Driving is an everyday experience. Many of us can say that after our home and workplace, we spend the most time sitting in the car. And where we spend so much time, it is worth creating an environment that best suits our needs and nature. The big car manufacturers know this too. That is why they pay so much attention to the interior of their vehicles: they pay attention to the use of materials, the attenuation of external noise, the color scheme, the sense of space, the comfort, the design, the interior music sound, etc. However, there is something that they cannot determine in advance: the smell of the trip at any given time. And yet this is just as important a circumstance - if not more important - than the others. We, the drivers and passengers, must take care of the fragrance of the cars.
The best car fragrance starts with cleanliness
First step
Before we get into the different types and quality categories of car air fresheners, let's lay down the ground rules. What is the purpose of car air fresheners? To improve the travel experience by neutralizing the inevitable and unpleasant odors that come with driving. in the dry and clean interior of the vehicle . So this is the basic rule: first and foremost, we must keep the passenger compartment clean and dry. If we leave odor-causing dirt in the car, air fresheners – no matter how good they are – will be unsuccessful. In this case, the scents of Fimon can at most mix with the unpleasant odor, but they cannot mask it. That is why it is better not to try to “overdose” with a strong fragrance when our car smells bad. This – as we will see below – would completely miss the point of car air freshener and only make the situation worse. An overly intense scent can be stuffy, possibly nauseating, and can cause headaches and nausea in a very short time. Moreover, the odor you want to eliminate will always be hidden under the strong aromas of the perfume, and when the scent finally fades, we will find ourselves faced with the initial problem again. We can save a lot of trouble and money by simply eliminating the cause of the smell in the first place, i.e. cleaning our car.
Travel in the fresh air
You don't have to suffer from gasoline fumes
When the interior of the vehicle is clean, we will only encounter milder odors associated with traveling. However, these are unavoidable . During transportation, we come and go among other vehicles, which (like our car probably does too) have odors, and even when driving a short distance, we will inevitably encounter all kinds of air masses. There are odors from the road, spilled oil, burned fuel, agriculture, the heating season, the city center, the gas station, animals, construction sites, etc. During the trip, we will encounter all kinds of odors, and some of them will be downright unpleasant. However, neutralizing such bad odors is an achievable goal: This is what we use car air fresheners for. At least that's where we start. And eventually – if we really feel the magic of scents – we can reach a whole new level.
Always listen to your nose.
Why do we usually use perfume?
Just like home perfumes, car air fresheners are worth using because of the extraordinary effect of their scents. Our minds and bodies react to smells just as much when traveling as they do when we are at home. Even while sitting in the car, our nose senses fine-tune the functioning of our nervous system, and our mood also largely depends on whether we are sitting in a pleasant, invigorating, or perhaps calming cloud of scents, or, on the contrary, we have to endure unpleasant, stuffy odors. We probably don't need to elaborate on how important our sense of smell is: psychology has long recognized the outstanding importance of scents, and based on this recognition, the marketing profession, and even some actors in the entertainment industry, still successfully use scents to this day to have an even stronger impact on their audience. Scent experiences are secretly connected to our memory, our associations, learning, our current mood, our desire to buy, our current ability to concentrate or even our ability to achieve a state of calm, and who knows how many other things! It is likely that new research findings will reveal previously undiscovered dimensions of smell in the future.
But we don't have to wait any longer: there are countless opportunities for us to find our favorite aromas and use them - even by experimenting on ourselves - to improve our everyday quality of life.
Why do we use fragrance in the car?
Driving takes place under specific conditions, so it's best to adjust the fragrance to suit them. For example, if we spend a lot of time sitting in traffic jams or in very busy places where traffic stress is higher, we probably need soothing, warm, mild scents that help us stay calm and relax. However, if we're going on a long trip, driving a lot at dusk or in the dark, or regularly getting into the car after doing strenuous activities, it's worth filling the air in the passenger compartment with a cooler, invigorating aroma, which will gently drive away drowsiness from our eyes and help us to continue to focus.
