Don’t go changing those kitchen fragrances

June 25, 2024 by
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There are some kitchen scents that I find nearly intoxicating, such as onions and garlic sweating in olive oil, baking bread, and ripe peaches as they are being sliced. I must admit that I also like the smell of dishwashing liquid as the sink fills with suds – at least until recently. A few months ago, the brand I used changed its fragrance formula, announcing a “new fresh scent” on the label. The first time I used it I was perplexed, as I hadn’t noticed the announcement. I had to do a double-take to make sure I didn’t purchase the wrong product.

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Although I’m trying to get used to the smell, it just doesn’t seem right. I have used this brand of dishwashing liquid for more than a decade and strongly associated the scent with doing dishes. Apparently I am not the only one struggling to accept the new formula. There’s a Reddit thread about it and most Redditors appear to be salty about the new scent. Several commenters opined on why they think Proctor & Gamble tinkered with the fragrance, with some surmising that costs drove the change.

My favorite comment in the thread was “Hey, Dawn. New Coke would like a word with you,” alluding to the tragic error made by Coca-Cola in 1985 when they changed the formula of their flagship product and faced intense consumer backlash. The outcry was so intense that the company was forced to return to the original formula after just a few months. It’s difficult to gauge how many consumers are upset with the dishwashing liquid fragrance change, but I did not find any positive comments about the scent, which was described as “obnoxiously sweet and overpowering.” One commenter said it smelled like “one of those pink urinal cakes on a sunny day inside a porta-potty”, which is not an aroma you want wafting through your kitchen.

Category: Antipasto

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8 Comments

  • cookbookaddict2020  on  June 26, 2024

    what product was it that changed? I usually use Dawn Platinum, which isn’t too bad. One time I bought a different Dawn product and had to throw it out as the smell was so strong. I hate chemical smells in a kitchen.

  • Fyretigger  on  June 26, 2024

    I read an article online during the last week that household air fresheners, besides containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs, the scent), which we generally try to avoid in products, also frequently contain various carcinogenic compounds like formaldehyde. Makes you think twice about popping open that can.

  • dmco6863  on  June 27, 2024

    I hate how some fragrances permeate into silicone tools and baking molds. Food from then on takes on the smell/taste. I found 0% dishwasher pods that don’t have any scent, works well, no smell.

  • KCKB  on  June 27, 2024

    Yes to the comment re fragrance permeating silicone molds and tools! I have a set of reusable silicone muffin liners, and I have noticed the taste of dish soap when I bake in them. Does anyone have tips for how to get rid of it? Would it help to soak them in vinegar, maybe?

  • FuzzyChef  on  June 28, 2024

    We use strictly unscented dish soap (which is increasingly hard to find). Can’t stand having all these things in the house be scented.

  • Pamala  on  July 2, 2024

    Yes! I thought I was the only one. I have written to P&G twice. They changed the scent of regular old blue dawn and I am terribly allergic to it. I noticed a store near me had one bottle of the old stuff so I went around to all the local stores looking for some. I found a few bottles but in the process of sniffing to make sure I ended up having a terrible allergic reaction in a store.

  • sallylarhette  on  July 4, 2024

    I do not like the smell when I do a load of dishes, Cascade Platinum with oxygen.

  • KCKB  on  July 5, 2024

    @FuzzyChef: no idea if you’ll see this, since it’s no longer a current article, but I just learned that Target has a fragrance-free dish soap as part of their Up & Up private label. It’s $2.99 for 28 oz, and available on their website and in-store.

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