Product odors?

C

CharlesW

The Rainmaker
A recent thread about the smell of a product made me get to thinking. (Boy, that hurts)
How many of you feel that the smell of products is any factor in your use of that product?

Other than 4 Star Leather Conditioner, I don't think I have ever paid any attention to how the product smells in use.
There have been several posts about good and bad odors of various products and unless I actually sniff the container, I never notice the smell. 303 and Klasse AIO are a couple that I remember reading about having a bad smell. I can't say that I ever paid any attention and couldn't even describe their odor. I do remember an early try of Zymol that had a very coconut smell, but that's about the only wax/sealant/polish I even remember what it smelled like.
Maybe my sniffer is broken.
:dunno
Charles
 
"maybe my sniffer is broken" :lmfao


I'm with you Charles I don't pay much attention to it either. I'm more into what the product is doing and what results I'm geting. I have to say that the first time I used Klasse, it smelled like someone cut some cheese:lmfao

The wax that I recently got which I think you are talking about, you can't help but notice this one.

Some of the Megs line up has a really chemical smell to me almost toxic:rolleyes:
 
I think the smell is a big factor. I've had people call me and ask me to come back and redo their leather simply because the smell was starting to fade and they loved it so much. I think the smell of the leather conditioner is a great idea that 4 Star had that will make people care for their leather frequently like they should if for no other reason than they like the smell. :lmfao Then you have products like Lexol, that may work great, but smell like crap. Who wants to get into a freshly detailed car that stinks? I think product smell is definitely a factor.

NXT smells great. The Pinnacle waxes smell even better. S100 and P21S smell kind of blah, but that's ok. They don't have an offensive smell so I'll keep using them. Zymol Vintage smells like crayons. Wolfgang smells like cologne. UPP smells great. I really like the smell of Poorboy's S&W. 4 Star Gloss Enhancer is one of my favorite smells. That and their spray wax smell incredible. I love the smell of my garage after I use those products.

We know that smell is the strongest sense connected to memory. The scent industry is bigger than you could even imagine. If you want to make a zillion dollars then create a new smell that people like. Either make it a perfume or a deoderant or an air freshener or something like that. If you can create a smell that reminds people of good times then they will buy it over and over again to relive those memories. I think the new car smell of leather is what keeps 4 Star's leather conditioner selling so well. It reminds people of the feeling of a new car. Liquid Souveran reminds me of being a kid and going out for milk shakes with my little brother. It looks great on the car, but I enjoy the memory the smell brings back even better. I doubt I would like LS as much if it wasn't so nostalgic for me. In fact, one of the things that has kept me from using Zaino is the fact that the QD smells like cough syrup and reminds me of being sick as a kid. Not good memories and its not surprising that I haven't used any of the Z products because of it yet.

Anyway, that is my take on the smell thing. Its the first thing I do when I get a new product. NXT is the latest product that has impressed me. Everything in the NXT line smells great. I'm not thrilled about the greasyness of the dash protectant, but at least it smells good. Wolfgang makes my car smell like it is going out on a date. lol That isn't so bad. Keep the smells coming, guys. I love new smells. I'm off go get some grape smelling wax now... must have must have must have must have....
 
Charles . . . I'm in agreement with Jngrbrdman that smell is an important factor, even in the car care industry.

In the car care products category I'd rate these as my faves...



CAR WASH - Zymol car wash (blue liguid) - best smelling stuff I've ever used.

LEATHER TREATMENT - Gliptone leather conditioner - makes leather nice and supple and adds a genuine leather smell. LOVELY ! (not easy to get however).

GLAZES - Vanilla Moose hands down. (although I've heard that recent batches no longer have that vanilla smell. I'm looking into it).

WAXES - Megs Hi-Tech Yellow (#26) wax. OH YES! Scrumptous!

If there are other great smells out there let me know !
 
"Wolfgang makes my car smell like it is going out on a date":lmfao

I will have to agree, I think they might need to change the scent
 
KleanFreak - What the H is that avatar? have you had that long? How have I missed that? :lmfao

On topic - I would not have picked product smell as an important factor to me if you gave me a list and said pick the 3 most important factors. But more and more I find that I notice it. And go figure, the products i like the best all have pleasant smells to me ... things tht make you go hmmm.....
 
Originally posted by Dr Groove
Charles . . . I'm in agreement with Jngrbrdman that smell is an important factor, even in the car care industry.

Hey I agree on the power and importance of smell in the world. It's just that of the products I use regularly, the only one that really stands out is the leather conditioner. In the right concentration APC+ is not too pleasant. Beyond that, I can't even remember what Meg's #9, MPPP, NXT Tech Wax, FI, FD, Poorboy's PP, PwC, S&W, Klasse AIO, 4 Star UPP, UGE, SEC, S100, 303 smell like. I guess I just don't pay that much attention.

