When walking the hallways of a school, the distinct odor emanating from the gymnasium can immediately capture your attention, especially as you get closer to its location.
Out of all the smells unique to schools and universities, the gymnasium odor is one of the most odious and powerful. But why do gyms and locker rooms have such a memorable odor?
One of the main sources of the odor actually comes from the students’ feet. With more than 250,000 sweat glands, feet are among the most apt-to-perspire parts of the human body.
The smell is actually caused by bacteria on the skin that eats the sweat and ultimately excretes waste in the form of a strong odor. Because this odor is collected in our shoes and socks, it often gets trapped and more pungent over time.
Now combine this with hundreds of children and teens sweating and poor air circulation, and the outcome is a long-term odor management challenge.
Many schools have tried masking the odors, but this only works temporarily. However, now with Fresh Wave IAQ odor management products, there is a solution that actually eliminates odors right from the source.
With Fresh Wave IAQ, schools can take control of the situation and provide an odor-free atmosphere for students and faculty with products that are 100 percent free of toxins, and are safe to use in any school environment.
Fresh Wave IAQ can also be part of any school district’s green products procurement strategy. As we have highlighted before, states like Maine, Kentucky, and Connecticut are adopting new “green janitorial supplies contract,” which directs public agencies to purchase supplies that reduce the use of toxic chemicals.
Even with thousands of smelly feet to contend with, these types of eco-friendly odor management solutions significantly help schools fight the toughest odors, while keeping learning and athletic environments safe.
