It does smell like a urinal cake. But a urinal cake doesn't smell bad. Urine smells bad... and we smell the two together often enough that it's hard not to be reminded of the bad smell when you smell the urinal cake. Arko (like a urinal cake) smells like a clean detergent. It doesn't smell bad, it just doesn't have an impressive scent. It's rather industrial.
Arko shave stick- urinal puck smell for you or not?
- Thread starter RenoRichard
- Start date
I mixed one Arko with one Derby added some essential oils and have had it airing 18months and still can't stand it. Just wonder how the EU with all it's regulations allows the sale of this....
That's true. They do not allow "Stirling" soaps but they allow Arko. The "Stirling" soaps sell by UK companies at their own risk. (After all they are half out of EU).
Interesting....
It is not the nicest smell out there but would not say it is urinal cake.
I do use it in the sauna which dampens a loooot of smells and I like strong scents anyhow.
I do use it in the sauna which dampens a loooot of smells and I like strong scents anyhow.
It smells like jasmine flowers and its fragrance has grown on me.
It just smells of a cheapish traditional bar of soap to me! With a hint of citrus. Nothing offensive to my nose at all. It is a little drying to my skin after prolonged use though ...
Have you ever thought that Urinal Pucks smell like Arko, not the other way around?
Probably means Sterling manufacturing facilities don't meet some EU guideline. I'd guess most "artisan" soaps are in the same boat.
There's a bunch of fragrance ingredient laws, too. If there's linalool, it has to be listed. Limonene? Listed. Oakmoss? Has to be below the threshold of irritation and listed. Etc. Each product has to be analyzed and then labeled to EU specs, and I'd imagine it's a considerable cost with a product line as extensive as Stirling.
Arko sticks are the only shave soap I've stuck with since I started using safety razors again approximately six years ago. Others come and go but Arko is always in my bathroom cabinet. I've always liked the smell.
OK, so yesterday I was in a rather nice upscale liquor store, and had to use the little boys room. The scent that greeted me once I walked in the door was......the urinal pucks....and I have to say, that smell is way better than Arko. It was like Arko without the stink, and a little fake Cherry air-freshener added in for good measure. Psh, Arko doesn't smell as good as the bathroom I was in, yesterday anyways.
Urinal cakes in U.S with lemon something smell?
In my country urinal cakes smell naphthalene something or camphor something. I'm glad there is no soap like this in the market...
In my country urinal cakes smell naphthalene something or camphor something. I'm glad there is no soap like this in the market...
I'm asking the obvious question now: Have any of you used the arkos as urinal cakes instead? 
I find the smell of Arko like lemon scented soap, Almost the same scent as Vintage Williams mug soap only a bit stronger. As the referal to a uranal puck as a bad scent, imagine the urinal scent without the refreshing lemon citrinella scented puck
- Thread starter
- #74
Recap: The poll closed about 40 minutes ago. Thank you all very much for your input. The results indicate a majority of respondents > 60% do not find Arko smells like a urinal puck, while a significant minority > 25% does. Since the sense of smell varies quite a bit amongst individuals, the results seem a reasonable reflection of those differences. The perception of the soap's quality seems to be viewed as quite good by the large majority of respondents. This is a view I share.
Many posters indicated that when Arko is left out the smell dissipates. My current stick has fully aired out over a year and now has much more of an Ivory soap kind of smell to my nose. I'm not knowledgeable enough to know if the acrid scent I get when first opening a stick is a result of the manufacturing process or the result of a fragrance additive. But, for my taste it would be nice if it did smell better when fresh. The again, at < $2 a stick it remains a bargain IMHO.
Oh, BTW Turkey is not a member of the EU. Negotiations stopped sometime around 2016.
Cheers, Richard
Many posters indicated that when Arko is left out the smell dissipates. My current stick has fully aired out over a year and now has much more of an Ivory soap kind of smell to my nose. I'm not knowledgeable enough to know if the acrid scent I get when first opening a stick is a result of the manufacturing process or the result of a fragrance additive. But, for my taste it would be nice if it did smell better when fresh. The again, at < $2 a stick it remains a bargain IMHO.
Oh, BTW Turkey is not a member of the EU. Negotiations stopped sometime around 2016.
Cheers, Richard
I'm asking the obvious question now: Have any of you used the arkos as urinal cakes instead?
No urinal in my house, so no.
Some soaps get relegated to the shower, and some....
Well, you can always stick it into the plastic holder where you would usually put a proper toilet freshener tab. And Bob's your uncle. 
I get a lemon and citronella scent from Arko. I honestly do not get a urinal cake association from this soap, but I definitely get a grade school bathroom soap or cleaner association from the scent. But it’s not necessarily bad, and very easy to overlook. Arko is an undeniably good product and value despite what the haters try and say.
I LOVE the Arko threads. It’s such a polarising soap that there are three similar active threads.
They always follow the same pattern.
Those that like it trying to persuade those that dont why they should and the haters trying to persuade the lovers why they shouldn’t
The haters have the edge because it enables some really good humour.
For me the soap sucks but the threads reign supreme. May they forever continue.
I look for the Arko threads. I like a good chuckle.
Keep them coming guys
They always follow the same pattern.
Those that like it trying to persuade those that dont why they should and the haters trying to persuade the lovers why they shouldn’t
The haters have the edge because it enables some really good humour.
For me the soap sucks but the threads reign supreme. May they forever continue.
I look for the Arko threads. I like a good chuckle.
Keep them coming guys
Uh-oh. My cats might freak out and wind up on a bad catnip trip.
Unless it confuses them as to the location of the litter box.
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