New fresh² Odor-Eliminating Light Bulb Tackles the Stink America Hates

CLEVELAND, OHIO - Yuk! America hates stink! We equate offensive odors with uncleanness. That's why we spend more than $3.4 billion a year arming ourselves with an arsenal of air freshening equipment - from aerosol sprays and gel-filled plug-in containers to scented candles and aromatic oils - to rid our environments of reek.

Fresh² to the rescue. Fresh² - an odor-eliminating compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) - is the newest tool for tackling offending odors. A special coating of titanium dioxide is what gives fresh² the ability to break down odors, according to Ellis Yan, ceo of Technical Consumer Products (TCP), which developed and manufactures fresh². "We dip the glass part of the bulb into titanium dioxide, which forms a thin transparent film. When the surface of this coating is exposed to fluorescent light - given off by the bulb itself - a photocatalytic action occurs."

The reaction emits electrons - negatively charged particles - and simultaneously, positively charged holes form in their place on the glass surface, he explains. "This creates very strong oxidizers that completely break down odors. The purifying process begins to work 10 minutes after the bulb is turned on."

Yan adds that, because the fresh² bulb must be exposed to air to work effectively, it works very well in lamps with shades but not in fixtures that completely enclose a light bulb.

Fresh² was extensively tested through exposure to ammonia and trimethylamine - two of the strongest and most recognizable elements available. According to Sharon Gallagher, TCP product manager for CFLs, the residual gas concentration was first measured after 10 minutes of use, then again after 30 minutes and one, two and five hours. "Both elements were neutralized at nearly 90 percent within just 10 minutes. At the end of the five-hour test period, nearly 100 percent of the two smells was eliminated."

Compact fluorescent light bulbs last, on average, approximately 10,000 hours, or nine years, which represents significant savings over conventional incandescent light bulbs. The odor-eliminating power of fresh² lasts three years. "Fresh² is truly a multi-tasking light bulb," Gallagher states. "It not only eliminates common household odors and provides comfortable light, it uses 75% less energy than standard bulbs and generates only one-tenth of the heat."

Fresh² was recently introduced in Toledo, Ohio, the national test market, during the first and second quarters of 2004. Fresh² is available only through a toll-free number - 866-fresh²x - and at www.fresh2.com. A package of two 23-watt fresh² bulbs (comparable to 100-watt incandescent bulbs) is $19.99, plus shipping, handling and sales tax.

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