[baskar]

I have used many - I was very satisfied with 2

1. Vista Aura. These are cubes of perfume kept inside a box with adjustable lid. Since these are not liquids, there is no spillage. I used Cool Cologne but it was too strong, even after 1 year, it is still giving off perfume.

2. Meguire Air freshner - Costly at 1200+ bucks. But the freshness lasted for upto 60 days and it was very refreshing.

[captain.torque]

So, I stumbled upon the Molecule V1 air freshener courtesy a pop-up ad on Facebook and after a bit of research I went ahead and purchased one.



It goes in the 12 volt socket inside the car and has a USB point on top so that you can charge your phone even if the freshener is plugged in.

It has been over 2 years now that I have been using this and I am in love with this product. The way it looks, the clunky on/off switch, the aesthetics and most important the fragrance.

Product Features (Information taken from their website)

• V1 auto turns on when car is on or power on from cigarette outlet.

• USB Compatible : Easily usable by switching into USB ports.

• 3 Fan Speed Modes : Switch on the Molecule aroma and select the scent intensity with one single button

• Auto Scent Cycle : Pause for 40 seconds in every 5 minutes for perfect scenting

• Easy change of Scents : Just twist to open the top of the V1 and replace a new aromatic element

• Memorize your last Settings: Automatically resume to last setting when switching on

• Twists 90 degree : V1 can bend up to 90 degrees to fit in various car charger sockets

• Three settings: Blue light (full fan speed), Green light (half fan speed) and No light (off)

Product Specifications

• Model : Molecule Aroma V1

• Input : 12V

• Output : 5V 2A

• Size : 140 x 30 x 30 mm (approximation)

• Colours: Pearl White, Space Grey, Twilight Blue, Rose Gold, Volcano Red

• Choice of fragrances: White Tea, Rain and Linen.

You can purchase this from Amazon or Flipkart.

In the box you will get an air freshener along with two refills of your choice of fragrance.

Is it recommended? Absolutely, yes!

Posting below a video of the product that I had made:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMjY...=CaptainTorque

[carrerastrax]

Originally Posted by deepak_bajaj

I have tried many over the years and now I have stick to "My Shaldan (Lemon)". It is both convenient and works for me with respect to placement. I place it in cup holder or space underneath arm rest. The fragrance lasts for about 1.5 to 2 months. Car feels fresh when doors are opened in the morning. And then the scent kind of settles down so that it does not bother you anymore.

I don't think they settle down. I think our noses get used to it after a few minutes.

[pandatrooper]

I happened to purchase the Miniso Car Perfume for trial and I was mighty impressed. There are two fragrance sticks that you need to insert into the really sleek setup. It comes in a piano black finish and blends in with the AC Vents and the Dashboard really well. Owing to its streamlined and practical design, it does not cover any major chunk of the AC Vents. The Citrus Lemon Fragrance was not too strong but just about adequate to give me a pleasant smelling cabin. Since there is no liquid involved, the mighty spillage and evaporation issue does not exist. The only drawback I found is that it fades out in around 20 days and its a bit expensive when compared to the counterparts. Adding an image for reference [ Courtesy - Amazon ] :

[T.S.]

It has mostly been Areon Black Crystal for me throughout my ownership. The fragrance had received many inquiries and compliments. I tried many in between just for a change but fell back on Black Crystal as nothing came close to its unique fragrance.

[Abhi99]

Products from CarPro are noteworthy as well. I have used So2Pure Odor Eliminator in the past ( got a bottle for about $60 , but it lasted for about 3 years). Its not a perfume and as the name suggests - it only neutralizes any Odor in the car and does that job pretty darn well! Each application lasts for about 1 year, post which it has to be reapplied again.

Only draw back which this product has is that after leaving the car for sun for a long time, it leaves a bit of white residue on the surface you apply it on and hence would need to dust the interiors once every week.

[ant_vas]

Have used perfumes which came with the car during delivery, Godrej Aer, Activated Charcoal, Iris Spray, Areon Black and Camphor.

The one which came with the cars hardly had any smell. Godrej Aer was good but blocked the aircon vent. couldn't see any difference with the Activated charcoal (while i understand its only to remove bad odour in the car).

Iris spray had nice perfume but need to spray it every time. and as the spray bottle got old, some unpleasent smell started to emit from Aircon as soon as i started the car!

