactory cell types in our nose, and there are receptors on their surface. These bind scent molecules according to the lock-and-key principle. Each olfactory cell type has only one type of ‘lock’ into which a ‘key’ fits and thus smells similar. When a scent molecule docks onto one of these receptors, the corresponding nerve cell sends information to the olfactory brain to the ‘olfactory balls’. These are ellipse-shaped nerve plexuses that are linked to the olfactory cell types. When the ‘vanilla olfactory bulb’ receives an electrical impulse, we smell a vanilla scent.

But how is it that we judge some smells as bad? This depends primarily on the respective context and situation. Even as toddlers, we develop a preference or aversion to a smell when we first perceive it, depending on our mood
. But it is not only our mood that plays a significant role. Our upbringing also contributes to how we perceive a scent. If our parents associate a scent with negative emotions, we are likely to have negative associations with it in the future as well. A person's genetic predisposition, on the other hand, has no influence on our sense of smell.

Are there fabrics that absorb odours more quickly?

The answer to this question is yes.

In fact, there are textile fibres that are known to absorb odours more quickly. These fibres include, in particular, synthetic fibres such as polyester, which, due to their surface structure, provide a good breeding ground for skin germs, which is why they multiply more quickly on them. Natural fibres such as cotton, wool or silk, on the other hand, absorb moisture better and bind fewer odours.

How did the development of the
IMPRESAN odour remover and laundry fragrance

We have already explained why our laundry can sometimes smell unpleasant after washing in the answers above. However, another problem with unpleasantly smelling laundry is not the smell itself, but the associated impairment of our well-being.

The development of the odour eliminator for washing machines is a result of the growing sensitivity towards the well-being of consumers. In today's society, people increasingly value fresh and pleasantly scented clothing, as smell has a significant influence on overall well-being.

Unpleasant odours in clothing can not only affect self-confidence, but also have a significant impact on social interactions and everyday well-being. Because who hasn't been there? You feel uncomfortable as soon as you notice that your clothes are giving off an unpleasant smell, and you fear that others may notice the smell – be it the smell of sweat, nicotine, food or animals. In the worst case, they may distance themselves or even leave the group altogether. The idea behind the development of our 2in1 IMPRESAN Odour Remover & Laundry Fragrance is to provide people with an effective way of getting rid of unpleasant odours in their clothing.

How did you decide on the ‘cotton fresh’ scent?

As part of the product development process, we tested a variety of different scents,
tried them out on textiles and asked for help in selecting a scent as part of an end-user survey.

In the end, we let ourselves be guided by our emotions and looked at which of the scents we felt most comfortable with and which went particularly well with textiles and clothing. In doing so, we kept one situation in mind: most of us love the feeling of slipping into a bed with freshly washed and made cotton bed linen in the evening after an exhausting day at work. We dreamt of this moment of relaxation, wondered what it might smell like, and then very quickly decided on the carefree and pure scent of ‘cotton freshness’.