Having a reliable air freshener is a necessity for most homes. Whether you have kids, pets, or you just want to brighten up your home with some refreshing fragrances, finding the right air freshener can make all the difference. Air Wick and Glade are two of the biggest names in the air fresher world, but which is the best?
Air Wick is the better air freshener. When comparing Air Wick vs Glade, it becomes clear that Air Wick has more affordable options, a reasonable variety of fragrances, and their products last longer than Glade’s.
Are you wondering what’s the difference between Air Wick and Glade? Read on because we’re going to delve in to what makes Air Wick the better air freshener by reviewing the products that both brands offer and taking a look at some pressing comparison questions.
What’s the Difference Between Air Wick and Glade?
Air Wick and Glade are very similar brands because they’re both focused on producing eco-friendly air fresheners. The difference between them lies in their approach. Air Wick focuses on aerosol sprays and dispensers, while Glade has branched out to include a range of other products. We’ll dive deeper into the different products these brands offer later in this guide.
Air Wick
Air Wick opened their company in 1943 as one of the first companies that placed a dedicated focus on air care. They are committed to sourcing all natural ingredients to give their customers the best products possible.
Air Wick infuses their products with essential oils found in the best scents in nature. Their products bring the best of nature into your home so you can feel relaxed and grounded.
What Products Does Air Wick Offer?
Air Wick has a variety of products available that will brighten and freshen the air in your home. Let’s dive into the products Air Wick offers.
Air Wick Plug-In Scented Oil 
You can use these plug-ins in any room of your home for up to 60 days of continuous fresh scents. These plug-ins use naturally sourced essential oils to bring the amazing fragrances from nature into your home. You can get the Air Wick Plug-In in several fragrances, including ocean breeze, vanilla and pink papaya, lavender and chamomile, Hawaii (exotic papaya and hibiscus), fresh linen, summer delights (white floral and sweet melon), fresh waters, and more!.
Air Wick Essential Mist, Essential Oil Diffuser
The Air Wick Essential Diffuser is the perfect product to create an atmosphere that surrounds you with the fragrance you love. This diffuser will disperse a gentle, fragrant mist at regular intervals. It’s cordless, batter operated, and you can adjust the frequency of the mist. The fragrance will last up to 45 days, and you can choose between coconut & pineapple, sandalwood, sweet melon and vanilla, Unwind (jasmine, tea tree, and lotus blossom), lemon thyme, and Happiness (pineapple, peach, and wild mint).
Air Wick Freshmatic Automatic Spray Kit
The Air Wick Automatic Spray Kit comes with the auto spray dispenser and a single refill. One refill can last up to 70 days and provides 24/7 odor neutralization with natural fragrances. These auto-sprays have 3 settings so you can adjust them to spray once every 9, 18, or 40 minutes. You can get the refills in a variety of pleasant fragrances, including lavender & chamomile, apple cinnamon medley, fresh waters, paradise retreat, summer delights, fresh linen, and ocean breeze.
Air Wick Room Spray
When you need to eliminate odors quickly, Air Wick Room Spray is the perfect choice. Their fragrances are inspired by natural, essential oils and propelled by 100% filtered air. This spray will start working in seconds and can last up to 10 hours. You can get this product in a variety of fragrances, including Caribbean sweetgrass & sandalwood, lavender & chamomile, vanilla indulgence, fresh linen, apple cinnamon medley, white lily & orange blossom, fresh waters, magnolia & cherry blossom, Hawaii, and white lavender.
Air Wick V.I.P. Pre-Poop Spray
Air Wick aims to eliminate any bathroom-related embarrassment with their V.I.P. Spray. This spray will trap unpleasant odors in the bowl and release spectacular fragrances that leave your bathroom smelling wonderful. Their V.I.P. fragrances come in a variety of fun names, including lemon idol, lavender superstar, fresh model, rosy starlet, fruity pin-up, and Hawaiian hotshot.
How to Use Air Wick?
Air Wick’s products are all straightforward to use, though the way you use them depends on the product. Their plug-ins simply need to be plugged into an outlet and they’ll get to work for you. The essential mist diffusers and automatic sprays work similarly. You simply set them up, adjust the settings to your preference, and let them release your chosen fragrance.
The room spray can be sprayed whenever you feel a room in your home needs a little freshening up. The V.I.P. spray should be sprayed into the toilet bowl before you use the bathroom.
What Are The Ingredients in Air Wick Air Freshener?
Not all of Air Wick’s products will have the same ingredients, though they will be similar. The ingredients in Air Wick’s Room Spray are:
- Water
- Ethanol
- PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
- Fragrance
- C12-15 Pareth-2
- Sodium Bicarbonate
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone
- Methylisothiazolinone
- Dimethicone
Air Wick Essential Mist Diffuser vs Air Wick Automatic Spray
Both of these products dispense invigorating, natural fragrances at timed intervals, so what exactly is the difference between the Essential Mist Diffuser and the Automatic Spray?
