03/27/06 Agrcultural Home Fragrences

It is apparent when it is not supposed to be, that the aroma our homes can reveal things we would rather disguise, like the smell of kitty litter, stinky shoes or burned pop corn. A 1.9 billion dollar industry and bevy of new professions with names like Aroma-Chology have been spawned to help us enhance the fragrance in our homes. As one who's signature scent happens to be fresh cut grass, yes, (you can get that at Target) I find it interesting that what I deem the "agricultural scents" say MacIntosh Apples, lemons, limes and even grasses also happen to be top picks by others because they make a home feel more spacious and clean. According to researchers what we smell lingers in our memory long after our other senses, like sight and touch are forgotten. There is a happy medium, because home fragrance is personal. While I would love it if my home smelled like a barn; fresh shavings, hay and saddle leather, it would just never work, because those same scents would evoke in my husband memories of hay fever and horse manure