Your home’s bathroom can be a wonderful respite from the world — a place where no one can bother you and you can properly unwind with a long bath. But unpleasant odors can quickly undo that feeling of rest and relaxation.
The most common approach to dealing with bad odors is spraying air fresheners throughout the room. But air fresheners simply mask the smell, leaving a hint of bad smells mixed with lemons, linens, or whatever scent you’re using. You might quickly find yourself associating the pleasant spray smell with the very thing you’re trying to cover up. That’s why one of the best solutions is to use a spray that actually traps scent particles and keeps them from floating around the room. It’s a preventative approach that makes your bathroom feel more like a spa.
Poo-Pourri is the brand that popularized these kinds of sprays. The brand dominates thanks to being an early player with clever marketing and — most importantly — it has a product that simply works. But there are now a ton of other players in the market, too, and you might find one you like more. The basic way they work is by creating a thin film on top of the toilet water. You place a few drops prior to using the toilet, and the layer will trap the odors and keep them from emanating around the room. Whether you’re entertaining guests and want to avoid embarrassment, or you simply want to keep the bathroom fresh for yourself, these are the bathroom sprays to get.
1. Poo-Pourri Before-You-Go Toilet Spray
Poo-Pourri is the name brand in bathroom sprays, and its products are still among our favorite options. The way it works is by coating the toilet water with a thin layer of film, which helps to trap the odors in the toilet. And if scents still get through, there is a layer of fragrance to help neutralize the smell. The fragrance is derived from natural essential oils, reducing the unpleasant effect that can come from synthetic fragrances. This bottle is 4 ml.
Pros: Made with essential oils, reducing harsh chemicals and synthetic fragrances.
Cons: 4 ml bottle does not last very long.
2. Mask Toilet Spray
Mask uses Australian essential oils in their spray, giving off a pleasant and light coconut and lime spray that won’t overpower the room. Each order consists of three 2-ounce bottles. The bottles are small enough to take on the go but big enough to last up to 560 sprays. The formula is made from natural ingredients and is free of harsh chemicals, parabens, and phthalates.
Pros: Pleasing coconut and lime fragrance that isn’t overpowering. Travel-size bottle that lasts a long time.
Cons: Mask recommends users spray their toilet six times before using it, which is more than Poo-Pourri.
3. Air Wick V.I.P. Toilet Spray
Air Wick is one of the top players in the air freshener market, so it’s not surprising that they would branch out to other odor-controlling products. While this spray is somewhat more expensive than the other options, the bottle contains 4.9 ounces, making it one of the most economical options on this list. If you’re not ready to commit consider the 1.85-ounce option, which is also available from the same listing. As for the scent, it gives off a simple lavender fragrance.
Pros: Economical value, a large bottle that lasts a long time. Contains essential oils.
Cons: Scent may smell more like chemicals to some.
4. Crown Choice Home Spray (2PK Madagascar Cookie)
This spray from Crown Choice consists of two 4-ounce bottles, making it easy to have a different bottle for each bathroom. This option is more of an air freshener than a preventive spray. You can use it in the bathroom, other rooms of the house, or even in your car. But unlike traditional air fresheners, Crown Choice focuses on using natural essential oils and deodorizers rather than synthetic perfumes. That makes it hypoallergenic, non-toxic, and more pleasant than some of the overly chemical-smelling air fresheners. Fragrances include Madagascar Cookie, Calming Lavender, Spa Bora Bora and Siberian Cedar.
Pros: Value two-pack. Comes in many scents that are derived from natural essential oils
Cons: Scent does not last that long.
5. One-Drop Bathroom Deodorizer (Pack of 4)
The manufacturers of One-Drop bathroom deodorizer focus less on stylish packaging and cheeky slogans and more on making a powerful and effective deodorizer. One-Drop’s product functions similarly to other products on the market, with a few key differences. It’s designed to work with one to two easy drops, which are dripped from the nozzle rather than sprayed. Each bottle contains 0.67 ounces, making it smaller and more portable than some other options. One order consists of four bottles.
Pros: Powerful deodorizer in a pleasant scent. Small enough bottle to easily take on the go. Comes in a pack of four.
Cons: Not as many different fragrances available as some of the picks.
6. Muse Bath Apothecary Flush Ritual
Muse Bath Apothecary Flush Ritual uses a plant-based formula to create a masculine-smelling toilet spray just about everybody can get behind. It has a cologne-centric appeal to it that is incredibly long-lasting the same way colognes and perfumes are. The product can trap odors from spilling out in the air so you’ll never smell what’s coming out of you. It also makes for a great gift.
Pros: It’s plant-based, vegan, safe to use and smells great.
Cons: Might be a bit too masculine-smelling for some people using the product.
7. Refresh Toilet Spray
Refresh Toilet Spray is one of the largest toilet spray options money can buy, and given the 16-ounce size, it really comes at an affordable price. This naturally-scented toilet spray controls odor tremendously by completely masking the scent before you go. As you’d imagine, spray the bowl before you use the toilet and no one will smell what you’re releasing. You can’t lose!
Pros: The bottle is massive.
Cons: The bottle might be too big to carry with you, so you won’t be as discrete as you’d like to be.
8. Positive Essence Thai Lemongrass Room Spray
This option from Pure Essence is also more of a room spray/air freshener than specifically a toilet bowl spray. Each 4-ounce bottle consists of a single essential oil, allowing you to get a concentrated burst of your favorite fragrances, whether that’s lavender, mandarin orange, or peppermint. It’s a good way to naturally freshen your bathroom, bedroom, or even your linens.
Pros: Natural scent derived from essential oils. Free of parabens and artificial fragrances.
Cons: Scent may not last very long.
9. Squatty Potty Unicorn Gold Toilet Spray
This funnily-named toilet spray named Unicorn Gold will make bathroom time smell a whole lot better than it does right now. Brought to you from Squatty Potty (the footstool that helps you release in a healthier, easier manner), this Unicorn Gold spray is scented in “Mystic Forest” to create a magical bathroom experience that’s quite literally golden by using 100% real gold nano-particles to fight odor. It’s made with natural oils to keep everything feeling fresh, too.
Pros: This spray is made with natural oils and has a few scents to choose from.
Cons: Somewhat pricey.
10. Air Wick Plug in Scented Oil Starter Kit
Pre-toilet sprays work great, but they do nothing if you forget to use them. Sometimes you need an option that will keep your bathroom fresh if you or your guests forget to use drops. This kit is a good value because it consists of everything you need to get started. There are two plug-in diffusers and six refill bottles. The plug-ins will put out a pleasant aroma throughout the day, and you can adjust how much fragrance you want. The fragrance is made from essential oils and has a soothing lavender and chamomile aroma.
Pros: Value pack consists of two plug-in diffusers and six small refill bottles. Automatically disperses scent throughout the day.
Cons: The individual bottles do not last very long.