To celebrate National Sense of Smell Day on April 27, Cintas
Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) today announced 10 fun facts about
humans’ sense of smell. Sponsored by Sense
of Smell Institute, National Sense of Smell Day aims to educate and
raise awareness about the power of scents. Odor control specialists at
Cintas highlighted facts to help organizations understand the powerful
role that scent plays within their facilities and how it impacts the
lives of building occupants each and every day.
“Since our sense of smell is highly linked to memory and perception,
businesses should implement programs that work to tackle malodors in
restrooms and other key areas of the facility,” said Dave Mesko, Senior
Director of Marketing and Strategy, Cintas Corporation. “Through
cleaning programs and odor-control products, businesses can ensure
customers are constantly greeted with a fresh scent and positive first
impression.”
Cintas highlights the following fun facts about sense of smell:
1. Everyone has a unique odor identity similar to a fingerprint—no two
people smell the same way except identical twins.
2. The human brain can process roughly 10,000 different smells in an
area the size of a postage stamp.
3. A woman’s sense of smell is much stronger than a man’s.
4. A person’s sense of smell is weakest in the morning and the ability
to perceive odor increases throughout the day.
5. Approximately 80 percent of what we taste is actually qualified by
our sense of smell. This is why our taste is diminished during a cold or
flu.
6. Prolonged exposure to unpleasant smells can actually impair your
ability to smell. Wearing a mask over the nose and mouth can help lessen
the effects of malodors.
7. Smell has a very powerful link to memory and links to the emotional
regions of the brain more directly than other senses.
8. Our sense of smell is strongest in the spring and summer because of
the added moisture in the air. It is also stronger after exercising
because of the additional moisture in the nasal cavity.
9. Scent works in the opposite direction of other senses. With sight,
sound and taste, we identify the information first and then react
emotionally. With scents, we have an emotional reaction first and then
identify the scent shortly thereafter.
10. People can remember smells with 65 percent accuracy after a year,
while visual recall is about 50 percent after three months.
“A pleasant scent can signal powerful memories that bring us back to a
great experience—while a disagreeable odor can be offensive,” added
Mesko. “The facts about scent help businesses understand how critical
this sense is for customers and how it impacts overall perception of a
facility.”
For more information about Cintas’ scent uniformity solutions, visit www.cintas.com/facilityservices.com/
About Cintas Corporation:
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas Corporation provides highly
specialized services to businesses of all types primarily throughout
North America. Cintas designs, manufactures and implements corporate
identity uniform programs, and provides entrance mats, restroom cleaning
and supplies, tile and carpet cleaning, promotional products, first aid,
safety, fire protection products and services and document management
services for more than 1 million businesses. Cintas is a publicly held
company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol
CTAS and is a component of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.
Sources:
http://www.thesoslab.com/facts-part-1.asp
http://www.thesoslab.com/facts-part-2.asp
