Febreze class action alleges product does not actually eliminate odors

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Febreze class action overview:  

• Who: A Febreze customer is suing Febreze manufacturer The Procter & Gamble Company.
• Why: The plaintiff says the company falsely claims that the product destroys odor molecules.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in a New York federal court.

Febreze claims to physically destroy odor molecules, however it actually just envelopes and hides them, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiff Rosalie Pijacki filed the class action lawsuit against The Procter & Gamble Company Aug. 19 in a New York federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws. 

The Procter & Gamble Company makes and sells aerosol air fresheners under the Febreze brand that promise to “Eliminate Odors,” she says.

The representation is allegedly repeated across advertisements on television and the internet, with commercials showing animated depictions of odor molecules being physically destroyed by the application of Febreze.

Consumers understand this to mean the elimination of odor at the molecular level by physically destroying the odor molecules, and at the olfactory level by reducing molecules to a level where odor is not detectable, Pijacki says.

“However, the Product does not eliminate odors by either criteria,” she says. 

Febreze class action says product only hides odors

Febreze’s main active ingredient is hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin (‘cyclodextrin’), the lawsuit states. 

However, cyclodextrin does not destroy, convert, or transform odors, but merely “envelops and sequesters them,” reducing their release into the air and thus the perception of malodor, Pijacki says.

She adds that while the product contains certain odor absorbers, no credible scientific evidence indicates the compounds used can transform, destroy, or convert malodorous molecules to the point where they are eliminated.

Though scientific literature has identified certain compounds that eliminate odor at the molecular level by converting malodorous molecules into smaller non-odorous particles, these compounds are not in Febreze, she says.

The plaintiff is looking to represent a Class of New York Febreze buyers, plus a multi-state fraud Class from New Mexico, Utah, Montana, Idaho and Alaska.

Pijacki is suing under state consumer laws and for breach of warranty, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, and unjust enrichment. She’s seeking certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.

Meanwhile, a 2020 class action lawsuit claims that Febreze car vent clips are not “mess-free” as advertised.

What do you think of the allegations made in this Febreze class action lawsuit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates, P.C. 

The P&G Febreze class action lawsuit is Rosalie Pijacki v. The Procter & Gamble Company, Case No. 1:22-cv-00624 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. 

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