I liked the Areon Black and was using it till recently. My family always complimented for nice perfume when ever they sat in the car. Haven't replaced it once the last one exhausted.

Camphor was always pleasant but wife felt it was too much for her to handle . But have taken a change and have order the Campure camphor bags and hope it will be more acceptable.

Our sense of smell gets used to the same smell over a period of time and no matter how good the car perfume is, after few days i don't think we can smell it anymore even though it might be working perfectly well

[88_TANK_88]

Never used car fragrances. Even the freebie provided with delivery of new car was returned to showroom.
Nowadays, however, surface sanitizer spray used in interior touch points of the car lends a masking/deodorizing effect.
P.S. Alcohol rich spray also helped removing ink stains from the seat.

[iamitp]

Finally a thread that I feel somewhat qualified for answering.

I am hobby perfume collector and fragrance writer/blogger. If you are interested in reading some of my work, do check out my blog (which hasn't been updated for ages) - https://dandyness.wordpress.com or my last article for The Hindu Metroplus - https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-st...le24705624.ece (advance apologies for the pay/adblock-wall)

I had actually written about car fragrances for a column in the Hindu Metroplus last year, (link - https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-st...le25308503.ece), but to add onto my limited knowledge about car fragrances and what I've mentioned in the column:

1. Fragrances work on the principle of diffusion. Perfume collectors/fragrance enthusiasts usually judge a perfume on the parameters of sillage (the 'scent-cloud' it leaves behind) and longevity (how long does the sillage linger in the air).

2. Sillage and longevity depend on aromatic concentration, molecular composition of the solvent and aromatics, ambient conditions and also to a large extent on who is smelling it. Believe it or not, but one of the most well-received theories on how we smell (by Luca Turin, a mad-genius of the science and perfume world) is that we have unique scent detection mechanism between our noses and brain which works on a principle similar to a mass spectrometer.

4. Adding to this, scent is one of our most primal senses and very closely linked to how we form our memories. Scent - through our first and last breath, is the first sense we experience with birth and is the last one to leave our consciousness when we die. Every breath we have taken in the past affects our perception of smell in the present moment, over and above the biological differences in scent perception. Therefore factors like whether you smoke or not, where you grew up and events in your which life transpired around specific smells will affect your scent perception.

5. Therefore, going through all the posts on this thread, it is no surprise that different people like different smells. It is also true that people like widely different scents based on their mood, environment, physiological factors. You might like the scent of wet earth while driving around on a hot May afternoon, and citrusy smells on a damp September evening or perhaps a warming sweet vanilla on a chilly January morning. Who you are with and what are you feeling also greatly affects how you smell.

6. You must remember that you are always smelling; because you are always breathing. It's just that your brain chooses to actively ignores alerting you (like it ignores the sight of your nose in field of vision) of a smell unless essential, such as danger or arousal.

7. However, in automotive olfactory research, it was found that citrus smells tend to increase driver attention. Your personal perception might vary and therefore, I tend to keep my own car scents as modular as possible.

8. This has been a long post and without getting into the details of different car fragrance options (which you can in read my Hindu Metroplus article linked above), I shall offer my two pennies of what's commonly available in the Indian market:

• Passive diffusers:
  a) Container based perfumes (in gel, liquid, solid form) - Generally you store them in the cup holder of your vehicle or stick them on your dash and they passively diffuse inside the car. Major downsides are they can become a projectiles in case of an accident or sudden braking, and cause injury to occupants. You will have to manually stow away the container or close its cap if you want to take a break from the smell. If left open, they will diffuse 24x7 and get over quickly. I do like My Shaldan's citrus scents.
  
  b)Clip on diffusers - Similar to the can-type diffusers but more discreet, gentler (lower sillage) and minimal.They can either clip on to the air-con vents or to receipt holders in the sun-visor, depending on how long and strong you want them to smell. I am partial to Bath & Body Works clip-ons because of the fantastic range of scents, good build quality and great in-store experience.
  
  c)Perfumed card/cardboards - similar to the above but even lower silage. Downside is the blindspot created if you hang them from IVRM. Little Trees is a classic but there are many 'Made in India' brands too. I had actually considered starting my own brand, with cards shaped in the form of religious figures/symbols which India in general puts on cars for auspicious reasons, but the plan never transpired
  
  d)Homemade solutions like camphor, jasmine, essential oils, sandalwood, coffee beans, tea bags, potpourri etc. Major advantage to these are that they are easily available and cost next to nothing.
  
  e)Activated charcoal has some credibility for absorbing odorous molecules in an environment.
  
