Febreze

Febreze is a brand of household odor eliminator manufactured by Procter & Gamble, sold in North America, Asia and Europe. [cite web |title=Febreze review |format=http |work=Ciao Shopping Intelligence |url=http://www.ciao.co.uk/Febreeze__Review_5142664 |accessdate=Sept. 14th |accessyear=2001] First introduced in test markets in 1996, the product has been sold in the United States since June 1998, and the line has since branched out to include air fresheners (Air Effects), fabric refreshers, plug-in oils (NOTICEables), scented disks (Scentstories), and odor eliminating candles. [http://www.febreze.com/en_US/febreze/scent_stories.do]

Ingredients

The product's active ingredient is cyclodextrin, a modified starch with a donut-like shape. The manufacturer claims that molecules of this starch bind hydrophobic compounds within the donut shape [cite web |publisher = Procter&Gamble |date = 2005 |title = Chemical Functional Definitions - Cyclodextrin |url = http://www.scienceinthebox.com/en_UK/glossary/cyclodextrin_en.html] , thus retaining malodorous molecules so that they are no longer detected as a scent.

Risks

There are several risks to using Febreze, as with any airborne chemical product including:

# The product should not be used in a space housing pet birds, as birds are highly sensitive to many airborne chemicals.
# The product is not safe to eat or to allow into contact with eyes.

The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is available on the P&G website http://www.pg.com/company/our_commitment/msds/professional_line.shtml

The ASPCA has stated that the product, when used as directed by the manufacturer, is safe to use in households with dogs and cats and probably safe to use in households with ferrets, rabbits and rodents. [cite web |publisher = ASPCA |date = 2002 |title = Animal Poison Control Center Toxicology Bulletins: Febreze Fabric Refresher Update |url = http://www.aspca.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8352] , [cite web | publisher = ASPCA|date = 2006 |title = Ask the APCC: The Scoop on Febreze, Please |url = http://www.aspca.org/aspcablog/2006/09/ask-apcc-scoop-on-febreze-please.html]

References