Those of you who are caregivers probably already know that the presence of strong odor in the work environment can have a direct effect on one’s emotional and psychological state and cause decreased efficiency in performance.
Case and point – I remember the joy I felt at the birth of my first child. It was euphoric, and holding him in my arms felt like someone had parted the heavens and floated down an angel wrapped in a cloud. I thought nothing could be more perfect in all of creation……then he pooped for the first time, and nothing could have been more rancid!
My husband was the one who got to change our child’s first diaper. I vividly recall him wincing, his abs tightening, and his head jerking forward slightly in response to his dry heave. He stepped back from his position over our child in an effort to compose himself and squeezed out the words, with conviction, “How can something so small make that smell!”. After a few moments, he gathered himself and went back in for another try; this time with his t-shirt pulled up over his nose. The sound of his heavy mouth-breathing and the pace at which he worked were clear evidence of the mental state he was in. Of course, I laughed at him the whole time, but he was a shining example of how odor has a direct effect on a caregiver’s thoughts and actions.
I first became aware of this issue while reading through the list of reviews on Amazon for my original product, R86 Industrial Odor Eliminator. Tucked in between the stories of “dead animal in the crawlspace” and “my dog got sprayed by a skunk” were the caring voices of individuals who I affectionately call caregivers. Some of these sweet souls wrote reviews around rescuing and fostering animals. Within their care were elderly or disabled dogs and abandoned kittens that required lots of pee pads and litter boxes. It was very satisfying for me to read about their success in using R86 to reduce or eliminate the odors so they could stick to the business of caring for the animals.
“We’re a rescue house for cats and kittens. Currently we have 5 foster kittens, plus their Mama, plus our 4 cats. We have 8 litter boxes, but even scooping them twice a day, it can get a little “ripe” in the house. But the R86 has vastly helped! We keep a dish of it in the kittens’ room and the litter closet, plus we add it to the litter boxes. Since its all-natural and non-toxic, I don’t have to worry about it making the cats sick.”
The other heartwarming reviews I came across were those written by caregivers for other humans. Half of them were written by caregivers ranging from hospice care to house visits of elderly patients. The other half were written by family members who were caregivers to a loved one. Each reviewer wrote about the odors associated with their task and were delighted to find a product that actually worked for their situation. In every case, caregivers were desperate to find a product to support them while they went about doing their work.
“It was just another shot in the dark to try to find an odor remover that really works. Especially on human waste smells. My father has dementia and wears diapers but can’t control himself and the smell is over whelming. I purchased this for my mother and it eliminates all of it. She uses it on his mattress, washes his clothes with it and leaves a bowl in his room. She called me crying and thanking me for finding it because she has her house back. Thank you for creating a product that REALLY works.”
I’m very humbled and thankful for being able to provide a product that helps to relieve environmental stress for those who take care of others. They deserve nothing less. Thank you, Caregivers, for all you do!!
