Febreze NOTICEables -- In the Office and at Home
Written: Jan 21 '06 (Updated Feb 07 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: several fragrance choices, dual oil chamber, rotating polarized plug, easy to assemble
Cons: fragrances are strong, need well ventilated large area to diffuse scent intensity
The Bottom Line: Lovely scent. However, too much of this scent makes me dizzy.
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| dlstewart's Full Review: Febreze NOTICEables |
I’m not a big fan of air fresheners. However, sometimes an air freshener is a must ... especially with pervasive odors that opening a window can’t disperse. My office building at times has just such an odor. That’s where I first tested the power of Febreze Noticeables.
Description
Febreze NOTICEables is the newest addition to the “plug-in family” of air fresheners. The main unit comes packaged in clear plastic with a scratch-and-sniff strip to test smell the fragrances. Refills can be purchased separately and are packed in a cardboard box.
The main plug-in unit warms the separate oil container that snaps into it (the unit comes with one oil container). The plug-in part of the unit is constructed from gracefully molded white plastic and, in an abstract way, reminds me of a partially opened flower bud. On the back of the unit is a polarized plug (one prong is wider than the other). A neat feature of this plug-in is that the plug portion of the unit can rotate so that the polarized portion of the plug can fit on either the left or right side of the electrical outlet (depending upon where the wider slot is located). At the top of the unit are two holes where the fragrance escapes to scent the room. Above the plug at the back of the unit is a sliding switch that controls the intensity of the fragrance released into the room. There are two settings: Low and High.
The see-through glass oil container has dual chambers with a spout protruding from each side of the container. There is a different fragrance in each side. The scents alternate every few hours. A soft green light on the top of the unit glows on either the left or right side, above the side of the fragrance that is currently being released into the air. The oil container’s two vertical spouts plug into the bottom of the white plastic plug-in warmer. Each spout is covered with a plastic screw-on cap to keep the oil from leaking.
Measurements: The entire plug-in (top and bottom) measures 4" tall x 2 1/2" wide. When plugged in, the unit measures 2 3/4" deep from the wall.
Assembly
The unit is simple to assemble and only takes a few minutes. There are two pieces: 1) The white plastic plug-in warmer, and 2) the glass oil container. The directions are written in English and also show illustrations of how to assemble the unit.
1. Unscrew the plastic caps from the oil container.
2. Snap the oil container into the bottom of the plug-in unit.
3. Choose the warming intensity: Low or High on the back of the unit.
4. Rotate the plug if necessary and plug into an electrical wall outlet.
Note: This plug-in air freshener must be placed right side up so that the oil container is located at the bottom of the unit. If placed upside-down or on its side, the unit might leak oil.
Fragrances
This Febreze plug-in comes in a choice of five scents:
Outdoor – Morning Walk / Cleansing Rain
Tropical – Calypso Breeze / Hawaiian Paradise
Floral – Jasmine Breeze / Pink Magnolia
Vanilla – Vanilla Refresh / Vanilla Bean
Linen – Clothesline Breeze / Meadow Songs
My unit came with the Calypso Breeze / Hawaiian Paradise combination. The two scents are pleasant and floral tinted. Febreze designed the two scents to be complimentary to one another, just like all of the above pairings.
Each bottle of fragrance is designed to last for at least 30 days. The manufacturer cautions, “Fragrance oils may collect on warmer over time. To clean, remove warmer from outlet and wipe with clean, dry cloth.”
My Experiences
I could smell the fragrance before opening the package. It had me a bit worried about how invasive this scent would be in a room. I’m not one to normally use air fresheners. I prefer fresh outdoor breezes ... which are in short supply right now since it’s winter and too cold to leave windows open.
In the Office
When I first opened the Febreze package, I thought this would be a great air freshener to try at work. Sometimes there is an odor that none of us in the office appreciate. Despite all our endeavors, we cannot trace the source of this phantom smell.
So I took my Febreze plug-in to the office and set the unit to Low. There is a wall outlet about four feet from my desk. It took a few minutes to assemble the air freshener and to plug it in. I rotated the plug, and it turned with firm pressure.
The green light glowed, showing me which side of the oil container was releasing fragrance. One thing I would change, is that neither side of the oil container is labeled with the scent it holds. Since the oil container is the same on both sides, it would be easy to twist the oil container and lose track of which scent is in which side of the container. This might not matter to some, but I like knowing which scent is infusing the room.
I settled in to my work, and in no time my coworkers were pausing beside my desk. “What is that great smell?” “Is that scent coming from your area, Dawn? What is it?” When I explained that I was trying a Febreze plug-in air freshener, two of my coworkers immediately said, “I want one!”
One coworker commented that she was using the Glade plug-in at home. She said the Glade fragrance was non-existent compared to the stronger Febreze scent. She liked the stronger scent.
