Please make "fragrance-free" a filter

[Brian450]

There is now a HUGE number of people who are fragrance-sensitive or have MCS. I'm one of them.

The odours of conventional cleaning products, air fresheners, dryer sheets, etc. make me sick. They give me headaches, burning eyes, feelings of tightness and tingling, respiratory irritation, heart palpitations, nausea, dry mouth and many other symptoms. I've had more than one vacation ruined by fragranced bedrooms that were making me ill. Surveys indicate that about one-third of the population in the US and other countries is fragrance-sensitive or has MCS or prefers fragrance-free spaces.

Please AirBnB stop ignoring this incredibly large group of people. You currently have filters for 13 different accessibility features. Could you PLEASE add another one, "fragrance-free"? Fragrance-free properties actually exist, it's just that you can't easily find them, at least not on the airbnb site itself. (Google search can be used as a workaround, but it's far from perfect.) Thanks!

[Samantha1141]

I have to do the same. And then many people lie or don't get it and end up using toxic chemicals that I become ill with. It would be amazing if there was more transparency in this booking process in order to allow us access to safe accommodations. 

[Bonnie460]

I would be really interested in forming a FB group of people who can self-report positive fragrance-free places to stay.

[Lyssa407]

I’m in!

Lyssa

[Brenda901]

Count me in! However, there is a tremendous risk for a host to state listing is fragrance free because one horrificly fragranced guest can wreak havoc on a space. Synthetic fragrances DO NOT degrade in environment. Period. (My daughter sent me an article on topic from a class she was taking years ago in environmental sciences.) As one who has suffered acute MCS I know from experience there have been some fragrances I simply cannot remove from textiles even by laundering with additions of borax, washing soda, baking soda, peroxide and baking soda, etc. Thanks, Brenda

[Claudia3619]

I agree, i soaked a couple of second hand items my daughter bought for three months and then let dry in the sun for another three and fragrance still persisted heavily. How is this even legal? It is a complete environmental disaster! 

[Dawn894]

Here's a group I'm in.

**[Link removed due to safety reasons - Community Center Guidelines ]

People share FF accommodation recommendations. 

[Brenda901]

There's a lovely couple in Folly Beach who have an independent site for fragrance-free, chemical-free. I have stayed in their home as well as one from a former listing that was in Cape Coral a few years ago. Unfortunately, the Cape Coral listing is no longer offered.

[Brenda901]

How do we create a "dating" service of sorts here? Would love to have you folks as neighbors and friends. I am now looking for suitable properties in Nashville, TN area to start one or two fragrance-free NOO STR (non-owner occupied short term rentals) because I cannot trust guests to be truly fragrance free in MY living space. Jan. 2022 planning commision rule requires residential properties to be owner occupied at least half the time. Identified my first commercially zoned home. Unfortunately, my agent learned it was listed in error. Existing business was grandfathered and property will revert to residential with next owner. 💔

[Michael7336]

Just returned from staying in three different Airbnb's. I think this may be the last time I can ever stay in an Airbnb again, which makes me sad. I appreciate having access to a kitchen and saving some money.

Unfortunately the plug-in Air Scents, the scented sheets and towels and perfumed sachets placed in-between extra blankets (which were needed) not only made me ill, but have resulted in all my clothing smelling like the scents. This is because I wore a nightgown and these artificial scents clung to it. (When I realized this was going on I placed the nightgown in a plastic bag in my suitcase. (Sometimes I hung the nightgown out to "air" but that was not always possible. I'm nearly two weeks into the "airing-out" process and my clothes still smell like artificial scents. BTW, you can google this, but many of these artificial scents are endocrine disruptors. We also stayed in two national park lodges. The two we stayed at used NO scents at all with towels, bedding or in the rooms. 

I realize there are many people who associate scented laundry with cleanliness and coziness and I gather I'm in the minority when it comes to becoming ill from these products. I really wish Airbnb could let people know in some way when a place is scent-free. Many thanks for bringing up this issue. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Michael7336

Soaking in vinegar definitely helps remove that awful smell!

[Eileen462]

@Michael7336   Hi Michael!  I know if I have a guest that is sensitive to scents, I will accommodate them in every way I can, they just need to inform me at booking time and I will adjust things to suit them!  Dont give up on AIRBNB stays!  Just ask your hosts if they can help you out and inform them of your needs.  Smiles,  Eileen

[ChuckandCarole0]

Hi there Eileen, i appreciate your efforts, i have had other hosts try to accommodate in the same manner,  but just know....the toxins work into the fabrics, and walls and curtains,  and are close to impossible to get out....So unless you are using non toxic, un fragranced products, it doesn't help to just do a laundry or a cleaning using those for the  special people that inquire....it has to be really a full time commitment. I hope this helps....

[Lorina14]

Hi @Michael7336,

I know this is an older thread yet it is still relevant. Perhaps we can advocate hosts to use charcoal bamboo sachets in dressers or furniture that is still off gassing? I purchased a couple pieces of furniture which were fine when I aired them out initially then when I closed the door or drawer it stunk when I opened it again.  Unfortunately what a lot of people do not realize is that items can offgas for months depending on the ventilation, products used in construction, heat and other factors.

I do have air filters in my space and use non toxic cleaners. I also offer fragrance free dish soap, hand soap, detergent, toiletries but also have essential oil scented natural products for those who prefer it too.

I highly recommend all hosts to look into getting bamboo charcoal sachets to absorb any odors or off gassing from furniture as that is the thing that cured my new dresser, trashcan and storage space above the toilet.

Air filters HEPA or mycotoxin/VOC removing ones are important too. Hosts also need to remember to regularly clean their filters (furnace, air filters, etc) as dust, dander, pollen can accumulate there and impact people’s allergies.

If one has pets, kids or recent construction, air duct cleaning should be yearly. It’s amazing what I saw in the cleaning before and after when our home had ducts (we now have ductless Mitsubishi units). 

[Lorina14]

@Michael7336,

I agree a filter should be there for people to be able to search for these type of listings. 

You may also want to look into an ozone generator to remove artificial scents from your clothes, if the smell is still lingering, It also removes smoke, mold smells or anything. It is best to put your clothes in a closed bathroom and make sure no pets or people are there while it is on (it is not healthy for people or pets). After ozonating it for a couple of hours, the smell should be gone. Open the door and air it out. 

[Samantha1141]

This would be such a life-changing feature for me. And would mean that I would have access to safe housing while traveling. I have had to refrain from all the traveling that I want to do because of the obscene amount of toxic chemicals that people use in their homes (airbnb's). I have become sick from multiple airbnb's that I have booked, in the past. I now have to go through this whole vetting process prior to booking, in which I contact the host and discuss my disability and need for accommodations; i.e no toxic chemicals used in the home. I hope that airbnb adds this feature in order to allow access to people like us.