Over the past year, we’ve all visited a shop, cafe, or restaurant, and made a beeline for the hand sanitiser at the door, only to experience a strong, sometimes unpleasant odour. 

However, this odour doesn’t accompany the application of every hand sanitiser; you may find that the brands you use at home or in other establishments have little to no smell at all – so what causes this, and could this smell have an impact on your business?

What causes the smell?

Some hand gels contain an ingredient called bioethanol, which has been used increasingly over the past year in the production of alcohol hand sanitisers to meet soaring demands. Bioethanol is mainly produced via a sugar fermentation process, and is not highly refined or prefiltered like synthetically produced ethanol. This means that it contains natural impurities which leaves behind the strong smell we all know too well. Synthetic ethanol is refined and filtered to remove the natural impurities found in bioethanol responsible for the smell, preventing the unpleasant odour.

What is the impact of this smell?

Smell and memories are strongly linked, which means that the smell of your business will directly impact the way your customers perceive it. In fact, the impact of smell is so important that some businesses spend huge amounts on scent branding to differentiate their brand. 

But as much as a good smell can positively impact a business, bad smells can have an adverse effect. A study on the impact of washroom smells found that 67% of people agree that an unpleasant smell would make them less likely to shop there, and 60% would leave immediately or not return at all. 

Additionally, research has found that 92% of people are more likely to trust their family or friends’ review of a business over all forms of advertising. This means that some potential customers are deterred from ever visiting a business they’ve heard has a bad smell before they’ve ever set foot inside. 

Finding pleasant-smelling hand gel

Hand sanitisers which have been made with highly refined alcohol don’t carry the strong odour with them, making them the ideal sanitiser of choice for businesses welcoming staff and customers back.

AGMA’s Mysogel is manufactured using highly refined synthetic ethanol, and our Mysogel Citrine product features a subtle lemon fragrance while ensuring protection and a pleasant use each time. 

Download our free brochure to learn more about AGMA Mysogel.