air fresheners

[Ericka57]

Is it a good idea to add air fresheners?

[Anonymous]

@Ericka57   I don't recommend adding any during change-overs. Most commercial air fresheners contain chemicals that are irritants to many people and may cause serious health problems to people with MCS.  And there's no fragrance that some people don't find off-putting - more so than ever now that many sufferers of long Covid experience distortions in their sense of smell for several months.

It is nice, though, to leave some kind of natural (e.g. essential oil based) air spray in the bathroom that guests can use if they choose to do so. 

[Lisa723]

@Ericka57 no. They give many people (including me) terrible headaches, and would just make me wonder what horrible smell you are trying to hide.

[Lorna170]

@Ericka57   We just stayed in an AirBnB in Scottsdale which is taken care of by a management company.  The perfume smell upon arriving was overpowering, and I had to walk around the condo removing the (8) air fresheners that were plugged into an outlet in every room, then open every window to air it out, even with outside temperatures above 100 degrees.  I borrowed cleaning supplies from the daughter we were visiting as I could not ascertain if the bathrooms had been properly done -- no bleach/cleaning spray, toilet scrub or cleaning equipment was present anywhere.  I washed the sheets and towels.  I am not allergic to perfumes, but the products used were highly scented.

I would much prefer to arrive to a slight lingering odor of bleach or spray cleaner, wrapped toilet paper rolls, paper towels and kitchen sponge, non-perfumed sheets and towels that did not stink of Gain.  

[Sarah977]

@Ericka57  No! Most of them are toxic and why would you need them? If there is a bad smell, you need to deal with that, not try to overlay it with another smell.

An Airbnb should be as scent-free as possible, whether it is something chemical, or natural oils. What smells good to one person won't smell good to another. There are no universally enjoyed scents.

If I arrived at a place with air fresheners, I would cancel and leave.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Ericka57 

just another thing you will have to pay for and think about and many people don't even like it. So forget it 🙂

[Ericka57]

No smell, I just like air fresheners & candles.

Thank you all for your advice. 

[Suzanne302]

@Ericka57  I'll add to chorus of "nope." I stayed in an ABB with two and had to unplug them as soon as I walked in. The "freshener" smell still remained the whole stay. It was very uncomfortable!