Cut out the stink

If the inside of your car smells like last week’s unwashed old socks, try putting a sachet under the driving seat.

Not any old sachet, but a unique style of air freshener from America called Scents – Under The Seat, claimed to combat even the most pervading of bad smells.

It works so well it has become one of the top-selling automotive deodorising products in New Zealand

“They’re very discrete, so can be placed anywhere within a vehicle, such as an ashtray, or under a seat (hence the name), which people seem to love, says Tim Paterson, national sales manager, Griffiths Equipment, which distributes the Scents – Under The Seat throughout New Zealand.

He says the scents delivered by the sachet quickly combat cigarette odours and other lingering smells that build up over time, such as stale sweat, doggy smells and musty upholstery.

“Some odours can penetrate into the upholstery and become very unpleasant, especially when the car heats up during summer, but the Scents sachets really do work in getting rid of odours and help to make the car smell as fresh as the day it was new,” he says.

“They also work very well in caravans, motorhomes and boats cabins, which can smell very musty after being left unused and locked up for a while. And the same goes for the home, where they work really well in closets or in rooms near the kitchen where the smell of cooking can taint the furniture.”

Tests have shown that the scented beads in the sachets give a longer-lasting scent than many other types of air fresheners on the market. Once open, they releasease a steady flow of fresh scents for several weeks.

There are five refreshing scented flavours – Vanilla, Wildberry, Strawberry, Ocean Breeze and Citrus Zest.

The packaging is among its major drawcards, especially for retailers, with the ability to display them on hangers or in a counter box.

The Scents – Under The Seat range is manufactured by California-

based Auto Expressions and its products have been setting the standards for air fresheners for over 30 years. Auto Expressions was previously the automotive aftermarket accessories business of Pennzoil-Quaker State Company, a subsidiary of Shell Oil Company. It is now part of the Kraco Enterprises group, a leading distributor of automotive products in the US.