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Here’s a fun fact – the human nose can detect about 1 trillion different scents and odors.
Here’s another – moisture in the air in warm weather can heighten our sense of smell.
For businesses that have food or medical waste or other by-products that produce odors, these two facts could be a recipe for unhappy customers and employees.
In warm weather, trash, food, bio-waste, and more can decay, rot, and put off odors at a fast clip. That can lead to unpleasant smells in your business, quickly turning customers away.
Smells aren’t just isolated to trash areas. High-traffic places, such as the restroom, can also make people want to hold their nose (or worse). In fact, in a survey by Clorox Professional* that surveyed 1,000 people, over one-third of the respondents admitted to leaving a business due to the odor of a restroom.
Odor issues can also lead to secondary problems, such as pest issues. Many pests are attracted to odors, including flies, stinging pests, and more.
Flies can be attracted to odors (both smells that humans find pleasant and those we find unpleasant) from up to four miles away. Since flies spread pathogens wherever they land, their presence can be cause for health department citations and even closure.
Stinging pests, while not a risk to food safety, can be a public health issue, especially for those that are allergic. If you have trash cans or other sweet odors on your property, stinging pests could be attracted and become a concern for both employees and customers alike.
Odors can also create problems with neighboring properties or tenants in buildings that share space with buildings that have potential odor issues. Facility operators could be forced to deal with complaints, potential rent reductions, and even tenant lease termination.
In a 2015 article, The New York Times reported that New York City’s 311 system received more than 10,000 complaints about odor between August 2014 and August 2015.**
Hundreds were related to odors from restaurants and food establishments. Imagine the negative impact that could have on a business, keeping potential customers away because of issues with odors.
There are also dozens of examples about food processing and factory facilities whose production processes cause odor issues for nearby neighborhoods. Chicken and hog processors, dairy producers, rendering plants, wastewater treatment facilities, and more recently cannabis growers, have all experienced issues with neighbors complaining about odors from their operations.
Odor can cause a lesser-cited issue as well: unpleasant and even health-impacting working conditions for your employees. Pervasive odor issues can lead to poor employee morale, or eventual resignations. Employees who cite odor issues in their work environment as a cause of illness or health issues may even pursue legal action.
There are lots of do-it-yourself solutions out there, but not all of them will be effective or successful. Rentokil’s experts have put together a list of 9 odor management best practices that you can implement today in your facility. Download the Rentokil Odor Management Best Practices card today.
Still need help? Rentokil has a range of solutions to help businesses tackle tough odors, including trash area and bathroom odors. Ask your representative about how we can help you eliminate odors today or call 800-488-9495 for more information.
*Source: Clorox Professional, https://cloroxprofessional.com/assets/pdf/NI-21143-Restroom-Problems-Infographic.pdf