The Unsolicted Review: Poo-Pourri
Posted on July 14, 2017 Posted by John Scalzi 39 Comments
Some members of the Scalzi Household — I won’t say which ones for privacy’s sake — occasionally do a thing called “pooping.” Look it up on Google if you’re not sure what that is. And while pooping is generally a laudable and healthy activity, it also sometimes leaves a certain odor.
Someone I know recommended “Poo-Pourri” as a way to counteract the particular odor of the activity: You spray a bit into the toiletbowl prior to the event and the poo-pourri essentially forms a citrus-scented barrier on the top of the water in the bowl, preventing other odors from escaping. I got a bottle to see if it actually works.
My verdict, after a week: Yes, it does mostly work, although whether it works because of the advertised barrier of essential oils or just because the blast of citrusy smell from the stuff is so concentrated that it simply overpowers any other smell is (if you’ll excuse the pun) up in the air. Either way, the citrus nasal bomb is preferable to the alternative.
Does it work better than, say, Febreeze or a scented candle? Maaaybe? I mean, the fact of the matter is whichever way you go, the scent of the room is “the scent of the thing I employed to avoid my bathroom smelling of poo,” so you won’t be fooling anyone anyway. That being the case, might as go with a scent you like.
In any event, if you or someone in your household poops, and want to avoid poop smell, and wish to deal with the odor before rather than immediately after the incident, and intense citrus is your thing, this stuff seems to do the trick.
Cool, I’ll remember this if anyone in my household ever poops ;)
Poo? What is this “pooping” thing of which you speak? Why does my stomach hurt? Why do I weigh 500 pounds? Why did my eye color change to brown? And why did I get such a crappy outlook on life?
Wow. . . Whatever has become whatever. Given the earlier post, is this an attempt to sanitize the place? Well played, sir!
I love me some Poo-Pourri. They have some really interesting scents (including some that aren’t citrus), and, as someone with some medical issues related to said pooping, I can tell you that they’re even useful for poops that are, well…. uh… a little over-ripe for even Febreeze.
My wife got this a few weeks ago. As you say, it works but only at the cost of having an even larger sector of the house smelling of cheap orange-flavoured lollipops, a scent that lingers far longer than the scent of The Thing That Was In The Bowl For Like, A Minute.
My mom bought everyone this last Xmas. I can attest it does work, but you really need to buy a scent you’re gonna like because its very strong. It also works as an aerosol if you forget to use it before pooping, (only one spritz needed.)
I can see where this would be useful in most cases but what happens in those circumstances where a significant amount of gasses are also released at the time of said pooping? Would there be a subatomic battle between the essential oils and the gassy bouquet? Would the miasma of sweet n’ sour overwhelm all occupants of the house except the dog?
I wonder if it would work for “That Darned Cat’. I’ve been keeping him in since it’s so hot outside..having to clean a litter box twice a day is no fun! But he’s worth it, and I obey willingly.
I guess I am his Poo-Pourri.
OMG, do NOT Google pooping.
Poop spray?! Don’t blog on poop spray, blog on Donald , JR. I’ve been waiting for your take on the latest GOP circus!!!!!!!
You can also just light a match briefly, which makes the poop smell go away. It’s maaaagic.
I use this product and give it two thumbs up. No longer is there and scramble to get as far away from the bathroom as possible when I enter.
*a mad scramble
At times my phone disappoints me.
Ron:
I write about what I want. That’s why the blog is called “Whatever.”
This stuff works. I would say if the people, or person you didn’t want to name left this nearby the water closet you choose to use it would be in your best interest to use it. I wouldn’t recommend using two squirts if you’re thinking it would get you extra points.
For those asking about cat stench, there is a fix. Ours used to have industrial strength post-poo pollution, but then we changed her to a non-grain, high protein dry food. More expensive, but well worth being able to occupy the same house after she does her thing.
As someone with perfume-triggered asthma, I have to say I’d rather smell what it is trying to cover up.
Go look at the Poo Pourri commercials on YouTube – they’re hysterical
I find the commercials on YouTube to be quite entertaining.
This isn’t the only substance out there for odoriferous bathrooms. Other available products are ‘The Drops’ or ‘One Drop’, which are slightly more pine-scented but accomplish the sane thing. They don’t have a spray function, however
We have a bathroom exhaust fan, which really helps! Also, I recommend using Dr. Bronner’s liquid Peppermint Soap, diluted about 6:1 in a foaming dispenser, as a hand wash. This lends a more pleasant smell to the environs.
I ordered a free sample of the stuff once, and I must say it worked brilliantly. I don’t think I would pay for it though, when a scented candle does the trick just as fine, and can be used for other purposes too :)
@aurian I share that exact problem, and avoid scents like they’re trying to kill me (’cause they ARE) but this doesn’t seem to trigger them for me.
I bought this for a friend once (really!) because her cat was toilet trained, but sadly never learned to flush and wow, was it amazingly stinky.
TBH, I mostly bought it because the ads were so funny.
Much thanks for the tip, Lym.
JustaTech, that’s hilarious.
@ron,@john
But, John! John! Haven’t you HEARD? At the meeting with Donald Jr, the Grinch was there! Also Lex Luthor! GRINCH!! LUTHOR!! How can you be writing about covering up the smell of . . . Oh, wait, NOW the connection becomes clear.
For a while you could get air freshener specifically designed to “blend in” with toilet spray so that not only could you smell the poop, _nobody would even know you’d pooped_ because the room always smelled like that, not just after somebody dropped a grogan.
*NOT smell the poop. Oy.
This is all a subtle political allegory on Donald Trump, isn’t it?
Does it leave anything that would be hard to clean or bad for the plumbing system? If not, this seems like a great solution! (Or, if I may, stoolution.)
I heard this advertised on a podcast, and genuinely thought it was a joke.
It works I work in a plant and I share the restroom with other Ladies and I know pooping is the natural we do but I don’t want to smell other people’s poop and I don’t want anyone smelling mines because we only have two bathroom stalls and they’re right next to each other and I hate being in the bathroom stall and someone is next to me taking a dump and I have to smell it and they don’t spray so that’s why I use the Poo Pourri when I have to use the restroom this was the best investment an invention ever
If (like me) you’d rather smell nothing, check out Zero Odor (https://www.zeroodor.com/) — it genuinely works, and it doesn’t have a scent of its own. I stumbled on it years ago and stocked up several industrial size refills in case it ever goes off the market. (Like Tempos, the best “Kleenex” ever, so of course you can’t get it anymore)
Thank you. You’ve answered a question I’ve been pondering.
I’m with Donya – this stuff is for use if you need to conduct business at WalMart or work or some other public place and it can be squirreled away in my purse. At home, nope.
I find the name so gag-inducing I don’t want it around (not that I’m a fan of cover-up scents at all, ever, anyway). It sounds a whole lot more like a poop-scented product than a product that covers up the smell of poop.
Your pun is most definitely not excused.
@Farley – try this stuff, works beautifully: http://www.doodoovoodoo.com/products.htm
The poo-pourri is pretty good, but I find I like the Unicorn Gold brand better. Someone brought the poo-pourri into the office ladies room at work, which was a godsend for those of us who can’t stand to poo in public bathrooms. But it smells, as someone on Amazon put it, like someone took a dump in a bowl of fruit loops. Unicorn Gold smells better, I think.
Just have to drop this in: http://www.cc.com/video-clips/dmcgjh/stand-up-dave-attell–smells