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!

[William2519]

I totally agree with this!  Currently on a two leg trip and both used normal laundry products for their towels and linens.  I have to take antihistamines with me to travel because I’m never sure if the Airbnb I book will have fragrances linens and towels or not.  It’s pretty bad.  It’s also hard to ask because I also don’t want to scare off a potential host.  

I see the worry that a lot of others have regarding abuse of the system, but maybe Airbnb can add the fragrance free button and just let hosts choose to do it or not.  I’m sure the ones who are already fragrance free would be happy to add the button.  If you’re worried about a scammer or bad reviews, then just don’t add it for your listing!  Slowly I’m sure more will start doing it, but at least if a few do it, then traveling in countries where fragrances laundry products is the norm won’t make people like us suffer so much.  As a side note, fragranced laundry products aren’t as common in Asian countries, so I love traveling there.

[Northern-Stay--Irena0]

Completely agree.

Did it happen already?

[Nancy2282]

Yes!  Please. We need a low or no fragrance filter.   I am writing this wide awake at midnight in an Airbnb with the hideous laundry detergent fragrance on my sheets.  Ugh.  Nauseating and way over stimulated.  **bleep**.  Last night they had the fragrance plugins. Aaaack!  At least I could put those in a closet.  

signed,  No sleep for me.  

please go fragrance free. 

[Zheng49]

I just recently hosted my first guest who is allergic to fragrances. I found out when I showed her where the laundry detergent is and she said she brought her own because she is allergic to scents.

I asked if she smelled anything in the room, she said nothing. So that was a relief 🙂

I do use an air purifier in the room though, but otherwise nothing special is done. Oh, and I don't use any plug-in air fresheners in the house. 

[Kerry574]

i met my family at an Airbnb that my sister booked for us. It was so stinky from plug-ins and laundry detergent that I ended up sleeping in my car.

I don’t bother to even attempt renting a house anymore. I use Hipcamp and camp out of my car. It would be amazing to be able to find Airbnbs that don’t make me ill.

[Jennifer5018]

This! 💯

[Tracy1108]

**bleep** I can't agree with you more people are some clueless about this I literally am no longer able to travel

[Stacey413]

I'm not looking up MCs because I don't have one -- but companies (P&G's Downy Scent Beads for one) are putting out incredibly overwhelming products that seem to be appealing to more and more uninformed airbnb hosts -- These products DO NOT wash out or wear off, in fact, they are incredibly powerful [forever] chemicals designed to be motion-activated. After purchasing a resale fleece sweater online that was treated with something that wouldn't wash out and then staying in an Airbnb with the exact same smell, I had to investigate. These smells are 1) absolutely overwhelming, and 2) impossible (so far) to wash out. We've tried baking soda, vinegar rinses, repeated washings, and leaving the clothes in the sun/outdoors for days -- none of these practices touch it. When I stayed at the airbnb, I couldn't sleep and my pajamas came home smelling of the product -- that's when I asked the host what she used, and she gave me the product name. Point is, it's not just sensitive people, it's a products that are much more powerful than the traditional softener or rinse aid of old. I will be asking before every airbnb I stay in now, and certainly not using it in my own listing. 

[ChuckandCarole0]

You might be tired of doing this, but i message a hostess before i book saying something like: "I know way too much about fragranced products, and sorry to be tedious but gotta ask, what kind of laundry detergent/cleaning supplies do you use? any dryer sheets or fabric softeners? we do travel with our own linens if needed, so not a deal breaker, but glade, febreeze, or those little plug in thingys would do us in?" this helps me narrow it down a bit, and when i was hosting and sharing a bathroom with my guests and listed as a fragrance free bungalow, i had to grill the guests as to what body/hair care products they used and still folks would walk in with fragrance that we had to sit down and figure out. one guest had an organic blog even and swore she didn't use synthetics, we finally figured out the hair stylist where she had just had her hair coloured used fragranced products.... i hope something helps, it's pretty hard hosting in our home and most people have just totally ignored our request not to use fragranced products here, even though we offer an array of stuff for their use!

[Elegant-Homes-Retreat0]

@Brian450 Thank you for raising such an important and often overlooked issue. The volume of responses here speaks for itself—this is clearly not a fringe concern but a growing and serious health consideration for many.

Fragrance sensitivity and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) are not just personal preferences—they are real, disabling conditions that impact quality of life and access to travel. Like others have mentioned, what’s marketed as “clean” or “natural” often still contains harsh chemicals, essential oils, or undisclosed synthetic compounds that can trigger serious reactions.

A “fragrance-free” filter on Airbnb would not only help guests with sensitivities feel safe—it would empower hosts who are already making thoughtful, toxin-free choices to connect with the right audience. Just like filters for accessibility or pet-friendly stays, this feature would help bridge the gap between inclusive hosting and informed guest decision-making.

I hope Airbnb is listening:
✅ Fragrance-free stays are about health, not luxury.
✅ This change would reduce misunderstandings and prevent emergency situations.
✅ Adding a searchable filter or tag is a small platform change that could make a huge difference for thousands of guests—and many caring hosts.

Thanks again for this powerful and much-needed conversation.