The ORIGINAL Bad Air Sponge Odor Absorbing Neutralant, 14.5 ounce (.45kg)

It works great. Really, really fantastic.CREATE ADJUSTABLE STRENGTH ODOR REMOVAL---------------------------------------A good approach for bathrooms that get a lot of use:1. Flip it onto it's lid (gel out of container);2. Cut "vent" strips out of bottom of container with a razor;3. Leave gel on lid, put container on top. It's now sitting upside down.4. Lift container to expose ALL the gel for faster odor removal, put container back to cover leaving only vents for slower, longer-lasting odor removal.Alternatively, just switch from a partially off/fully off lid, but this will only expose the top of the gel, and so won't achieve strong/fast odor removal.TOP TIPS:--------1. Consider using less product and/or adding a scented product to save money if you have strong, continuous smells in a large area. Where that is the case you'll need so much of this product that it's own slight odor won't have space to neutralize itself (which it does otherwise).2. Save money by buying in bulk- Cheapest: Buy a case at Goodbyeodors.com- 5-lbs via Amazon Bad Air Sponge Odor Remover3. Flip it out of the container onto its lid, or scoop bits of the product out onto pieces of cardboard in the space when you first use it. Experiment to determine the least you need to make the smell acceptable/gone.HOW MUCH SHOULD I USE?----------------------Take into consideration:' Space: Full rooms with tough odors need extra, small spaces with minor odors just open the container' Heat/air flow: The product will evaporate much faster if there is excess heat or a lot of air flow.' Source: A continuous source of strong odors (such as wafting smoke, cat litter box) will require more of the product.' Size of source: One pet accident is a small area. A smoke-damaged room has odor particles in EVERYTHING, and will take more productHOW CAN I MAKE IT STRONGER/WORK FASTER?---------------------------------------Use plenty of scoops onto paper plates/pieces of cardboard and leave around in worst odor areas.As it shrinks/dries up, cut pieces in half to expose more fresh odor-fighting chemical if you don't want its effectiveness to fade.HOW TO MAKE IT LAST LONGER/COST LESS?-------------------------------------Consider buying the 5-lb bucket (link at top).Consider using less and also using a scented product of some kind.Keep it away from areas that are' Hot' Dry' Have lot of air flowWHAT'S THE BEST STRATEGY FOR CAT LITTER?----------------------------------------DISPOSAL: If you can't take it out right away, consider a diaper pail. Most have a slot inside the lid for some kind of scent disk. Attach a piece of wire or fabric mesh (twist ties work fine) to the scent holder area to make hanging spot to scoop some bad air sponge into.THE SPACE: Buy the 5-lb (link at top) version to save money over time, and start with more scoops spread around than you think you need, then cut back to test.WILL I SMELL THE PRODUCT ITSELF?--------------------------------The product has a slight slight citrus-y smell that will actually neutralize itself in most uses. But:YOU WILL SMELL IT IF:' It's less than a foot away from your nose in an open area (or 2-3 feet if you expose a lot of product);' You use a lot of the product;' It's in a very hot area or in an area with a lot of air flow;' Air flow occasionally blows from the product towards your nose;WHAT ABOUT REALLY, REALLY BAD ODORS?------------------------------------The worse the odor and the larger the space, the more of the product you'll need to scoop out and leave around. But it really works well, though you may have to use a lot of the product.TIPS FOR MILDEW---------------Windows over time can get water damage and mold, so consider using the sponge near windows. Also, read the next tip.WHAT DOES IT WORK LEAST WELL ON?--------------------------------A material with mold/mildew is just like having a smoker lighting one up: both create new smell and spread it into the air continuously.Also, even after finding and removing/using chemicals (bleach, special paint) on mildew-infected area, it tends over time to have gotten into everything in the space affected (like smoke), so you need more product than you think you do.COMPLETELY ELIMINATING TEMPORARY ODORS--------------------------------------Use as much as you need to eliminate odors, but keep using it for awhile EVEN AFTER the smell appears gone. What happens is that odors near the surface spread fastest and are neutralized first, but deeper odors still exist. If you stop using it too soon, a small amount of deeper odor will slowly spread, and so you may need to use the sponge again.Alternatively, use it until the odor is gone, then use again if smell seems to "come back." Still, 2-3 uses should permanently eliminate most odors.TOXIC?------Company say it is not, and that it's even safe to eat. But if you use such a large amount that you can smell the product strongly over a long period of time, you are probably getting more of the chemical than anyone has been tested against. However, one reviews says "This product uses the same chemical, para-dichlorobenzene, that is used in urinal cakes, heavy-duty industrial cleaners, some plug-in air fresheners, and as the main ingredient in mothballs."OTHER PROBLEMS--------------CHECK ON ARRIVAL: It should fill the container and look not at all shriveled when you open it. If it is shriveled, return it right away--it's been partially used up, probably by accidental exposure to air.Remember, continuous strong sources in larger spaces (mildew, new smoke, lots of cats using a litter box, etc.) will need a lot more product than you might think. As well as large spaces that have been contaminated with strong odors--although once they are gone, you will need no or very little product ongoing.

