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The Hertz Corp. is tackling the dilemma with a biodegradable, non-toxic product that saps the stench from stinky rental cars without comprising air quality or aggravating allergies -- and so safe that the sales team of its maker, OMI Industries, will spray it into their own eyes to prove a point. Hertz is rolling out its odor-free fleet program with Fresh Wave IAQ, a product that will be used at 72 North American airport rental locations, 1,000 off-airport locations and 170 licensee locations in the U.S.
“We wanted to take a progressive approach toward odor neutralization by finding an innovative partner that provides a green technology to help us meet these demands, and Fresh Wave IAQ was clearly the best choice,” Kent Seavey, Hertz’s North American division vice president of operations support, said in a statement Monday.
Fresh Wave IAQ from OMI Industries is made up of water and plant oils, primarily lime, anise seed, cedar wood and clove. The plant oils are positively charged and attracted to negatively charged malodor molecules, explained Bob Dunklau, OMI’s director of business development. The plant oil molecules absorb the malodor molecules and begin the process of breaking them down until the smell is gone, rather than masking it as most air fresheners do.
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The smell of cigarette smoke is the top customer complaint, according to Hertz spokeswoman Paula Rivera, followed by heavy fragrances, and pet and trash odors.
Hertz expects the program will have a positive impact on its bottom line, Rivera said. "Economically, the technology OMI is providing us will enable us to keep our cars on the road longer," she said. "We'll have less downtime due to cleaning issues."
The product is also beneficial for customers with respiratory allergies and for vehicle service attendants who will now be protected from exposure to chemicals found in air fresheners, such as alcohol, Dunklau said.
Fresh Wave IAQ is OMI's commercial product, but the company also makes formulations for residential and industrial use, such as paper mills. All have undergone human and fish toxicity testing, emboldening its sales team to demonstrate its harmlessness by spraying Fresh Wave IAQ into their own eyes.
“That’s our confidence in our product … We’re legends for it,” Dunklau said.
The company didn’t start off marketing its products as being green when it was founded in 1988, Dunklau said.
“It was for odor abatement,” he said. “The fact that we’re green, the world has sort of come to us.”
Rearview mirror image -- CC licensed by Flickr user Looking Glass.
not all is well here
Many plant oils cause allergies and respiratory distress, as well as aggravating chemical sensitivities if they are not 100% organically derived. Most plant oils/essential oils are solvent extracted pesticided products.
Cedar wood contains terpenes, which are sensitizers.
The main component of citrus oil is d-Limonene. While it is a natural terpene, it is a sensitizer for many.
Their claims of safety and are uneducated BS.
The product is NOT beneficial for customers with respiratory allergies.
It is a good thing to get rid of the chemical cleaners and "air-fresheners" which contain many hazardous ingredients, but one must be careful not to make unwarranted claims about the safety of substitutes.
Plant oils for stinky cars
Great article, will help both the environment & air quality for people with allergies!
Thanks!
Tony
Chemical Malarky
"The plant oils are positively charged and attracted to negatively charged malodor molecules, explained Bob Dunklau, OMI’s director of business development. The plant oil molecules absorb the malodor molecules and begin the process of breaking them down until the smell is gone, rather than masking it as most air fresheners do."
Absolute chemical nonsense. Ridiculous! If the "plant oils [were] positively charged" the bottle would explode from the plant oil molecules repelling each other!
I'm not denying the product works. I havn't the foggiest idea, and Hertz can probably attest that it does work. But come on. Part of the problem with the green revolution are things that hold it back because they're based on scientific nonsense. Brown's Gas generator anyone?
Also, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of compounds that don't hurt to spray into your eye at all. Doesn't mean they won't kill you a couple of years down the road.