What Makes a Plug-In Air Freshener Work?

Most people don’t realize that porous polymers are the science inside so many of the products that we use every day.  When we’re asked what Porex manufactures, there are so many recognizable products to point out. Our materials are in many products that we use in our homes, schools, businesses, and hospitals all the time.

One of our favorite examples is the plug-in air fresheners that you use to keep your home or office smelling wonderful and fresh.  Do you know how the fragrance in a plug-in air freshener gets into the room? There is a porous rod that wicks the fragrance from the bottle or container to the top, where it’s then diffused into the room in a controlled manner. This wick is what allows you to smell all that delightful fragrance!

Porex partners with manufacturers to design the best wick for their air freshener. We look at the fit and wicking properties of our porous fiber or sintered component with their specific fragrance to optimize the performance of the final air freshener that you buy in the store. We can customize 2D or 3D shapes, the pore/capillary structure, and even the color of the wick. The wicks also work with either water-based or solvent-based fragrances to yield a consistent, evenly distributed vapor release.

So next time you go to plug in a new air freshener, remember that Porex science makes it possible!

Check out our video below, where we take apart a plug-in air freshener so you can see the porous wick inside! If you’re interested in learning more about how porous polymers can help with wicking or diffusion in this application or many others, check out our The Science Inside webinar series.