• Powered diffusers - These are either battery powered or receive power through the 12 V socket or USB ports. They have the advantage of actively modulating diffusion to the strength and frequency of your preference. Downsides are that they eat up valuable space and power supply.
  
  
• In-built car perfume diffusers, often paired with air purifiers - They have the dual advantage of removing malodours as-well as infusing desirable smells. If you have a car with this feature then I'm guessing, you're best off trying out different perfume options that are compatible with your system.
  
  
• Car perfume sprays - This is my current go-to. I use a custom scent created by an independent perfumer but it is easy enough to use a cheap sample vial or an inexpensive perfume too. If you want your car to smell like your favourite perfume, try looking for a clone (cheaper rip-off but very similar olfactory signature) or use a travel atomizer and decant some of the real juice for car-usage. You may also consider diluting it with some denatured alcohol. I'm partial to Blue de Chanel in my car.
  
  Phew! That was a bit too much gyaan
  Cheers and many fragrant breaths to all!

[sv97]

A bit

@iamitp With the plethora of knowledge that you possess .

Can you please suggest which is the best option in citrus fragrance for a large car like the Fortuner which makes it presence felt every time and actually works?

Since, I have used so many options and none of them even make their presence felt.

Also, it should not be something extremely expensive and if possible should be budget friendly as well.

[bhansali_hardik]

Have been using this Godrej aer since day one that I bought my car.
Infact, my friends can really associate this freshener to my car now! It's always been this smell = my car!

https://amzn.to/3mRwyMa

[Thermodynamics]

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

I have been using the activated charcoal for some time... I guess it has some adsorption properties. What's your take on these products?

Activated charcoal is a great adsorbent, no doubt, but we need some mechanism that brings the air in contact with charcoal so that odors can get adsorbed. Simply placing this bag in a door pocket wouldn’t help. May be keeping it closer to air vents for example could aid adsorption. How do you place them ?

By the way coffee smell is tempting.

[iamitp]

Originally Posted by sv97

Can you please suggest which is the best option in citrus fragrance for a large car like the Fortuner which makes it presence felt every time and actually works?

In the world of perfumery citrus molecules are among the lightest and generally don't last too long. Therefore you'll see them used most often as top notes.

If you want to go for a passive option, then I suggest a Bath and Body Works scented candle. Try the lighter citrus ones like Bergamot waters. Don't light them. The aromatic wax has a gentle diffusion and will last longer than options like My Shaldan or Godrej Aer etc. You could place the glass candle holder at a cental and secure spot or maybe cut the wax and distribute it around the cabin.

If you want an active spray, then get a proper perfume and spritz on the cabin fabric/leather as and when you like. Try Isse Miyake's L'eau d'Issey, Happy by Clinique or Mugler Cologne by Thierry Mugler. Your car will smell unique and classy.

[Sail]

Earlier I have used Ambipur, once it spilled on ac vent & dis-coloured silver accent strip of the vent. So, had to stop that immediately. Now a days I don't like the strong chemical / artificial smell of Ambipur.

Then for a long time I have used ‘Myshaldan’ lemon gel, drop a can and forget for 45-50 days.

Last 2 years or so I am using natural Camphor Cone from Mangalam, I hang it somewhere in the car to keep a fresh air smell inside the car and it works like a charm. I also carry an air-freshener bottle in the boot to tackle any bad smell or sometime spray inside the car before parking. For long drives we carry our own foods, so have to have an air freshener after meal times. Recently I started carrying a bottle of deodorant inside driver door pocket. Whenever I feel tired on long drives, few spray wakes me up.

Cheers
Sail

[Rālugāyi]

I prefer not to keep any perfume or air freshener products available from the market.

My all-time preference is to keep small to medium size Camphor piece in an adjustable lid type container, which gives provision to adjust for mild effect as per my liking.
I will keep it in the door pocket and sometimes in the boot space. It will easily support for 2 to 3 months.
Although it looks like an old-fashioned type, it will nicely handle the fragrance and freshness portion and provide solid cabin proof from insects.

Many of my friends use My Shaldan air freshener, which I also liked.