Of all our senses, smell is often the one that is most taken for granted. Senses are essential to everyday life and ones we use every day without thinking – whether we’re looking both ways crossing the street, listening to music, using our hands to work, or partaking in the taste and smell of a delicious meal, we’re working at least a few of our senses at any given time. Smell, however, for how sensitive it can be, can often fall by the wayside, especially when it comes to cleanliness.
It’s very easy to see dust or feel dirt. Scientists who have been studying smell have come to a very interesting conclusion, however; they’ve found that the places we are frequently located—such as our home or business—contain smells that we get used to, and eventually results in our inability to objectively smell our surroundings. The sense of smell was designed to alert to dangers in the air or our environment, but our noses quickly adjust to smells that aren’t necessarily harmful, and after a few sniffs, we grow used to them. This can unfortunately also apply to smells which, while perhaps not inherently dangerous, are unpleasant. It’s been found recently that these scents you may be used to can harm your business.
In January of 2020, the company OxyGen Powered, who creates cleaning supplies, funded a poll of over 2,000 adults to find out how smell can influence patronage of various businesses. The poll, conducted by The Harris Poll, found that 93% of participants agreed that unpleasant or foul odors would affect how they view a business or organization. When breaking it down further, the polling numbers showed that 64% of participants would be negatively impacted by bad smells in retail spaces, while 57% would find their views impacted negatively by a foul-smelling office space.
It’s alarming to think that smells you may be used to in your commercial or office space could have such a significant effect on how others view your business. This could result in losing repeat business from potential patrons or appearing unprofessional to visiting clients, all due to a problem that is highly avoidable. Foul smells are caused by a variety of issues, whether it be old food, pests, refuse, or bacteria. While you may think it’s enough to surface clean your business, there is no guarantee you will get to the bottom of where the most sinister odors come from.
The only way to be completely sure you’ve eliminated anything that can adversely affect odors—whether it be in your office, retail business, or medical office—is to make sure you put the cleaning into the hands of professionals. Expert janitorial services like DBM are guaranteed to clean the places you wouldn’t even think about, and the experience of a team of cleaning professionals guarantees that every place where bacteria or other odor-causing issues hide will be cared for. By putting your business in the hands of seasoned professionals, you can rest assured that every sense your patrons and clients use when entering your business will be pleasant.
