Eco+Allergy Friendly Niche?

Diane723
Level 2
Ashland, OR

Eco+Allergy Friendly Niche?

G'day All,

 

As I was flipping my private room, noticing I was almost out of white vinegar and compostable garbage bags... I got to thinking about niche markets. One of my first ever guests (I started hosting in Oct 2018) was extremely sensitive to a wide array of cleaning and scented products. Because of this he hadn't travelled in nearly a DECADE, but there was a special conference in my town he didn't want to miss... a once-in a lifetime opportunity, and so, he was risking leaving the safety of home.

 

He had many questions about what I used to clean and launder (white vinegar, fragrance free Ecos soap, steam mop, borax and diluted bleach for make-up disasters on white towels); if we had scented candles or used incense in the home (nope); what was our pet situation, etc. We chatted by phone. He found my farm and number online. Sometimes a live conversation is the best thing to sooth a worried mind; so, though it's frowned upon, I went with it. He stayed, he relaxed, and he said he slept better than at home (apparently there are apps to track this).

 

It would be GREAT for guests to be able to specifically search for places that make an effort to be green, allergy friendly and have a lighter carbon footprint. It costs more out-of-pocket to by the soaps and garbage bags we do, but it costs much less in terms of larger environmental impact. We also have solar panels, use refillable glass water bottles, clean with rags versus paper towels, etc. It's a pocket/convenience cost I'm willing to pay for our health and the greater good.

 

Personally, I'd like to support hosts that make these choices when I travel and I suspect I'm not alone. Given an earlier post from January this year by @Chris225  and responses by @Adele46 @Lizzie0 and @Kath9 I know I'm not.

 

Consistency... that's a stickler, but what if there were guidelines that had to be met for "clean" products as there are to be labeled "family friendly" or "business"? Where there's a will (and demand), there's a way! Let's find it!

 

-Diane

 

3 Replies 3
Kath9
Level 10
Albany, Australia

@Diane723, thanks for your thoughtful post - I 100% agree that it would be great to somehow flag hosts that make the extra effort to be ecofriendly - like another category for hosts (how about Greenhosts or Green Superhosts!). It would be so cool if Airbnb would jump on the bandwagon and actually promote this and make it yet another point of difference from hotels (most of which I suspect are not very green). As a traveller, I would most certainly be looking for ecofriendly hosts if it was easily found through a filter. As you say, regulating it is another thing, but hosts do have to be accountable to guests so it would be quickly flagged if they weren't doing the right thing.

Julie1785
Level 2
Omaha, NE

Hello 🙂 I am a green blogger and am currently working on compiling a directory of this type of these types of lodging (fragrance-free, toxin-free, sustainablle,etc). It will be on varying levels and each listing will include the areas in which they are going above and beyond. Please message me on my facebook page, gogreenmamas, if you host along these standards or have any in mind that you have stayed at. Thanks!

Rachael316
Level 3
Albany, NY

I have chemical sensitivities due to an autoimmune disease and I do a lot of advocacy work around it, and I can absolutely tell you there's a huge market for people who really want to travel but can't find fragrance free (or free of other things they're sensitive to, it can vary a lot by person) accommodations.