Hospitals, schools, houses, cinemas – they all have the capacity to transport us back to a particular time and place when we breathe in their very particular smell. While the nostalgia aspect of these smells is inevitable, the associations we make with them can have a profound effect on how we view a location’s cleanliness.

• Certain scents have the power to cause people to react when they smell them.
• People can associate certain smells with how clean they perceive somewhere to be.

From a professional cleaning company’s perspective, how a shop or an office or a showroom smells is a very important aspect of a client’s perception of, as well as the reality of, how clean it is. Put simply, if it smells clean, people tend to think it is clean so inevitably it’s perceived as a more appealing place to work or visit than one that doesn’t.

This goes some way to explaining why so many cleaning products have a particular scent. Over time, the popularity of different smells has encompassed spicy and musky, floral and fruity, as well as the enduring popularity of pine, lemon and the saline scent of the sea, either individually or in combination.

There is also the need to distinguish between fragrances perceived to be covering something less pleasant and those that simply represent clean – for example, restroom facilities are more likely to smell of lemon or pine than have a rich floral scent because that’s the fragrance people tend to associate with high levels of cleanliness and hygiene.

However, the use of some fragrance rather than none is preferable to outright chemical smells, whilst also balancing the need for an awareness of allergens in the cleaning products.

Clearly, locations should be thoroughly cleaned before the application of any scent so that unwanted odours are removed, not disguised, and the source can be located and dealt with where possible.

That’s where the expertise of professional cleaners is key as they have the specialist equipment and products required to remove any odour-causing and potentially harmful bacteria. The products and approach to cleaning soft furnishings or carpets may be different than for hard surfaces or office kitchens, restrooms or rubbish bins, and professional cleaners will know exactly what is required.

Of course, personal preference plays a part too, and a client’s wishes should be accommodated if the cleaners are able to curate the products they use to suit the client. A GP surgery may require a different type of smell than a clothes shop or a car showroom, and some clients may have distinct requirements for different parts of their premises, or even at different times of year.

So what seems like a fairly straightforward cleaning task can become considerably more nuanced when it comes to smell. People associate certain smells with certain levels of cleanliness and that in itself could affect both staff engagement and productivity and client experience – both positive and negative.

That’s why using a professional service provider who can fulfil the most demanding specification whilst maintaining a personal and responsive relationship with you directly is a great way to help maximise the potential of your premises.