First, let’s talk about the odor of the product. I’m scent sensitive and I know a lot of you are too, so let’s break it down. As many other reviews have already noted, the odor of this product doesn’t last long once the product is in use, maybe 5 days. This is important to really hear and understand if you’re truly sick of whatever crap smell you’re currently living with. Five days living with the light smell of this product was NOTHING compared to the 5 months of frustration I endured living with the stale cigarette smell coming through the vents from my neighbors apartment. The aroma of this product instantly reminded me of those vintage looking tins of French lavender candies. I had a friend from Quebec that ate them all through high school and always had a tin in her backpack. To me, this product smells exactly like those candies, lightly of lavender and a bit sweet like a hard candy shell. Is it my favorite smell? No. Do I want my entire apartment to smell like this stuff everyday? Of course not. But it was a pleasant enough smell that I could endure it for 5 days to see if the product worked, and it’s a pleasant enough smell for the rare occasion, about 3x a week, that I get a slight whiff of it when I walk by the products location in my hallway. I’ve been using this product for about a month now. I’ve had no headaches or sinus congestion from this product, and many fragrances and chemical products can have that effect on me with long term use.Second, let’s break down the odor problem I was experiencing. As I mentioned, a strong stale cigarette smell from the neighboring unit kept permeating my apartment through both the electrical panel and the shared laundry vents. I’d been struggling with this hideous smell for months using two air purifying machines that used up about $30 a month in electricity, and another $30 a month in filter replacements. This was an improvement, but it was loud and expensive and had me tripping over one of the air purifying machine that was placed in the small entryway of my apartment. At some point in my battle, I decided to try to further diminish the amount of odor coming in through the electrical panel by taping an air filter screen over the panel door with easy to remove blue painters tape, and then a thick tarp taped over that (this comes off in about 3 seconds in the event of an emergency). This worked wonders for reducing the smell in that half of my apartment, but even with an air purifier running 24/7 inside my laundry closet, the old cigarette smell from that area would waft into my kitchen and living room often enough to make me really pissed off. That’s when I went on a more serious search for an odor absorber. I’d already tried a couple of unscented odor removing gel products that definitely helped the air purifier in the laundry closet to be more effective, but if I turned off the air purifier the cig smell would return in a couple of days. Reading the reviews for the Bad Air Sponge it became clear it might remove the cig odor all on its own without the addition of the air purifier machine, and not leave a lingering daily fragrance after the first week of use. It was worth $14 bucks for me to try it, and it worked!The stale cigarette smell was completely gone after 3 days using Bad Air Sponge. Here’s what I did: I bought just one jar to try and first placed it in my entry where the stale cig smell tended to linger in the hallway near the bedroom and bathroom. The fragrance of the Bad Air Sponge was light but noticeable at this point and I left it in this location for 2 days until the cig smell was gone and the product aroma was diminishing somewhat. Then I placed the Bad Air Sponge inside the laundry closet on top of the stacked laundry machines and turned OFF the air purifier. A day later the cig smell was gone from the closet and the Bad Air Sponge aroma inside the closet was barely noticeable. My apartment has not smelled like stale cigarettes since. The lingering cig smell never returned to my entryway even though the Bad Air Sponge is only in the laundry closet. The laundry closet still has a slight aroma of the Bad Air Sponge, being a small contained area, but it doesn’t bother me.I’m writing this review because I’m back to order another Bad Air Sponge. I’m hoping that having two in the laundry closet will help absorb the occasional strong cooking smells that come through the laundry vents so suddenly that the one Bad Air Sponge just can’t manage it. I know cooking smells are a concern for others in apartment situations, so I’ll update my review with that info in a few weeks.