Offensive odors

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Getting rid of bad odors can be a scientific and a linguistic challenge.

A careful reading of product labels never has been more important or more bewildering. The wise consumer needs to be aware of the difference between sanitizers, deodorizers, absorbers and so-called eliminators. The definitions change with each manufacturer, none of which is required by law to be exact in its specifications.

Watch out, too, for the guarantee. Does a product promise to "reduce" "absorb" or "get rid of" odors, and will it perform that task temporarily or permanently? Will it leave another scent in its wake, or is it "odor free"? Does the manufacturer provide a telephone help line or Web site for advice with particularly sticky situations?

Sanitizers may promise only to "reduce airborne bacteria" and may contain a fragrance that is not much more than a short-term cover-up. Deodorizers simply try to cover up a bad smell with one that presumably is more palatable.

Absorbers are sponges that work in a limited amount of space, although they, too, can be sweeping in their claims to soak up pollutants from the atmosphere and remove all odors from home, workplace and vehicles.

Eliminators are the Johnny-come-latelies, making no-holds-barred promises to end olfactory nuisances forever with a twist of the top or a pull on the trigger of a spray bottle to replace that old-fashioned mother-knows-best method: a vinegar solution.

"It's a hot topic. What I've been surprised about is how much an emotional issue this is for people who have ongoing odor problems in the home," says Jim Huffstetler, spokesman for the Zero Odor brand.

Consider the list of likely culprits, the kind of invasive and annoying scents that can make life miserable: dead animals; skunk spray; pet smells; cooking odors; wet carpets or upholstery; garbage cans; tobacco smoke in clothes, rooms and furnishings; mildew; sewer gases; and dirty diapers or spilled milk left untended, especially in a small space, for a long period of time.

None of the above bothers the hard-core eliminators, apparently, which are brash in their assertions about ending the nuisance permanently. The reason, states Zero Odor (a trademarked name), is "breakthrough technology."

The breakthrough is derived from molecular biology that has entered the humdrum world of everyday liquids, chemical sponges and sprays, promising to do the job without any toxic effects.