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An Overview of Poo Pourri
Defecation is without a doubt one of the worst topics to discuss for most people. By and large, it’s 
embarrassing and unpleasant. The only times most people will discuss it fall into three categories. The first is with a doctor, typically in situations pertaining to a medical issue such as diarrhoea. The second is with the very old or the very young, as appropriate times and places to use the toilet are quite pressing at these times. Finally, it will be discussed with significant others, co-workers, and roommates who have to share a bathroom, because the entire process stinks.
There have been a number of processes used to conceal the horror of a titanically malodorous bowel movement throughout modern times. Lighting a match, turning on the bathroom air fan, or household sprays have all had their place in this endless discussion. However, they don’t do much to address the problem in the bowl itself.
Enter Poo Pourri, a combination of essential oils in an easy to use spray. This product claims to fight the odiferous effects of the average bowel movement, so let’s take a moment together to look at this product in our Poo-Pourri Review.
Best Poo Pourri Secret Santa Scents 2018
| Name | Product Dimensions | Color | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Citrus (Editor’s Choice) | 5 x 2.6 x 1.8 inches | — | Check Price |
| Poo Pourri No 2 | 2 x 2 x 3.8 inches | Clear | Check Price |
| Poo Pourri Call of the Wild | 2 x 4.8 x 1.2 inches | White | Check Price |
| Deja Poo | 2.3 x 1.2 x 5.8 inches | Multi | Check Price |
| Lavender Vanilla | 2.3 x 1.2 x 5.8 inches | Parent | Check Price |
| Poo La La | 2 x 4.8 x 1.2 inches | Parent | Check Price |
Poo Pourri Explained
At its center, Poo Pourri is a spray used as a preventative, in order to stop unpleasant bathroom scents before they even begin. A combination of natural essential oils and pleasant aromas, Poo Pourri is marketed as a step up from “scent only” remedies that strive to out-do the scent of feces. Instead, the company claims that Poo-Pourri both covers and blocks the scents from being worse.
The advantage of Poo Pourri spray is that it’s sold in highly portable little spray bottles. Carry it with in your usual supplies, and you can use it to eliminate odours while out and about. This means it does more than prevent unpleasant scents in your own home; you can take it with you, and prevent a potential embarrassment while visiting others. You needn’t wait to return home if the urge to use the restroom is upon you, for you can use this bottle to cover up unsightly aromas before they even begin.
How Does Poo Pourri Work?
The core mechanism of Poo Pourri is a twofold approach. The first and most obvious method is the scent of the essential oil in question. The company markets a number of scents, so that people can select the one of their preference to cover up the malodorous movements that are so common to bathroom excursions. This isn’t anything new, and is entirely akin to using an air freshener to cover up the problem.
The second mechanism is literally “covering up” the problem. Oils tend to collect on the surface of water, rather than diffusing through it. Users spritz the Poo Pourri into the toilet bowl before using, and this effect creates a “layer” that traps unpleasant scents from emanating upward out of the toilet once the waste has left the body.
Does Poo Pourri Actually Work?
In theory, Poo Pourri should work at least as well as any other bathroom scent spray, at the very least. Essential oils have a longstanding use in aromatherapy specifically because they concentrate a strong degree of natural scents. At a minimum, this should allow the unpleasant oders of the typical restroom visit to be covered up in discreet fashion, which is a plus.
The “odor barrier” seems like a nonsensical statement, but it actually has evidence. Decomposing matter, including the average toilet log, releases microscopic particles, which do percolate up through water and into the air. Oil is less permeable than plain water, so it can hinder this process to a degree.
In our direct review of the product, we found it to be a very useful little product. It definitely reduced our perception of the unkind and socially awkward scents that come with a significant bathroom visit, and the convenience of the product is not overrated. One or two spritzes, and the entire process was just that bit less revolting.
Is Poo Pourri Safe to Use?
This question can be phrased primarily in two ways.
- Is Poo Pourri Toxic to Humans?
- Is Poo Pourri Safe for a Septic System?
To the first question, we can provide a qualified “no.” Essential oils have been used in aromatherapy for ages, as we said earlier. When used as directed, they will not cause any toxicity to humans, any more than the scent of an essential oil in an aromatherapy burner would.
That said, it is not advised to consume it directly. First, that isn’t how it’s meant to be used, why would you even do that? Secondly, essential oils can be toxic or provide adverse reactions when directly consumed. Don’t do that, and you should be just fine.
The septic system question is a reasonable one. After all, people are advised not to put certain substances into a septic system. However, an essential oil mix like Poo Pourri is not going to pose any threat to a properly maintained septic tank. The fact is that a very small spritz of essential oils doe snot create enough of a volume change to affect the ecological balance inside a septic tank. It will be far too diluted to cause any noticeable effect to your tank, so feel free to use it if the product entices you.
