The videos are hilarious and clever, some evoking a Mel Brooks-esque Robin Hood: Men in Tights and others reminiscent of a cross between “My Little Pony” and “Care Bears” – depending on the brand.
FACT: spray that claims to neutralize the most noxious and permeating bathroom disasters is a real thing.
EVIDENCE
- there are currently 3 unique brands: Poo-Pourri, Unicorn Gold, and V.I. Poo
- one brand even appeared on Shark Tank for another product and won investment from Shark Lori
- these brands sell their product online individually
- some of these brands sell their product on a subscription, so you’re never out
- all of these brands sell in stores, some boutique but up to being carried by Target
- there is an entire DIY movement already in full swing
NOTE
Before I go on – and before you read on – know that I have not tried any one of these products either as a retail purchase, a donated item, a conditional trial, or even a DIY. I first thought the videos I started seeing about 3 months ago were spoofs, and when I finally saw an actual television commercial, I added this idea to my stocking stuffer list for my parents – one for home and one for travel.
THE BASICS
Of the three, V.I. Poo’s graphic is the simplest:
HOW THEY WORK
So far, there are two chemicals method for neutralizing the odors of poop:
Poo-Pourri and V.I. Poo uses natural essential oils to create an oil film on top of the water that will trap the poop and its odors under the surface of the water. Because oil is hydrophobic – hates water – it stays on top and, even when broken by the poop, will quickly close the rift so as not to mix with the water. One instance of verbiage on the V.I. Poo website seems to indicate that the scents are from Air Wick, and I can confirm that the V.I. Poo line of products is carried directly on the Air Wick website, listed under the Products menu heading.
Unicorn Gold uses gold nanoparticles to create a neutralizing reaction with sulfur, the main mineral causing the worst of poop odors; after that, your chosen scent takes over to product a pleasant experience. The product claims to use essential oils for the pleasant scent, and also claims to be the only marketed product that works below and above the water line – which means this one may have some effect sprayed even after the “incident.”
IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE
As I mentioned in the Evidence section, one way to verify that a product has market traction is by the size and breadth of the DIY community. A simple Google search for “DIY poop spray” reveals what one site claims is the Poo-Pourri recipe; this is the very first search result, by the way.
While the essential oil version of poop spray is pretty simple to crack and copy, the formula using gold – incidentally the only one claiming to work on poop rising above the water line – is less simple, less easily DIY-able, and likely less cost effective to accomplish by DIY.
HOW ABOUT A PRICE COMPARISON
They all recommend 3-5 sprays per use, before doing the deed.
They all come in a 2 oz size; some come in larger sizes as well.
The average price for the 2 oz size is $10.07 – ranging from $9.95 to $10.25.
CAUTION
I have to assume that the 3-5-spray recommendation is designed for low-water toilets because I simply cannot imagine that’s enough oil+carrier solution (it’s a 100% oil solution) to create a uniform film over the often 8″x8″ water surface of an old fashioned toilet. Perhaps trying will out the truth.
WHAT WILL CECE DO?
Because Poo Pourri is available at four local stores within 5 miles of my home, I am most likely to purchase my first bottles as the stocking stuffers I first intended them to be. All of these stores are locally-owned and operated independent businesses, not part of chain stores small or large.
Singing about Cooking 