First of two parts
Rita Hatthaway published the following article for Home & Garden magazine:
“Mary Johnson, 42, was at her wit’s end. She loved her three sons more than life itself. They were all bright boys, ranging from freshmen to seniors in high school. But she had violent thoughts toward them.
“See, her boys were all athletes. Two of them were on the varsity football team, while the third was becoming a great young soccer player. And after practice every day they’d come home, put their shoes on the shoe rack, and fight over who showered first.
‘“That shoe rack,’ Mary said, ‘became the bane of my existence.’
“The shoe rack was starting to smell. Bad. What’s worse, it was situated on the landing, so you had to pass it when you came into the house.
“‘I swear the smell turned the food rotten when I walked in with groceries,” Mary said. ‘My daughter Katie, she’s eight, she threw up because of the smell. She literally threw up all in the landing. It was that bad.’
“It was a problem that had to be dealt with. So Mary tried all the usual remedies.
“‘I tried everything,’ Mary said. ‘Everything! Baking soda? Nope! Spray? Ha! I even got so desperate that I bought car fresheners and put one in each individual shoe.’
“With seemingly no way out, Mary’s foot-severing fantasies begun. But little did she know, hope was right around the corner. Literally.
“‘My neighbor knocked on my door and when I opened it she took a step back and gagged,’ Mary said. ‘She asked, ‘Lord what is that smell?’
“‘I was so embarrassed,’ Mary said. ‘But then I heard a knock on the door two minutes later. I thought, ‘Oh no, she called Child Services on me.’
“‘But the neighbor was back, this time holding what appeared to be a grey beanbag. The neighbor pinched her nose, stepped over to the shoe rack, tossed it in, and rushed back outside. Then she turned to Mary and, before leaving, said two words:
“‘Trust me.’
“‘Well,’ Mary said, ‘it worked. The next morning I prepared myself for that awful smell when I went to get the newspaper. When I walked by—nothing. No smell. It was completely gone. I have no idea how it worked, but I had to know what that bag was, so I checked it out. It said ‘Breathe Green’ on the label.
“‘I couldn’t believe it,’ she said. ‘I bought four right then. I put this thing next to my husband’s gym clothes and the smell is gone. I put it beside the garbage and there’s no scent. I have no idea how it works, and I don’t need to. All I know is that it does.’
“The clever little trick (backed by science) that cleanses the air inside your home….
“The Breathe Green Charcoal Bag comes in the form of a bag and is the easiest, most convenient way to maintain a fresh, dry and odor-free environment. Made of just one incredibly powerful natural ingredient, activated bamboo charcoal, the Breathe Green Charcoal Bag is continuously working to effectively absorb and remove odors, allergens and harmful pollutants and to clean and freshen the air.
“The activated bamboo charcoal neutralizes even stubborn smells, such as those caused by smoke, pet urine, cat litter boxes, wet dogs, gym shoes and more. The Breathe Green Charcoal Bag is excellent for use in damp, musty environments, where it will absorb excess moisture to prevent mold, mildew and bacteria from forming.
“And unlike harsh chemical deodorizers and sprays, the Breathe Green Charcoal Bag is a chemical-free, fragrance-free and non-toxic natural-odor absorber that keeps you and your pets safe.
“Best of all, it’s super easy to use. Simply place the bag on any surface and it will start purifying the air around it for up to 90 square feet and lasts up to two years.
“With over 8 Million bags sold, we had to try it out for ourselves….
“We’ve read the thousands of positive reviews raving about this product, but in order for us to truly believe it, we had to test it out for ourselves. So, we ordered a bunch of Breathe Green Charcoal Bags (which arrived at our door three days later) and started conducting tests.”
Continued next week