Of course, in addition to such practical aspects, countless individual needs are also taken into account: some people like spicier herbal scents, while others are looking for a more neutral, “background” aroma. Some people want the salty freshness of the sea or the raw moisture of the forest, cedar wood or perhaps peppermint. Some people are cheered up by the scent of flowers: jasmine, rose, eucalyptus, and there are certainly those who crave honeyed, cinnamon-like holiday scents in their everyday lives. Speaking of holidays! Fragrances not only serve our individual needs, but also the occasions. Are you traveling with your loved one for a long weekend? Is the family going to the grandparents’ for Christmas dinner? Or are you traveling for a serious meeting where you need to arrive calm and focused? Or do you have an important workout, so you need to get into the most lively state possible? Each of these requires a different scent.
Tastes and occasions can be diverse, everyone can find the scents they like the most, but We should always pay attention to two important circumstances!
First of all, no matter what type of car air freshener you choose, beware of very intense scents. These can become unpleasant in the long run, and products that emit such an excessive cloud of scent usually quickly lose their scenting ability.
On the other hand, we should not unconditionally rely on the well-proven aromas used in our homes, living rooms or bedrooms. After all, the scent that helps us relax during an evening spent at home can be too intoxicating while driving, thereby causing a serious accident risk. Just as certain types of air fresheners are not used in the car (for example, we do not light incense in the passenger compartment while driving), it is also better to avoid certain types of aromas and instead look for ones that are suitable for driving.
From small pine trees to premium car air fresheners
Types of car air fresheners
Let's start with the simplest: the can be hung on the rearview mirror with small scented pads or scented sheets. These are the cheapest pieces, who knows them, we stumble upon them at almost every gas station or medium-sized shop. A cheap but not very sophisticated solution: during their use, the degree of fragrance cannot be really controlled (unless we consider regulation when we leave the unpacked package half-way on the body carrying the fragrance). This type is usually short-lived, capable of intrusive fragrance. In addition, since these pads or sheets are hung on the rearview mirror, they are significantly exposed to sunlight, which also shortens their useful life.
The refillable air fresheners They are a step up from the previous model. They don't generate as much waste as the first type, and the small bottles (the containers that hold the essential oil/aroma) are also more aesthetically pleasing than the small sponge pads.
The middle class is air fresheners for ventilation grilles These are (nowadays) made in such a design that they can become an ornament on any dashboard - such as the Maison Berger Paris products . The air coming through the car's ventilation system is used to spread the fragrance, so the intensity of the scent can be easily controlled. Of course, this also means some restrictions, as the fragrance is thus tied to the use of the air conditioning. However, these simple devices do not require a separate power source, are less exposed to sunlight and are completely safe.
The most complex type is electric car air fresheners They are. One type of these works with an internal fan, the other type uses heating filaments to deliver the fragrances into the air. The disadvantage is that they require their own power source (mostly USB connections these days, but of course, solutions that plug into the traditional cigarette lighter are also available). We also have to reckon with some safety risks when using them, since they are electrical devices that heat up, but if we choose a version with overheating protection (it is recommended to buy one), then we have nothing to fear. The big advantage is that they are perfectly adjustable, can be turned on and off, and can be operated in a stationary car.
Practicality and versatility
As we have seen, by scenting our car, we can improve the overall experience of the trip and get closer to achieving our goals, since correctly chosen aromas make it easier to maintain our spiritual and mental balance. We can adjust the scents to our taste, our current state, an occasion, company and tasks. This in itself shows a high degree of versatility, but beyond all this, we can also choose between the types of car scenting products. We can even use several types alternately, depending on which advantage we want to take advantage of. But here we still don't reach the end of our possibilities!
Multifunctionality: one of the greatest virtues of gifts
Car air fresheners are also great gifts. Because of their versatility, there is a good chance that we will be able to choose a scent that will suit the recipient at some point in time (unlike body perfumes, which we can only confidently choose for someone else if we know the other person's scent taste very well). We all probably have a relative or friend who is almost emotionally attached to their car: they take such great care to beautify and care for their vehicle every day, as if they were preparing it for a car show. A high-quality, beautifully designed car air freshener is the perfect gift for them. But it is also worth choosing car perfumes if you want to surprise someone you don't know very well, so you can't choose a truly personal gift.
In fact! Let's not forget that car air fresheners can be used not only in the car. We can also bring a delicate aroma into our homes, and they can also be used effectively in smaller interior spaces (such as closets, bathrooms, hallways, etc.).
With so many features, the only question is which product to choose! Browse our range and find the perfect fragrance for you. You might just find your favourite scent!
If you are also interested in the world of home fragrances, we recommend it to your attention our other articles that introduce you to the basics and exciting mysteries of fragrance.