Short answer: a care home mainly needs an odour neutraliser, not an air freshener. An air freshener adds perfume on top of the smell, and in bathrooms, bedrooms and the dining room the result is worse. A neutraliser acts on the molecules of the bad smell (urine, food, damp) and leaves the air neutral. An air freshener or soft fragrance only makes sense at reception and in the visitors' room.
It is the question care home managers ask us most, and it almost always comes after trying plug-in or spray air fresheners with no result. The reason is simple: an air freshener is designed to make something smell of something. A neutraliser, to make something stop smelling bad.
Air freshener vs odour neutraliser
| Air freshener / fragrance | Odour neutraliser | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Adds a scent to the air | Acts on the molecules of the bad smell |
| On urine smell | Covers it for a few minutes and mixes with it | Reduces it continuously |
| Smell it leaves | The perfume | Very discreet background (floral, clean laundry or green) |
| Where it goes in a care home | Reception, visitors' room | Bathrooms, bedrooms, corridors, dining room, laundry |
| Format that works | Cold-air nebuliser, not spray | Cold-air nebuliser, not spray |
Why household air fresheners don't work in a care home
- They don't last: a spray works for minutes and a plug-in can't cover a floor corridor.
- They can't be adjusted: you can't schedule them or lower the intensity in resident areas.
- They mix smells: perfume on urine is the smell families identify as "care home".
- They get expensive at scale: dozens of refills a month with no control over consumption.
More on this in why a business can't be scented with household air fresheners.
The three BENDIS neutralisers and where each one goes
- Jasmine: urine, drains, rubbish and food. Bathrooms, rooms with incontinence and the dining room.
- Cotton Fresh: faecal odours, sweat, dirty laundry. Laundry and corridors with trolleys.
- Aloe Vera: damp and stuffy smells. Ground floors, basements and the rehabilitation gym.
All three load into any BENDIS nebuliser just like a fragrance, so the same diffuser can switch from neutraliser to fragrance once an area is under control.
What each option costs
Buying, the diffusers cost from €72.99 (PULSE) to €149.99 (ORBIT), and neutraliser refills €29.99 for 150 ml or €34.99 for 250 ml (VAT included), delivered across Europe. In Spain and Portugal, the monthly plan costs the same with neutraliser or fragrance: PULSE €29.90, SENSE €34.90, LUME €37.90, FLOW €39.90 and ORBIT €54.90 + VAT a month, diffuser and product included. See the set-up by area in care home scenting.
A typical combination
In a small care home: Jasmine neutraliser in each shared bathroom (PULSE), Cotton Fresh in the laundry (SENSE), Jasmine in the assisted-care corridor (FLOW) and a soft green tea fragrance at reception (LUME). Four types of area, one type of diffuser and one product order a month.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for a care home, air freshener or neutraliser?
Neutraliser in every area with a background odour, and a soft fragrance only at reception and in the visitors' room.
Does the neutraliser smell of anything?
It leaves a very soft background: floral with Jasmine, clean laundry with Cotton Fresh and green with Aloe Vera. It reads as clean, not as perfume.
Can I use the same diffuser for both?
Yes. BENDIS nebulisers take neutraliser or fragrance; you just change the bottle.
Does a neutraliser replace cleaning?
No. First deal with the source (cleaning, pads, ventilation), then neutralise what is left in the air.
Are there safety data sheets?
Yes, for every neutraliser and fragrance, so your health and safety team can review them.
More: urine odour in care homes · which scents to use in a care home · odour neutralisation.