If there are other great smells out there let me know !

Women!!!
 
To me it depends on where product is being used. If it an interior product such a carpet cleaner, leather conditioner or interior dressing, then smell is important because this is something that the cstomer will probably notice. If it's an exterior product such as a wash, polish, wax or sealant, I don't care. But I do have to admit there are some nice smelling tire dressings. I like the smell of Natural Look on the interior so I apply a fair amount to door panels so the customer will smell while getting into the car.

I use a leather conditioner from a company called 3D international. Their leather conditioner comes in gallon sizes and its pretty thick so I can massage it into the leather and then buff with microfiber. It leaves the car smelling like leather, similar to Platinum. I do use the Platinum leather conditioner when I'm working on higher end vehicles.
 
CharlesW said:
I think it is the Whaler with clothes.

Charles
Click to expand...

:lmfao :lmfao I keep waiting for it to explode. I'm like 5...4....3...2...1....now! ...ok, now! uhmm....now! C'mon, dude. Explode already!!!
 
Smell is really important

to me - as a customer - some products like Nxt Tech Wax - that smell I absolutley cannot stand it make me nauseaous. Gold Class Vinyl protectant has a fake leather smell that is very overpowering and again makes me ill - 4* leather cleaner has just the right amount and make is smell like the day I got it - 4* car wash is like crack - I am addicted - PB natural look is yummy - Meg's Quik Detailer has a good fruity smell ...

since i only do my car (and a few guinea pi..er friends) the smell is important to me as a consumer.
 
So, how long is this odor a factor?

For instance, the 4 Star Leather Conditioner lasts a week or two and I would agree that it has a good smell. (The smell of a sample I received was the reason I ordered it.)

The more or less objectionable smell of APC+ seems to be gone in a matter of hours, maybe less.

The smell of most other products would seem likely to be pretty well gone in a short time, too. As I said, during actual use, I don't even notice the smell of most products.

Charles
 
Hey Rainmaker!:lmfao :lol :LOLOL :rolling. That was great.:bigups. I really don't pay attention to the smell unless it's strong. My vanilla moose does not smell like vanilla. I have the newer version as I have read that the older products would weaken the bottles because of the additive that made it smell like vanilla. 1 ZGlanz Wax smells like a solvent but I will continue to use it as I liked how it looked on my f-i-l's car.
 
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I don't necessarily seek out products that smell nice, but I do tend to avoid products that produce a lot of chemical fumes. I'm fairly sensitive to chemicals, so it doesn't take much to get me coughing and choking. Eimann Fabrik Hi Intensity and Einszett Glanz Wax are examples of products that work well, but I won't use due to the nasty fumes.
 
For me, smell is an important factor in making purchase . If I have a choice between similar products but one has a mediocre/chemical smell and the other one having nicer smell, the latter will always win even if it's a'tiny bit' pricy. The smell is a part of the detailing experience:lmfao

For me,
Zaino-Z7 smells good and is a good car shampoo, shame bout the pricing though.I heard good comments regarding wolfgang and 4*'s auto wash , but due to them being pricy, I don't think they would be as popular as they deserve to be. I guess sometimes companies need to find the balance between pricing and expected market share.Well that's my 2cents worth as a customer

Meguiar Deep Crystal carnauba wax- smells of banana and ice cream, yummy. BUT Stains plastic and trims!!,:nono that's a no-no for me, once my order for UPP and CMW come, it'll definitely have a place in the dark corner of my storeroom:lol
 
As my sig has stated for quite some time now...The debate between Zymol and Trade Secret goes on!


Wax--Trade Secret

Polish--4 Star Ultimate Paint Pre-Cleaner

Detailer--Zymol Detail Spray

Tire Dressing--Megs Endurance High Gloss

Leather--4 Star Leather Conditioner

Wash--Top of the Line Bubble Bath



jeff.
 
jeff2417 said:
As my sig has stated for quite some time now...The debate between Zymol and Trade Secret goes on!
Wax--Trade Secret

Polish--4 Star Ultimate Paint Pre-Cleaner

Detailer--Zymol Detail Spray

Tire Dressing--Megs Endurance High Gloss

Leather--4 Star Leather Conditioner

Wash--Top of the Line Bubble Bath

jeff.
Click to expand...

jeff, how does Trade Secret compare to Pizzaz Carnauba wax?both from TOL. How's top of the line's bubble bath?any good besides the smell?

Thanks
 
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