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!

[Brandy156]

I have a disability that is called by the following names, and a few others. MCS,(Multiple Chemical Sensitivities / TILT, (Toxic Induced Loss of Tolerance) /  EI, (Environmental Illness). Multiple chemical sensitivity.  (MCS) "is a chronic condition, sometimes referred to as environmental illness, total allergy syndrome, sick building syndrome, chemical intolerance, or idiopathic environmental intolerance." This is not something that I can change and there is no cure except for complete avoidance of the fragrance, scents and chemicals that cause a plethora of symptoms. When I go anywhere, I usually feel some degree of sickness. Depending on the strength and duration of the exposure to a given product or item, my symptoms can be mild to severe and last for a short time or for days.These symptoms can be one at a time, a few or several all at once depending on the exposure. They are headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, difficulty breathing, flushing, rashes, dry, itchy or runny eyes, nasal dripping/sinus infection, brain fog, memory loss, insomnia, weight gain or loss, bowel/GI issues, sore throat, chronic pain, muscle aches/body aches-flu like symptoms and a general feeling of malaise. Anywhere I go I am bombarded with fragrance and toxic chemicals that cause me to be some degree of sick, even though I don't necessarily show it. 

Context:

The world has gone insane with fragrance/scent in everything - sprays, plug-ins, rub ons, addons and additives, etc., including subjecting household pets to these toxins. All of these  contain untested chemicals. Only 3% of all of the "approved" chemicals of the over 10,000 allowed to be used in consumer products in the USA have been tested for safety. Many used in the USA have been banned in the EU for over a decade. Almost 1/3 of the population of the USA react negatively to these chemicals and experience some of the the aforementioned symptoms without realizing the cause. Clean has no smell. Fresh has no fragrance. We are brainwashed to believe that happy named, pretty bottles,  plugins or candles make our environment healthy. And of late that VOC laced essential oils will cure all. Why would anyone want to smell chemically created fragrance all day and night. Carcinogens, VOC's, etc. Anything that touches your skin is absorbed to a certain degree and  anything you breathe in goes into your blood stream and in both cases is distributed throughout your body. Bonus----Your taste buds capabilities diminish as well for tasting food or smelling wine when constantly bombarded with chemicals/fragrance. As a society we are plagued with chronic illnesses, all ages and all countries. It is the chemicals, many petroleum based that are slowly making us weak and ill. For your consideration, go completely fragrance free for your rental. Cheaper to clean and maintain--life of you appliances, linen, etc. A healthier environment for your guests-they will feel better.  Less pollution in the air and down the drain. Also, I encourage you to do your own research regarding indoor air pollution. Lastly, and this one requires some thought and empathy, why would anybody assume that anyone else would like or want to smell what you think is pleasant? Be well and scent free, it is a kindness to yourself and others.

[Yasmin26]

you just have to look to the laundry and cleaning products aisle to see the demand for both fragrance free or nontoxic.

i’ve used only naturally scented products, Very low scented products since 2004. Back then, you couldn’t find any products in a store. 

Now and including in 2022 when you wrote this, even the grocery store down the street has some kind of Eco dish or laundry detergent.

Now and including in 2022 when you wrote this, even the grocery store down the street has some kind of Eco dish or laundry detergent. Every Major laundry detergent manufacturer has a version of free and clear. You don’t even have to buy specialty brands anymore.

it seems completely logical to me that labeling a property fragrance free would pose any kind of liability. We label properties as smoke-free and there’s no issue with it. Fragrance is just another form of indoor air pollution like secondhand cigarette smoke. Any listing I have will say smoke and fragrance free.

[Brian450]

What you are experiencing is most likely a selection effect. Your guests are not a representative sample.

First of all, people with MCS are far less likely to travel, because almost all spaces make them sick with fragrances and cleaning products.

Those who do travel put enormous research into selecting hosts, and we rule out many properties just based no-no's we see on picture we see. For example, carpet is a total no-no for many of us, as it traps scents and other air pollutants. All wood floor, wood paneling, etc. are tend to be MCS problematic.

I only communicate with hosts if I see tile floor.

Then there is the issue of cleaning products, air fresheners, etc. used. Many MCS travelers will go over every picture of a property in the pre-communication process to see if plug-ins, reed diffusers and bottles of conventional scented cleaning products are visible. For me, those things are an automatic no.

Recent renovation and an abundance of antique wood furniture, which is frequently heavily offgassing because of re-finishing, are also exclusion criteria for me, and for many with MCS.

Many of us also have conventional allergies and will avoid places that allow smoking or pets.

Hosts who have properties that check some of these boxes are likely to never hear from travelers with MCS.

[Darrell109]

Many of us have been ridiculed and told our symptoms are psychological so we kept our mouths shut for a long time until we discovered how many of us there are. Our numbers have reached a critical mass, so disclosure about fragrances will be forced. Just as non smoking rules were forced in spite of the smokers' protests who believed they had a "right" to make us breathe their toxic smoke.

[Carrie455]

Many people don’t tolerate fragranced laundry, perfumes, air fresheners etc. (asthma, migraines, autoimmune, neurological conditions) and are looking for better options. They may be able to better tolerate a stay in fragrance than someone with MCS, but they may feel better without. And many hosts don’t necessarily like catering to fragranced people then having to wash the fragrance out, or try to.  

with so many families and individuals needing a break from these toxic products air bnb absolutely should be linking people up. It would be a good service not a hinderance.  

[Kate2759]

Well said - I don’t often bring it up because of the stigma and not wanting the host to think I’m too demanding.

i also don’t like to get sucked into arguments about whether a strong smell that they consider ‘natural’ could make me ill or not. It could. 

currently sitting on a plane with an n95 on, a migraine, and the people in the row in front of us whipped out a bottle of perfume and sprayed each other 6 times. 

i have to wait until we take off and they give me water so i can take an anti migraine pill. Which impacts my whole day maybe multiple days. 

