As pets become an increasingly common sight in public spaces and travel accommodations, Americans are expressing rising concerns about the accompanying odors. A recent survey by Greentech Environmental, an air purification and odor control systems company, highlights the issue: 60% of respondents believe pets leave unpleasant odors in homes, and 61% are concerned about odors in pet-friendly hotels or rentals.
The survey, conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults, also revealed generational differences in attitudes towards pets in hotels. While 66% of Millennials and 74% of Gen Z respondents expressed wariness, only 59% of Gen X and 50% of Baby Boomers shared the same concern.
"We wanted to gain insight into how odor affects people's daily lives and well-being, especially as pets become a more integrated part of our environments at home and beyond," said Brandon Taylor, CEO of Greentech. "Our patented high-efficiency air filtration technology has advanced to remove odors and VOCs at their molecular level for improved indoor air quality. This allows businesses and consumers to tackle these issues effectively, ensuring cleaner, fresher air."
The hospitality industry, with 806 million domestic trips expected in 2024, cannot ignore the impact of odors on guest experiences. The survey found one in four guests would immediately leave due to bad smells, 71% would take actions like leaving a bad review, and 73% said bad odor would ruin their vacation.
"The last thing business travelers and vacationers want to think about is who was in their hotel room the day before; as the survey found a lingering odor can trigger that thought," said Blake Bobosky, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "Hotels spend millions of dollars masking odors with custom fragrances, but now they can take a new healthier approach by actually eliminating them through HVAC filtration."
On the home front, 36% of respondents felt they had no odor issues, potentially due to "nose blindness." Those experiencing odors often struggled with lingering cooking smells, pets, and smoke. However, only 54% recognized air filtration's effectiveness in addressing these issues.
"We've all experienced cooking with ingredients like garlic or fish, whose scents linger long after the meal is over; however, this doesn't have to be inevitable," said Taylor. "Our data underscores the need for people to rethink air filtration tech at home and beyond."
Founded in 2009, Greentech Environmental focuses on innovation and environmental responsibility to enhance indoor air quality and promote sustainability.
The Greentech Survey was conducted between June 28 and July 2, 2024, using an email invitation and online survey. Data was weighted to accurately represent U.S. adults ages 18+.
