To obtain an improver for a smell of material, capable of sufficiently improving the smell of a material containing a surfactant and bettering the quality of the fragrance of a product without obstructing the fragrance of a perfume used by making the improver include a fixed amount of a specific alkylcyclohexyloxy alkanol.

This improver comprises ≥30 wt.% of a compound of formula I [at least one of R1 to R5 is a group of formula II (R9 to R11 are each a 1-4C alkyl) and the other groups are each H or methyl; R6 to R8 are each H or a 1-6C alkyl] such as 1-(2-t-butylcyclohexyloxy)-2-butanol. Preferably, a fragrance quality improver of a composition containing a surfactant and a perfume is prepared by making the improver include the compound of formula I.