It's funny how the brain works when it comes to scents. When we take in a smell, little do we know, our brains are creating a memory, sometimes a memory so strong it will never leave us, depending on the experience at hand or the number of times we are exposed to a specific scent. These scent memories can last a whole lifetime.
The scents that each of us associate with cleanliness vary, of course. It might depend on what products our parents used to clean or do laundry when we were young. Maybe the smell of lavender, baby powder, or lemon beckon us back to our early days.
My husband finds the smell of bleach comforting because it reminds him of his mom, who used bleach a lot. There's even a family story about her bleaching his clothes in a big pot of boiling water on the stove. I, on the other hand, once got a little crazy cleaning with bleach in an apartment I had and may have, well, sniffed a little too much bleach. My association with the stuff isn't pleasant. It may or may not bring on bouts of hallucinations. LOL!
Lemony dusting spray, however, I love it. It reminds me of my childhood Saturdays when I would clean alongside my mom. Dusting was my big job. I loved moving all the knick knacks, creating a shiny clean surface, and then putting everything back. And don't get me started on fresh-smelling fabric softener sheets. Mmmm. I associate that smell with clean, warm laundry stacked in a pile on my bed. And also with happiness. Some smells can actually invoke happiness.
What is the scent of clean to you?
Image via joeannenah/Flickr
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Comments 40
Pine-sol for me too. I used to help mop the floor and I thought it was the greatest thing. If only I had known how much I would have to mop later in life! Also, line dried clothes. Reminds me of helping my grandma with the laundry.
Bleach, lemons or a combination of both.
Nothing's better to me then the smell of sheets that have hung out in the sun all afternoon. When you lay your head down to go to sleep and you have that smell. Any smell really that reminds you of home; grandma's; being little and carefree- "the GOOD old days"...lol
Line dried clothes!
I also love Pine-Sol! I don't use it anymore, but when I was a kid I would just sniff that bottle. Also: Tide.
I love the clean smell of bleach. I don't use it that often, since DH doesn't like the smell. But, that is what first comes to my mind as clean. And I do love the smell of freshly dried laundry - from the dryer. I don't think there's much of a smell to line-dried clothes. But, dryer sheets are wonderful for making things smell clean and fresh! I like it when I leave my house and I can smell the neighbor's dryer going. It just makes me happy!
Pine-Sol
When I was a kid my grandmother used to mop her floors everyday with it. LOVE the smell to this day!
I use 2 love the scent of Mr. Clean....I lost sense of smell in horrible motorcycle accident, while I was driving my my third bike.....I traded "my diaper bags in 4 saddle bags.' and I ENDED UP IN DIAPERS...WAS IN A COMA 4 A MOHTH>>>>But remember the Mr. Clean...I love Dial soap on myself or Tone, my dh uses Ivory, but even thought I cant smell, I remembr feeling clean with these.
Items like Vinegar, Bleach, Ammonia and lemony scented cleaners are what my smell senses recall/associates with clean from way back, myself i use some of the very same cleaners but with going green they are far more household user friendly these days and not as caustic.
Bleach stands out more than anything though....nice travel back into chilhood.