The Essential Mist Diffuser disperses a light, gentle mist when it releases a burst of fragrance. The Automatic Spray just releases the fragrance. Both products use fragrances inspired by essential oils, but only the Essential Mist Diffuser will disperse mist with the fragrance.
Is Air Wick Toxic?
Air Wick’s air freshening products aren’t exactly toxic, but they do contain ingredients that ethoxylated ingredients that may contain some degree of toxicity. You should only use Air Wick’s products as directed, and seek medical attention if you have an adverse reaction.
Glade
Glade is part of the parent company SC Johnson. Just like the other brands under this company, Glade puts a strong emphasis on making their products environmentally friendly and using only sustainably sourced materials for their products.
This air freshener is an iconic name in North America, but has become a globally recognized brand. They have continually put out new products since the late 1950s, and have expanded their products and fragrances in recent years to keep up with the growing competition in the air freshener world.
What Products Does Glade Offer?
Glade has a huge selection of products and fragrances available. Let’s dive right in to the products that Glade offers and the fragrances that you can purchase them in.
Glade Automatic Spray Refill and Holder Kit- With this kit, you get everything you need to set up the Glade Automatic Spray and bring some amazing fragrance into your home. The Autmotic Spray refills are 100% recyclable, and the holder is made of 20% post-consumer recycled material. A single refill can last you for up to 60 days, and you can adjust the settings to get a fresh burst of fragrance when it suits you best. Glade has an enormous selection of fragrances for their automatic sprays, including:
- Apple Cinnamon
- Aqua Waves
- Bamboo & Water Lily
- Peony & Cherry
- Bubbly Berry Splash
- Cashmere Woods
- Clean Linen
- Coastal Sunshine
- Cotton Cloud Dream
- Elegant Amber & Oud
- Exotic Tropical Blossom
- Happy-Go-Lilac
- Hawaiian Breeze
- Joyful Citrus & Daisies
- Lavender & Vanilla
- Pet Clean Scent
- Rose & Bloom
- Sky & Sea Salt
- Stay Cool Watermelon
- Strawberry Sundae Funday
- Tranquil Lavender & Aloe
- Vanilla Caramel Twist
Glade Air Freshsener, Room Spray
The Glade Room Spray is 100% recyclable and made of 10% post-consumer recycled materials. Their spray uses a new compressed gas technology to discreetly and gently disperse a mist and burst of fragrance whenever you need. These sprays will quickly freshen the air in your home and impart a sensational fragrance. You can get their room spray in any of the fragrances that their automatic spray refills come in as well as lemon fresh, powder fresh, and sheer vanilla embrace.
Glade Plug-In Scented Oil Warmer
These ceramic warmers just need to be plugged into a wall to disperse the natural, essential oil infused fragrances into your home. The Glade Plug-In has adjustable dispersal settings and can last for up to 60 days! You can get the refills in any of the same fragrances as their automatic sprayer and other products.
Glade Plug-In Plus Air Freshener and Starter Kit
The Glade Plug-In Plus offers all the same benefits as their original plug-in model, with some new intuitive features. This product now comes with an 8-hour rest mode, automatic shut off feature, smart light technology, and a refill indicator light. You can get their refills in any of the fragrances as their other products.
Glade Wax Melts Air Freshener
If you’re looking for a unique way to impart some great fragrance into your home, then the Glade Wax Melts are for you! These wax melts are designed to be flameless and last for up to 120 hours while filling your home with a wonderful fragrance. You can get their wax melts in any of their usual fragrances, and they also produce limited edition and holiday fragrances regularly.
Glade Candle Air Fresheners
Glade has 3 candle air freshener options, including their Original Candle, 2in1, and 3-Wick. The Original Candle is designed to brighten up your home by emitting a pleasant fragrance as the candle burns. Their 2in1 candles combine 2 unique fragrances into a single candle to give you a sensational fragrance experience. The 3-wick candle contains a single fragrance that can burn more quickly or slowly depending on how many wicks you choose to light.
Glade Carpet and Room Refresher
When you have powerful odors embedded deep into the carpets of your room, you need to try Glade Carpet and Room Refresher. You simply sprinkle the powder on your carpet and vacuum it up to change the fragrance in your room from unpleasant to sensational! This product comes in a wide variety of fragrances, just as their other products do.
How to Use Glade Air Freshener?
Each product is used slightly differently, but they’re all very easy and simple to figure out. Their Plug-Ins, Scented Oil Warmer and Automatic Dispenser simply need to be set up and left to do their thing!
The room sprays you can spritz as needed and whenever you want to freshen up your home with some sensational fragrances. Their wax melts need to be placed in a warmer so they’ll melt and dispense their scents.
