According to V Shankar, associate director, customer business development of Procter & Gamble, the introduction of this variant will expand the concept of fabric cleaning market to include cleaning sprays, in addition to detergent soaps and powders. The detergent market in India is currently around Rs 3,000 crore.

The research conducted by the in-house customer marketing cell of P&G showed that common household cleaning challenge is removing musty, stale, pet, cooking and smoke odours that get trapped in difficult-to-clean fabrics like upholstery, carpeting, curtains, bedding, heavy clothing, car seats and even fabric shoes. Even if stains and dirt can be removed from these surfaces by dusting, vacuuming and washing, unpleasant odours are difficult to remove, according to the research.

Febrez is not a perfume cover-up, but a unique formula that actually penetrates the fabric and eliminates the odour from the source, said a P&G official. Though it is safe to use on all types of fabrics, on items that may water-spot like silk, it is recommended that Febreze should be tested-out in an inconspicuous area before use.

Though the new product is primarily targeted at households, the company is also talking to heavy-fabric users like hotels, hospitals and airlines which may need the product.P&G will use mass marketing strategies to promote the product. Apart from TV advertisements, it will have advertorials in publications targeted at the housewife. The company will conduct product demonstrations at petrol pumps, accompanied by attractive in-store displays in leading retail outlets. It also plans to use the Internet for creative online advertising and to disseminate information about the productThe fabric cleaner comes in two sizes-- 400 ml and 200 ml priced at Rs 160 and Rs 110, respectively. It is currently available in leading stores in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai and will be gradually launched across the nation.