But Is It Worth It?
To be entirely frank, we have decided to give this product a qualified “approved” rating.
The fact is that Poo Pourri works to cover up unpleasant scents, and we have had pleasant experiences with its use (or as pleasant as one can have with anything associated with trips to the bathroom and the scent of poo).
However, the scientific claim of creating a full oil barrier to trap odors are a gimmick at best. There is simply no way that a handheld spray bottle can actually provide enough volume in a single “spritz” to create a scent-impermeable layer over the water in the average toilet tank.
Poo Pourri works on a scent-covering level. The oils chosen have strong, pleasant scents that will more or less drown out the unpleasantness of background odors in the average bathroom break. This claim is entirely sufficient, and the product shouldn’t need to rely on a gimmicky, dubious claim of providing an impermeable layer to trap odors beneath the water.
If you find the scents that Poo Pourri sells appealing or interesting, we recommend getting it. It’s a lovely little product that can do most of what it claims. Just don’t buy into it because of an overstated claim that stretches scientific credibility of real phenomena into excessive claims.
With that in mind, let’s discuss some of the scents that Poo Pourri has to offer.
1. Original Citrus
This was the very first scent chosen for Poo Pourri, so it seems the most sensible place to start a review. Bergamot, grapefruit, and sweet lemongrass have been combined into an excellent infusion that is the iconic scent on offer from the Poo Pourri company. Personally, we feel it was chosen because citrus is one of the naturally strongest scents out there, and it does the best job of competing with the aftermath of an overwhelming restroom excursion.
2. Poo Pourri No 2
This selection doubles down on the fruits and berries, creating a combination of mandarin, peach, orange, berries, and bergamot. It has the same strong citrus-forward scent, but has a few nuances that allow it to do its thing without overwhelming you with a full-citrus scent.
3. Poo Pourri Call of the Wild
This one has an ambitious name, and you might be excused for thinking it would lean toward a musky or smokey smell. However, it is another citrus infusion (remember what we said about the strength of citrus aromas), showing that Poo Pourri likes to stick to formulas they know well. This one has a grapefruit aroma to it, making it a bit more subtle than lemon or orange scented offerings. This was a personal favorite of ours, as most of us are quite fond of grapefruit scents.
4. Deja Poo
This scent is an infusion of flowers and citrus scents, giving a more “lavendar” smell to the proceedings than a pure fruit aroma. It’s comfortable and quite feminine in its way, another scent that doesn’t compete simply by overwhelming the nose.
That said, the name is simply inexcusable. It really has doubled down on the bathroom pun motif, and crossed from simple amusing pun into pure Dad Joke territory. The bathroom process can be enough of an ordeal, don’t subject us to Dad Jokes as well, that has to violate some article of the Geneva Conventions.
5. Lavender Vanilla
See? Sensible, descriptive titles work just fine, Poo Pourri.
Lavendar and vanilla make a solid combination, with both a forward and after effect on the sense of smell. This allows the visitor to the restroom to overcome odors rather easily. Sometimes unpleasant scents can hit you coming and going, as it were, so a good spritz that can take care of both sides of the odiforous equation is a welcome spray.
6. Poo La La
Oh. We really thought we’d escaped the bad jokes, but here we are again. Alright, we suppose we should just accept it at this point, but know our objection has been made.
Poo La La combines citrus, peony, and a strong rose scent to combat those bathroom odors. However, we found that it isn’t terribly distinctive in itself. If you’re fond of roses, feel free to give this scent a try, but it wasn’t particularly noteworthy in our books.
There are discontinued options out there, including one that simply sounded bizarre to all of us; Citrus Mint. That is not a combination anyone truly finds pleasant. We’re tempted to think it was some manner of April Fool’s joke, but apparently it was an actual product. Make of this what you will.
Final Verdict:
We’ve covered a lot of ground, and discussed a variety of scents out there, so let’s have a base-touching review.
- Poo Pourri helps cover unpleasant scents from bathroom breaks. It is worth buying for this reason, especially if you’re fond of essential oils.
- The claims about an odor-trapping barrier seem to be more hype than accuracy. We wouldn’t lie to you. If evidence comes out that this effect is strong, we’ll revise our statement, but we do not think it too likely.
- It’s at least as effective, if not more so, as using an aerosol spray. It is quite economical, with one pump of the spritz button sufficient to resolve most bathroom unpleasantness.
Therefore, we’re comfortable saying that it’s fine if you buy this product. It won’t work miracles, some odors are simply too mighty and earthy to be entirely contained. However, it should do just fine for the most part, and will provide a less chemically heavy sort of scent to work with.
Another note to consider is that Poo Pourri is used prior to using the restroom, rather than after the fact. We believe this accounts for much of its success, as the strong essential oil scents have time to build up in the room, preventing other scents from getting through. This is as good a reason to recommend it as any.
