The Power of Activated Carbon

Activated carbon is the only safe, cost effective way to trap noxious gases and odors.

What it does and how it works.
Activated carbon is carbon that has been treated with oxygen to open up millions of tiny pores between the carbon atoms. There are so many of these that one pound of activated carbon has a surface area of 60 to 150 acres.

The technology used in military gas masks
Activated carbon is the substance that keeps military personnel safe from poisonous gases. It is also used for water filtration.

Adsorption
Adsorption is the process where certain chemicals are attracted to activated carbon and then bond to it. The millions of pores in the activated carbon provide an enormous surface area to trap these chemicals.

The bigger the filter, the more chemicals it adsorbs and the longer it keeps on working
An activated carbon filter acts rather like a sponge. When it is full it can adsorb no more. The more carbon you have the more you can adsorb before changing the filter. AllerAir MAC-B carbon filters have from 7 to 48 lbs and will last from 9 to 24 months.

Most off the shelf cleaners have only a few token ounces of carbon sprayed on a mesh.
It's not enough to have any useful long term effect.