Why do your favorite cleaners smell so awesome? It’s science! (Mostly.)

Would a rose by any other name really smell so sweet?

 Heather Libby
04.19.16

Smell may be the most undervalued of all of the senses — but it shouldn't be.

A McCann Worldgroup study even found that some millennials rank their sense of smell below their phone and laptop in terms of importance. But we actually pay attention to smells a lot more than you may realize, especially when choosing items that go in our homes.

Consumer data shows that we buy A LOT of scented cleaning products. In a 2014 study, a polling company found that 40% of American consumers considered whether a dishwashing detergent had "a pleasant fragrance" when buying it.

And it makes sense — our olfactory cells feed information to our brains about things we might not be able to see. According to some doctors and researchers, what we smell may even directly affect our moods and our minds.

GIF from "Broad City."

Next time you're picking up a new cleaning product, here's what three of the most common scents mean to your brain — and one scent you won't find in the cleaning aisle.

1. For our noses, lemon-iness is next to cleanliness.

Image by iStock.

Even on their own, lemons are a popular tool for housecleaning. The juice of this lovely citrus has astringent properties for cleaning, and its oil is a powerful moisturizing wood cleaner and polish. Plus, it smells absolutely divine!

In aromatherapy, lemon oil is called the "rational" oil since it is believed to aid in the decision-making process. A study of lemon balm found that it may help improve mood and memory.

2. Lavender is loved for its calming powers (even when it doesn't really smell like lavender).

Image by iStock.

Like vanilla, lavender has become a very popular scent for cleaning products. Extracted from the flowers of the lavender bush, this gentle scent is flowery, woodsy, and slightly sweet.

When it comes to its use in cleaning products, you might not want to believe your nose. According to a scent specialist interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, many of the supposedly "lavender-scented" products on shelves today don't really smell like it. Since some consumers don't like the smell of lavender by itself — but really like the idea of things smelling like it — the products may be scented with things associated with the flowering shrub, like fresh fruit, vanilla, florals, and wood.

3. You don't need to speak the language of flowers to understand their scent-sual benefits.

Image by iStock.

There's a reason so many lifestyle gurus recommend keeping a bouquet of fresh flowers in the home at all times — they really do make things feel special. One of the most popular scents in the world, rose is lauded in the aromatherapy world for its many health benefits. Devotees say the scent of roses can improve moods, boost libido, and improve circulation, and rose oil can do double duty as an astringent and antiseptic. One study by The Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation even found that the presence of a floral aroma increased speed on a memory test.

4. One scent you won't find in cleaning products, even though you probably love it? Chocolate.

Image by iStock.

Chocolate is one of the most delicious and recognizable smells. But despite all its enticing qualities, it's unlikely you'll find it in cleaning products anytime soon.

Products that smell like cooked food may get confused with actual cooking smells, and products that smell too sugary can make consumers think of sticky fingers — the last thing you want associated with a cleaning product.

When it comes to our happiness, pleasing scents can pack a powerful punch. But not all fragrances are made of safe and healthy chemicals.

For the most part, I don't mind being emotionally manipulated by nice-smelling cleaning products because it really does make the chore of tidying up feel less like one. But, at the same time, I want to know that the chemicals that make my house smell amazing aren't having adverse effects on my health. And for some fragrance additives, there's a chance they might do just that. Here's what Physicians for Social Responsibility found out:

"In 2008, in an effort to improve transparency, the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) released a master list of over 3,100 chemicals that are used by the fragrance industry. Among the chemicals on the list are carcinogens like p-dichlorobenzene and styrene oxide; endocrine disruptors like galaxolide and tonalide (both synthetic musks); the phthalates diethyl phthalate (DEP) and di-isononyl phthalate (DINP); and problematic disinfectants like triclosan and ammonium quaternary compounds. Not surprisingly, numerous allergens are also included in the list. Unfortunately, there is no data provided on how commonly these chemicals are used, by amount or even by type of fragranced product."

Yikes, right? Plus, fragrance ingredients are often considered trade secrets and are not required to be disclosed on cleaning product packaging, so it's really hard to know what you're getting.

If you're worried about potentially harmful additives pumping up the sweet scents in your cleaning products, the smartest and easiest way to be in the know is to buy from companies that tell you the whole story of what they put into the products they sell you — no matter how delicious or soothing or sweetly they smell. Read up, buy smart, and then breathe in deeply!

cleaning products smell sense of smell noses lemon scent rose scent lavender scent chocolate scent scents cleaning product scent household products
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Seventh Generation

Florida city forecloses on man's home after fining him $30,000 for not mowing his lawn.

Youtube

Should a man lose his home because the grass in his yard grew higher than 10 inches? The city of Dunedin, Florida seems to think so.

According to the Institute of Justice, which is representing Jim Ficken, he had a very good reason for not mowing his lawn – and tried to rectify the situation as best he could.

In 2014, Jim's mom became ill and he visited her often in South Carolina to help her out. When he was away, his grass grew too long and he was cited by a code office; he cut the grass and wasn't fined.

France has started forcing supermarkets to donate food instead of throwing it away.

But several years later, this one infraction would come back to haunt him after he left to take care of him's mom's affairs after she died. The arrangements he made to have his grass cut fell through (his friend who he asked to help him out passed away unexpectedly) and that set off a chain reaction that may result in him losing his home.

