The right smells and the wrong smells are critical. Smells are just as important as visuals in making a place feel comfortable.
Some smells are just wrong. And I will get a lot of pushback here, but perfumes and colognes are a no. When getting my car emissions checked recently, it took several days for the cologne of the car mechanic doing the testing to go away, during which time, I went through several wool sweaters that picked up his scent that had lingered in the car, even with leather seats. Days of airing out.
There is an amalgam smell that I just shorthand as smelling like "away." Time spent in airports, commercial airplanes, and other venues leaves garments similarly in need of immediate washing or airing out.
Anything artificially scented, especially when used to (try to) cover up another smell, is problematic. Dry cleaning comes to mind. For one reason, masking smells make it harder to monitor our environment. If I am shopping for fresh produce, I want to be able to smell the produce, not the person who walked by five minutes ago.
Smells that are designed to fool us, like air fresheners, seldom do. Scented candles and potpourri are designed for someone else. The only thing worse than how hair product looks is how it smells.
When shopping, unscented products are the only choice. I will switch brands if the unscented version is not in stock.
And nothing beats hot soapy water. I love doing laundry.
There are other smells that are glorious, of course:
- Wood Smoke
- Good Leather
- Fresh Sheets
- Tack Rooms
- Pipe Tobacco (I know, I know)
- Apple Pie
- Wool
- Salt Air
- Low Tide (I know, I know)
- Mulled Cider
- Golden Retrievers (pre-rolling)
- Clean Cars
- Beach Roses
- Air from the North
While walking down the road, smelling someone's wood smoke is as enjoyed as much as another's perfumed laundry fabric softener is not.
Every few years there are new studies on the toxicity of artificial scents. These just confirm our instincts that smells should be treated as authentically as everything else.
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