Furnishing for Freshness: Creating a Pleasant-Smelling Workplace

The challenge of creating a productive office environment goes beyond comfort and aesthetic, it also includes how the space smells. According to Savills’ What Workers Want survey, 77% of UK workers consider the smell of their office important, though only 55% are satisfied with the current smell. Fresh-smelling workspaces enhance employee productive and well-being as well as impressing clients and visitors. Many factors affect office odours, and freshening up a smelly workspace is not as simple as just spraying cans of artificial air fresheners, which might cover up bad smells, but are in fact polluting the air with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). From furniture material to natural essential oils, there are lots of ways to combat unpleasant smells lingering in the office.  

Understanding Office Odours 

So, where are these smells coming from? The first step is to identify the sources so that you can plan strategically in masking any unpleasant smells. Usual culprits include the bathroom and the kitchen, but you may find there are other sources, such as the ventilation system, certain office equipment and furniture, other offices around you and the outside environment. Other than being generally unpleasant, it is important to combat these for the well-being and productivity of your employees. Unwanted odours are known to reduce cognitive performance, causing distractions and discomfort, leading to stress and irritability. Hyperosmia is also a common trait, where people are hypersensitive to smell, meaning that an unpleasant environment might lead to absenteeism and even health issues. The good news is that you can avoid this by following these suggestions to keep your employees productive and happy in your office.  

Choosing Odour-Resistant Materials 

Making smart material choices with your office furniture can make big improvements to the smell of your workspace. Crypton fabric is probably the best solution for this, with superior odour, antimicrobial and stain resistance, it stops germs from spreading whilst being easy to clean and maintain. It is also impressively durable with a minimum of 50,000 double rubs, making it suitable for high-traffic areas. Other performance fabrics offer similar features, such as Revolution, NeverFear and LiveSmart fabrics all offering remarkable stain resistance and non-toxicity. Leather and Vinyl are more common options, being naturally water repellent and long-lasting, vinyl is especially cost-effective, making it an attractive solution.  

Opting for furniture that is easy to clean not only means reduced risk of germs, bacteria and allergies, but also gives an immediately positive impression of your space. Reduced hazards and clutter help your employees to focus on the work at hand, rather than being held back by a distracting environment. 

Fresh Furniture Design 

As well as making smart material choices, you may want to consider ventilated furniture options in the workplace such as ventilated office desks and chairs for optimal freshness whilst working. Mesh chairs allow air to circulate freely and prevent heat and sweat buildup, keeping users cool and comfortable during a long workday. Modular designs are also effective in improving air flow, as they can incorporate advanced ventilation and air purification systems. Investing in some good storage for the belongings of your employees may also help keep unwanted smells of wet coats, gym bags and muddy shoes out of the workspace. 

Air Purification 

Air movement and ventilation are most central to maintaining a pleasant smell in the office. Taking measures such as regularly changing air filters, checking ventilation ducts and opening windows and doors helps to optimise airflow. Incorporating plants into your office design is a fantastic way for not only creating a more aesthetically pleasing environment but can also improve workspace aromas.  Peace lilies, snake plants, palm trees and English ivy are all examples of plants known for air purification. 

Complementary Strategies 

Improving unsatisfactory odours in the office doesn’t have to be expensive or disruptive to your workflow. It can even be as simple as strategically placing bowls of baking soda, or pouches of activated charcoal around the office to act as natural odour absorbers. Essential oils are another way of improving the smell of the space as well as productivity. Lavender and eucalyptus have been known to have calming effects, and peppermint and citrus are thought to increase alertness and mental clarity.  In fact, a Japanese study found that diffusing lemon oil in an office increased performance by 54%. It also might be a good idea to encourage mindful eating habits in the office, avoiding strong-smelling foods such as curries and fish and establish designated eating areas so that food smells are as contained as possible.  

Trouble at Google HQ… 

No matter how big the office, it is a challenge to maintain a pleasant indoor environment. Even at Google’s Mountain View Campus, there was dissatisfaction with odours in high-traffic areas. The large number of employees and the diverse activities meant finding a solution was a priority. They took a comprehensive approach, from upgrading the ventilation system to using plants and essential oils to combat the unpleasant odours. To ensure their efforts lasted, they conducted continuous monitoring of the air quality and asked employees to regularly feedback on their level of comfort. The results were a combination of improved air quality, enhanced employee satisfaction and sustained odour control, making the ‘Googleplex’ somewhere everyone wanted to work.  

Finally, 

Bad smells in the office are a problem. Not only are they unpleasant, but they can also have serious consequences for the productivity and well-being of your employees, and how your workplace immediately comes across to visitors. Luckily, there are multiple ways to combat this, and for optimal progress, try more than one strategy. Whether you change the type of material makes up your furniture, start using natural air purification methods like plants or essential oils, or you make sure your employees are keeping food in the kitchen, you’ll start to find that focus and productivity is improving, fostering a more positive working environment.