In 2020, nearly 250 million Americans—75% of the population—used home air-freshening products. Yet, what if I told you that America’s go-to fix for killing indoor odors might actually create more problems than it solves? Are air fresheners a waste of money?
Air freshener are a waste of money because they’re typically unnecessary. Most products only mask odors, contribute to indoor air pollution, and are temporary fixes. However, some air fresheners can eliminate unpleasant odors via odor-neutralizing ingredients like cyclodextrin.
So, if air fresheners are—in fact—a waste of money, why is the U.S. air freshener market still expected to top $2.18 billion in 2025? Keep reading to learn why many are turning away from air freshening products in recent years and consider them a “waste.”
Table of Contents
Many Air Fresheners Only Mask Odors
Odor counteractants are household products chemically designed to attack odors at their source. These products contain ingredients that react with and chemically bind to odor-causing molecules. The result is a blunted or eliminated smell.
Enzyme-based odor neutralizers and activated charcoal absorbers fall into this category. Now, they’re generally effective at trapping (or adsorbing) smells and breaking down organic odors.
Unfortunately, most air fresheners aren’t odor neutralizers but rather odor maskers.
The average air freshener “masks” odors because it’s little more than a blend of pleasant-smelling fragrance compounds. The overpowering scents within these mixes can dominate foul odors and replace them with a more appealing aroma.
I say “most” because some air fresheners contain ingredients like the donut-shaped cyclodextrin. These ingredients may actually trap and neutralize odor molecules, at least for a little while.
To see if your air freshener has this component, look for some sort of variation of “cyclodextrin” on the ingredients list in the back. You can see an example below on a bottle of Febreze Fabric:
The Effects Are Often Temporary
The odor-busting effects of an air freshener are often temporary due to factors like:
- Evaporation + dissipation: Fragrance compounds tend to be volatile. As they disperse into the space, they become less concentrated and ultimately less noticeable.
- Ventilation + airflow: Open windows and doors, foot traffic, and HVAC systems contribute to a quicker dissipation.
- Surface absorption: An air freshener’s scent will fade as the fragrance molecules settle on fabrics, walls, and furniture.
- Chemical stability: Light (ultraviolet light exposure), heat, oxygen, humidity, and indoor air quality can all degrade a compound’s scent, making it less powerful.
- Sensory adaptation: Longer exposure to the aroma causes the brain’s olfactory receptors to become less sensitive to it. This adaptation makes the fragrance essentially unnoticeable with time.
Most air fresheners cover up a bad odor temporarily instead of eliminating it at the source. They don’t remove the enzymes, mildew, or debris causing the smell. So that odor will return as these factors take hold or when you eventually remove the air freshener.
Air Fresheners Worsen Indoor Air Quality + Lead to Health Issues
The average American spends roughly 90% of their time indoors, according to the EPA. Traditional air fresheners contain a mixture of chemicals. This, along with other factors, raises concerns about indoor air quality.
Modern air fresheners contain potentially hazardous chemicals like:
Volatile Organic Compounds
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde and xylene add to indoor air pollution.
Mildly disturbing research published in 2011 revealed that the average scented home product had 17 VOCs. It also found that most of these VOCs went unlisted on the product’s label.
In fact, of the 25 products tested, 44% released at least one carcinogenic hazardous air pollutant. And 19% of users surveyed noticed health concerns connected to air fresheners.
Some of these harmful VOCs “off-gas” into the air. This off-gassing increases indoor air pollution and can lead to health issues in spaces with poor ventilation.
Phthalates
Phthalates are an ingredient detected in some 86% of air freshening products. This includes those labeled “all-natural” and “unscented.” Many manufacturers include phthalates to extend the release of the fragrance and boost its intensity.
Like VOCs, phthalates off-gas into the air, but these chemicals also have low volatility, meaning they tend to linger in the air longer. Long-term exposure to some phthalates has been linked to endocrine issues and allergic reactions.
Synthetic Fragrances
The “magic” behind most scented air fresheners traces back to their chemical composition. Manufacturers blend a mixture of chemicals to create pleasing fragrances that can overpower bad odors. Many of these chemicals remain “trade secrets” and aren’t regulated by any government agency.
Unfortunately, these synthetic fragrances often contain toxic chemicals linked to:
- Certain cancers
- Reproductive issues
- Impaired lung function
- Skin and eye irritation
Aerosol Propellants
Air freshener sprays typically contain aerosol propellants like propane or butane. These VOCs propel the liquid into the air for evaporation. Breathing these chemicals in could risk respiratory irritation—especially if you have asthma. You may also develop headaches, dizziness, and other side effects after spraying.
Air Freshening Tools Require Regular Replacements
If you tie that all together, you’re paying a big-name corporation for a product that doesn’t really work, at least by odor-neutralizing standards.
Add in the fact that air fresheners potentially cause adverse, long-term health side effects. They could also lend to indoor air pollution within a house. Oh, and home just so happens to be where we spent 62% of our waking time in 2020.
On top of all of that, most of these products require replacement every few weeks or months to maintain a consistent, noticeable fragrance.
The table below estimates the annual cost for the four major different types of air fresheners:
Remember that these numbers are merely estimates, apply to a single air freshener, and account for average use.
Nose Blindness Isn’t Just a Phenomenon
Nose blindness (olfactory fatigue) is a very real consequence of consistent air freshener use.
Now, when you first use an air freshener, the olfactory receptors in your nasal cavity detect the fragrance. They then transfer the relevant information to the olfactory bulb in your brain.
The olfactory bulb, amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus process and analyze this new information. The two primary goals here are threat detection and human survival. For example, smoke, spoiled food, mold, gasses, and pungent chemical odors will all alert the brain to a possible threat.
Much of the olfaction process occurs in the brain’s temporal lobe (see diagram below):
However, if the brain doesn’t consider a particular fragrance threatening, it’ll learn to filter it out and eventually ignore it. As a result, the olfactory receptors will no longer detect the new fragrance as strongly or at all. This—in turn—triggers the nose blindness “phenomenon.”
This concept actually builds the case against air fresheners even further.
Unless an air freshener has a hard-to-ignore smell, most people will become desensitized to the fragrance and tune it out with time. So in essence, you’re spending money on a scented product that you can hardly smell.
The opposite is also true.
Powerful (especially sweet) scents can be extremely bothersome to visitors and guests. This fact alone is exactly why real estate agents recommend against using air fresheners if you’re attempting to sell your house.
When you become nose blind, odors “threatening” odors like mold or smoke could re-emerge until you address the source.
Final Thoughts
Of course, not all air fresheners are a waste, and seemingly promising “green” cleaning products emerge each year.
It’s also hard to ignore the potentially positive effects of air fresheners. These include the scent variety, mood-lifting benefits, and sheer convenience.
All in all, occasional home air freshener use is typically okay. However, if you rely on air fresheners to mask a stubborn or lingering odor, you’re better off removing the odor at its source or using a more proactive solution like an air purifier.
