Plug-in air freshener swap to Charcoal odor bag

Why make the swap

• Why switch to charcoal odor bag

  Open a window or run the fan to clear smells for free. For a room that stays closed, a bamboo charcoal bag soaks up lingering odours; it doesn’t add a scent. A HEPA purifier is the bigger step for a whole room.

• What's the concern with plug-in air freshener

  Plug-in air fresheners emit terpenes around the clock. Those react with ozone indoors to form formaldehyde and ultrafine particles.

• General information, not medical or veterinary advice. Ask your doctor, or your vet if a pet could be exposed.

• Good to know before you buy

  Set the bag in the sun for an hour or two each month to refresh it, as the makers suggest. Essential-oil diffusers aren’t scent-free either: they release the same kind of terpenes. Have a cat? Keep diffusers out of the rooms it uses: many essential oils can be toxic to cats, and droplets settle on fur that cats lick off when they groom. More on essential oils, cats and dogs.

  CLEVAST bamboo charcoal bags, 4 × 200 g: It soaks up smells; it doesn't add a scent.

  Moso Natural air purifying bag, 600 g: It soaks up smells; it doesn't add a scent.

• Sources (4)

  1. Nazaroff & Weschler 2004, Atmos Environ (opens in a new tab)
  2. Singer et al. 2006, Indoor Air: terpenoid emissions from cleaning products and air fresheners, including a plug-in (opens in a new tab)
  3. ASPCA: essential oils around pets; diffuse briefly in an area pets can't reach; avoid with birds or pets with breathing problems (opens in a new tab)
  4. Texas A&M Vet Med: diffusers and cats (opens in a new tab)

  Health and safety facts on this page come from these sources. What a pick is made of comes from its maker's listing or website, as stated on the date we checked.