In my opinion its not ok to perfume public spaces and its reasonable to request a scent free policy on crowded transit. The filter on air bnb is a no-brainer. Just give it to us - it’ll help everyone. 

[Carrie455]

Of course there is only so much control in a space but I think if it could say things like “FF non-toxic laundry, no air fresheners, eco products provided and must be used”. 
Ive stayed in a place and it smelled like toxic laundry from the residue on guests clothing, but I could add my own bedding and it was ok. 
Much better than if they used those products on the bedding.  

[Cheryl877]

As a pre-covid frequent traveler and short-term rental customer, I can attest to the fact that these properties are often over-using super toxic things like plug-in air fresheners and overly scented laundry detergents.  There have been a number of trips ruined by migraines from these things.  It's an awful feeling to be 'trapped' in a rental that is making you sick.  I have begun to scour reviews and 'word search' for things like 'scent, smell, fragrance' and I also obsessively look at photos.  If I spy a plug-in, I won't go there.   I agree with previous comments: You can't make a host legally responsible for 'smells' but a host can be up front about their commitment to a non toxic environment via their cleaning and laundry practices.  You will gain lots of new guests with this new practice, I promise you.  PS HOSTS: Pure Baking Soda is a POWER HOUSE laundry soap and costs much less than commercial crap.  Esp if you buy in bulk.  CLEAN SMELLS LIKE NO SMELLS 🙂 

[Cynthia1023]

This is an absolutely great idea! I dread going away because of my “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity”. I actually avoid traveling because the location will be uninhabitable for me if they use fragrance or toxic cleaning supplies. There are thousands of people like me with the same problem.  I went to an allergist recently and he told me that he feels bad for people like me because there’s nothing he can do to help except refer to an Environmental Medicine Doctor. I asked him how many patients come in like me? He said about 30 percent! It’s only growing and growing. The more people I open up to about it, the more I realize what a problem it is. 

[Pam1839]

Yes, I agree.  In my B&B I ask people not to apply fumes, wear any applied tanning products in the spa bath, and not be smokers.  Very hard on my business, all of them, but essential for the future.  Someone has to stand up and once more people do, it will become an option for chemically sensitive people to consider travel. 

[Cheryll7]

People need to be allowed to search based on healthy (and/or allergy) choices. I would love to be able to search for a certified organic mattress, no perfumes/fragrances, low emfs/no wifi, and no pets. Why is this so difficult? I've asked them to add these features on their search engine, to no avail. There are travel sites where one can search hotels based on these details so why don't they all do it? As Brian states, one can search for non-smoking spaces, how is that so different? Thanks Brian, for starting this post, I hope it forces change, as I do really enjoy this as a travel option.

[Alessandra1089]

I totally agree with you, and I really hope that Airbnb will add this filter. I’ve got a condition called Mastcell activation syndrome and I’m also allergic to a wide number of fragrance allergens, so that finding a suitable accommodation is quite difficult for me, and this filter would make my life easier, because it's literally a matter of life and death for me . Also, nowadays there is more attention to the environment, and considering that fragrances and nasty cleaning products have a big role in pollution (especially they have a big bad impact on indoor air quality) it could make sense also for people who care about the planet to allow them to choose the accommodation that is more aligned with their values.

[Amanda660]

Thoughts?

A host moves to be totally fragrance free and cuts out all and any chemically produced cleaners, etc and promotes the fact.

A guest(s) then  books/stays who used perfumes, deodorant sprays, fake tan, sun lotion, vape, aftershave etc.  The residual smells and chemicals would impact the next guests, how do hosts get around this?  They can’t ban guests with ‘scents’ as their market would shrink dramatically.  

Not being at all facetious but genuinely interested in folks’ thoughts on the matter.

[Brian450]

This is a indeed a problem for fragrance free short-term rentals, and something that hosts who run fragrance-free B&Bs often complain about. There is no easy answer while the larger culture still lacks awareness of the problem.

I think it starts with clear communication - guests who book such a property need to be told repeatedly, not just by the host but also by the booking site that there is an expectation that they arrive fragrance-free and don't bring any of the products you mentioned. There could be a separate page in the booking process where guests are required to check a box that asks for a commitment not to bring fragrance into the space.

To make this easier, the host should offer fragrance-free body care products to guests.

The page would also make it clear that if the guest contaminates the space with perfume, they will be charged a substantial cleaning fees to get the smell out. This should not be perceived as unusually harsh or impractical. It's the same policy hotels already have for people who smoke in non-smoking rooms. The hotel will charge them several hundred dollars for the required deep cleaning to get the smoke smell out of the room.

Materials are an important. A viable fragrance-free short-term rental should have tile floors and no carpet. 

[Anonymous]

@Brian450   This is sounding less and less like a viable business strategy.

It's one thing for a host whose property happens to have the correct flooring to use the necessary products to try and accommodate a guest with your condition. That is something that many hosts would be happy to do for their guests in the name of great hospitality. It's quite another thing to make special demands of guests without your condition in order to accommodate it, especially to the extent of punishing them with fines for using their own toiletries. That is absolutely not tenable unless you're catering exclusively to clientele with MCS.

Perhaps you've inadvertently made a great argument for a niche travel platform by and for people with MCS as an alternative to Airbnb. I don't know, maybe something like this already exists on social media. There are plenty of other niche listing sites with specific clientele (e.g. LGBT, nudists, senior citizens) as well as listing sites for needs beyond general accommodation (events, retreats, etc) that are able to better fit their users' needs by specializing. It seems to work a lot better than asking hosts to accommodate needs they have no way to truly understand.