All you need to do is light the candles. The Carpet and Room Refresher is a powder that must be sprinkled over your carpet, and then vacuumed up to eliminate odors and release a fresh fragrance.
What Are The Ingredients in Glade Air Freshener?
Glade has several different air freshener products, and the ingredients in each will be slightly different. For a general reference, here’s the list of ingredients in their room spray:
- Water
- Sorbitan Oleate
- Isobutane
- Propane
- Fragrance
- Propylene Glycol
- Sodium Phosphate
- Steartrimonium chloride
Glade Plug-In vs Glade Plug-In Plus
The original Glade Plug-In warms essential-oil infused fragrances that can last for up to 60 days. These plug-ins have adjustable settings and come in a wide variety of fragrances. The Glade Plug-In Plus offers all of those benefits, plus some additional ones. The Plug-In Plus also comes with an 8-hour rest mode, automatic shut off feature, smart light technology, and a refill dispenser indicator.
Is Glade Toxic?
Glade’s products aren’t exactly toxic, but due to the nature of their ingredients, they can’t be considered entirely non-toxic either. The best thing to do is use common sense when using a Glade product. Don’t let the product come into contact with your eyes or mouth and if you develop a reaction such as a skin rash, then contact a healthcare profession to get evaluated.
Comparison Questions (Air Wick vs. Glade)
Does Air Wick or Glade Last Longer?
Most of Air Wick’s products are advertised to last longer than Glade’s. However, this will largely depend on which settings you use. Air Wick’s automatic dispenser is said to last for up to 70 days on their lowest setting, while Glade’s automatic dispenser is said to last for 60 days on the lowest setting. If you have your setting higher, then the refills won’t last as long. Regardless, it appears that Air Wick’s products will last you longer than Glade’s.
Is Air Wick or Glade More Affordable?
Determining whether Air Wick or Glade is more affordable is tough. They each have a variety of different products that can be difficult to compare. However, we’re going to take a look at their automatic spray refills to get a feel for which brand offers the best price.
In the table below, you can see that we’ve broken down the price per ounce of a refill for Glade and Air Wick’s automatic dispensers. You can see that Air Wick is the more affordable brand in this instance.
| Brand | Price Per Ounce |
| Air Wick | $0.88 |
| Glade | $1.03 |
Which Provides a Larger Variety of Products?
Glade and Air Wick both provide an impressive variety of products, but Glade is the clear winner here. Even though Air Wick has a V.I.P. spray that Glade has no comparable product for, Glade is still the winner because they have a range of options that Air Wick doesn’t. Glade also provides over a dozen fragrances for each of their products.
Which Brand Is More Environmentally Friendly?
Air Wick and Glade both put a large emphasis on sustainability and eco-consciousness. While Air Wick has made impressive strides to be an environmentally friendly brand, Glade is the easy winner in this instance.
Glades products are made with more recyclable materials than Air Wick’s, and they put a larger emphasis on creating new versions of old products that come with more sustainable and easily recyclable packaging.
Related Questions:
Are Air Wick and Glade Refills Interchangeable?
Unfortunately, if you have the Air Wick dispenser at home and accidentally picked up the Glade refills at the store, then you’re out of luck. The Air Wick and Glade dispensers are designed with specifications for their brand’s refills in mind. You can’t interchange the refills because they won’t work in the competing brand’s dispenser.
Air Wick vs Glade Automatic Spray
The Air Wick and Glade automatic spray dispensers work similarly, but the Air Wick dispenser will last for approximately 70 days, while the Glade dispenser lasts around 60 days. If long-lasting freshness is priority number 1 for you, then you’ll want to get the Air Wick dispenser. However, Glade does have a wider range of scents available, so if getting the most unique fragrance is your priority, you should go with Glade.
Why Can’t I Smell My Air Wick Plug-In?
Putting a fresh refill in a plug-in and not being able to smell the fragrance is a common problem for Air Wick and Glade plug-ins. It’s usually because oils have leaked into the holder from the previous refill and it’s preventing the new refill from diffusing its fragrance properly. You can clean the holder between refills to prevent this from happening.
The Verdict – Which Is Better?
In the great air freshener debate between two iconic names, Air Wick vs Glade, it’s tough to choose a clear winner. However, in this case, it seems as though Air Wick is the better air freshener. While Glade has more products and is more eco-friendly, Air Wick continues making strides to become more environmentally friendly and they have a wide range of products and fragrances available. Their products last longer than Glade’s and are more affordable.
Jamie is the Founder of My Home Dwelling. He is a homeowner and enjoys sharing his homeowner tips with others. He has real estate experience working as a new home construction Realtor. Jamie has worked on numerous residential construction sites helping with interior and exterior renovations. He loves refinishing furniture, DIY home projects, and sharing his knowledge online.