The 69-year-old retiree now faces a $29,833.50 fine plus interest. Watch the video to find out just what Jim is having to deal with.

Mow Your Lawn or Lose Your House! www.youtube.com

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Cities

Michelle Obama named 'most admired woman in the world,' because of course she is.

The world can't get enough Michelle.

Jimmy Kimmel Live/YouTube

The world officially loves Michelle Obama.

The former first lady has overtaken the number one spot in a poll of the world's most admired women. Conducted by online research firm YouGov, the study uses international polling tools to survey people in countries around the world about who they most admire.

In the men's category, Bill Gates took the top spot, followed by Barack Obama and Jackie Chan.

In the women's category, Michelle Obama came first, followed by Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie. Obama pushed Jolie out of the number one spot she claimed last year.

Unsurprising, really, because what's not to love about Michelle Obama? She is smart, kind, funny, accomplished, a great dancer, a devoted wife and mother, and an all-around, genuinely good person.

She has remained dignified and strong in the face of rabid masses of so-called Americans who spent eight years and beyond insisting that she's a man disguised as a woman. She's endured non-stop racist memes and terrifying threats to her family. She has received far more than her fair share of cruelty, and always takes the high road. She's the one who coined, "When they go low, we go high," after all.

She came from humble beginnings and remains down to earth despite becoming a familiar face around the world. She's not much older than me, but I still want to be like Michelle Obama when I grow up.

Her memoir, Becoming, may end up being the best-selling memoir of all time, having already sold 10 million copies—a clear sign that people can't get enough Michelle, because there's no such thing as too much Michelle.

Don't like Michelle Obama? Don't care. Those of us who love her will fly our MO flags high and without apology, paying no mind to folks with cold, dead hearts who don't know a gem of a human being when they see one. There is nothing any hater can say or do to make us admire this undeniably admirable woman any less.

When it seems like the world has lost its mind—which is how it feels most days these days—I'm just going to keep coming back to this study as evidence that hope for humanity is not lost.

Here. Enjoy some real-life Michelle on Jimmy Kimmel. (GAH. WHY IS SHE SO CUTE AND AWESOME. I can't even handle it.)

Michelle & Barack Obama are Boring Now www.youtube.com

michelle obama michelle obama birthday obama barack obama
Most Shared

France has started forcing supermarkets to donate food instead of throwing it away.

via EarthFix / Flickr

What will future generations never believe that we tolerated in 2019?

Dolphin and orca captivity, for sure. They'll probably shake their heads at how people died because they couldn't afford healthcare. And, they'll be completely mystified at the amount of food some people waste while others go starving.

According to Biological Diversity, "An estimated 40 percent of the food produced in the United States is wasted every year, costing households, businesses and farms about $218 billion annually."

There are so many things wrong with this.

First of all it's a waste of money for the households who throw out good food. Second, it's a waste of all of the resources that went into growing the food, including the animals who gave their lives for the meal. Third, there's something very wrong with throwing out food when one in eight Americans struggle with hunger.

Supermarkets are just as guilty of this unnecessary waste as consumers. About 10% of all food waste are supermarket products thrown out before they've reached their expiration date.

Three years ago, France took big steps to combat food waste by making a law that bans grocery stores from throwing away edible food.According to the new ordinance, stores can be fined for up to $4,500 for each infraction.

Previously, the French threw out 7.1 million tons of food. Sixty-seven percent of which was tossed by consumers, 15% by restaurants, and 11% by grocery stores.

This has created a network of over 5,000 charities that accept the food from supermarkets and donate them to charity. The law also struck down agreements between supermarkets and manufacturers that prohibited the stores from donating food to charities.

"There was one food manufacturer that was not authorized to donate the sandwiches it made for a particular supermarket brand. But now, we get 30,000 sandwiches a month from them — sandwiches that used to be thrown away," Jacques Bailet, head of the French network of food banks known as Banques Alimentaires, told NPR.

It's expected that similar laws may spread through Europe, but people are a lot less confident at it happening in the United States. The USDA believes that the biggest barrier to such a program would be cost to the charities and or supermarkets.

"The logistics of getting safe, wholesome, edible food from anywhere to people that can use it is really difficult," the organization said according to Gizmodo. "If you're having to set up a really expensive system to recover marginal amounts of food, that's not good for anybody."

Plus, the idea may seem a little too "socialist" for the average American's appetite.

"The French version is quite socialist, but I would say in a great way because you're providing a way where they [supermarkets] have to do the beneficial things not only for the environment, but from an ethical standpoint of getting healthy food to those who need it and minimizing some of the harmful greenhouse gas emissions that come when food ends up in a landfill," Jonathan Bloom, the author of American Wasteland, told NPR.

However, just because something may be socialist doesn't mean it's wrong. The greater wrong is the insane waste of money, damage to the environment, and devastation caused by hunger that can easily be avoided.

Planet

Single dad asks his daughters for fashion advice before a date and strangers on social media responded with some helpful suggestions.

The world is dark and full of terrors, but every once in a while it graces us with something to warm our icy-cold hearts. And that is what we have today, with a single dad who went viral on Twitter after his daughter posted the photos he sent her when trying to pick out and outfit for his date. You love to see it.




After seeing these heartwarming pics, people on Twitter started suggesting this adorable man date their moms. It was essentially a mom and date matchmaking frenzy.

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