Our office area measures 100' x 75', which includes the office area and a showroom. There are a few offices along the perimeter, but most of the area is open space where several desks are located (including mine). This large space is divided by a wall with a showroom on the opposite of our office space. Basically, there is a U-shape traffic area that traverses the office space and leads to the showroom.
The scent quickly traveled through my area of the office. Soon the entire area was filled with the light fragrance. Everyone in the office ... both men and women ... commented about how much they liked the scented air. During my travels around the office, I passed through the showroom and could faintly smell the air freshener in there. I particularly noticed the fragrance when I visited the warehouse (downstairs beneath the office area) and then returned to the office where the light-floral scent greeted me.
Then 1 1/2 hours after plugging in the fragrance, one of my coworkers asked me to unplug it. She had originally said how much she enjoyed the scent. She told me it was beginning to make her feel ill. She suffers from asthma problems and was also in the beginning stages of a virus that was making her feel miserable. I immediately unplugged the Febreze plug-in. It didn’t take long for my other coworkers to ask why I had unplugged it since they were enjoying the scent so much.
Even after unplugging the unit, the scent stayed in the air for over an hour. The coworker who asked me to unplug the air freshener did not comment on the lingering scent, so I’m assuming it did not bother her (she’s located in one of the side offices).
After unplugging the unit, I replaced the plastic caps on the two spouts so that the oil would not leak. Then I repackaged the unit to bring it home to try. I was curious to see how the scent dispersed throughout my house.
In the House
I reassembled the air freshener, made sure the unit was set on Low, and plugged it into a wall outlet in the living room. Almost immediately I could smell the fragrance. I left the unit plugged in while I retired to another room to read a book.
A half hour later I could smell the scent in the room. I like it. Then about two hours later, I began to feel dizzy. Really dizzy. I put aside the book and walked into the living room. The scent was incredibly strong ... almost overpowering to my nose. I unplugged the unit.
I walked through the house and noticed that the scent was strongest in the living room. It had penetrated into the kitchen next door and down the hallway to the room where I was reading. Ironically, the scent was not noticeable in the den (which is closer to the living room than the room where I was reading). It could have something to do with the air flow patterns in the house.
Needless to say, I didn’t plug the air freshener in again. About 10 minutes after unplugging the Frebreze plug-in, the dizziness abated and I felt fine.
Cautions
Febreze NOTICEables comes with several warnings and cautions.
1. Possible eye irritant. Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothing. Wash hands after handling. If the oil gets in the eyes, rinse eyes with water for 20 minutes and consult a doctor if irritation continues. If the oil is consumed, immediately call a poison control center.
2. Keep out of reach of pets and children. The product is not a toy.
3. Do not put fingers into the product vents, which could cause burns.
4. Use only in a 120-volt electrical outlet that is properly working. Do not use with an extension cord.
5. For indoor use only.
6. Do not immerse in water or use in damp or wet areas.
7. Do not use around an open flame.
8. Keep away from furniture , bedding, fabrics and other materials.
9. Do not use in small areas without adequate ventilation. Do not block the airflow from the unit. Use only in areas with at least 12" clearance above the unit to avoid discoloration of surfaces.
Purchasing
The starter kit sells at my local supermarket for $7.99, and each refill is $4.99.
This product was given to me by Hass MS&L in exchange for my honest opinion about Febreze NOTICEables.
Summary
This product works well in a large area such as an open office in a big building. However, the fragrance is too intense, even on Low, for small settings ... including the larger rooms of my house. Perhaps if the unit had a timer it would work better. I’m recommending this product for large open offices but not for home use ... unless you live in a mansion with plenty of large open rooms.
Update February 7, 2006
One of my coworkers raved about my Febreze Noticeable so much (she loved it in the office!) that I gave her mine with an extra refill. She is in rapture with this product and can't tell me enough how much she is enjoying it.
She lives in a duplex that has two floors. Her cat's litterbox is located in the downstairs bathroom, and the cat smell is horrendous. She couldn't wait to try the Febreze Noticeable in the bathroom. She placed the scent on High and leaves the air freshener plugged in when she is home (unplugging it before leaving the house). She says her house smells wonderful ... that the cat litter smell has been vanquished. She's going to purchase more refills.
I hope you found this review useful.
Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Please read my other reviews:
Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
Windex Wipes for Glass & Surface
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Duo
Tide To Go – stain remover
Cheer ColorGuard Laundry Detergent
Clorox Bath Wand
Mr. Clean Magic Reach Starter Kit
Casabella Hang On Squeegee
Swiffer CarpetFlick
Cascade 2-in-1 Action Pacs for Dishwasher
Electrasol 2-in-1 Tabs with Jet Dry for Dishwasher
Ultra Dawn Dishwashing Soap – Apple Blossom scent
Copyright 2006 Dawn L. Stewart
Recommended:
Yes
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