ARTIFICIAL PETROCHEMICAL FRAGRANCE

[Eric9799]

Artificial fragrance is a spreading cultural issue. "Popular" laundry & dish detergents are filled with petrochemicals. Add in aerosol sprays, wall fragrance diffusers, fragrance wick sticks, scented candles (not to mention perfumes/deodorants) that literally assault the olfactory system, creating havoc in the natural biome of physical bodies.

I would say 75-80% of my Air B & B experiences over the past 9 years have left me perturbed by the overwhelming fragrance that sometimes have had all three of the above mentioned at once! YIKES!! I am learning to leave this as part of my review & to ask potential hosts to please remove anything like this before I stay there. My last host did this, though the space was so saturated from the bedding alone, I had to sleep in the back of my truck in the driveway.

Perhaps “Fragrance Free” could be added to the listing? Perhaps more hosts would be willing to forgo using these type of petroleum based products. (HEY!! We all know that if gasoline, diesel etc. are ingested, big problems for the body are on their way! That should be a decent hint, right?)

[Paula]

Hello @Eric9799, welcome to the Airbnb Community Center! 😊

Thank you for sharing your observations and guest perspective with fellow hosts.

Looking forward to hearing what other hosts think about it

Regards,

[Emiel1]

@Eric9799 

All those stuff should be forbidden by law.

I never ever will buy it or use it in my Airbnb accommodations.

[Lorina14]

@Eric9799 

I’m sorry about your experience, maybe you can ask hosts when booking about their cleaning products and detergents to prevent yourself from paying for a space you can’t use. Many people are still unaware of the toxic nature of artificial scents, fragrances, cleaning products, and toxins that are allowed in our health/beauty products, cleaning products, or food chain.

You could suggest this as a category for Airbnb to have. They have a feedback area to send them feedback and they say it is read but you won’t necessarily get a response. If enough guests and hosts send them something then they may respond and create a category. It becomes a numbers game and is there a demand for it question.

I’ve hosted some chemically sensitive individuals and are mindful of our cleaning products to be non-toxic, natural (not regulated in the US), free of parabens, phthalates, and artificial scents and dyes.

I don’t claim to have a fragrance free space as some guests’s perfumes or colognes, spray tans, hairsprays, spicy food smells, fishy food smells have lingered and we have had to use an ozone machine, Folex stain remover spray, vinegar, and more to eliminate the smells. We have unscented soaps to use and lightly essential oil scented soaps to use (the smell dissipates in a few minutes). Some guests bring their own soaps/shampoos, towels and pillows too. 

[Helen3]

Oh dear that must be such a struggle for you as these products are used everywhere in restaurants, shops, bars, office buildings, shops etc. 

How do you cope with these in your everyday life? 

I use eco cleaning and washing products, eco toiletries but they aren't fragrance free but use natural oils. 

I don't use scented candles they are a fire hazard or room diffusers.

why not suggest what products you use in your home for washing, cleaning, toiletries etc @Eric9799 

[Greystone0]

Hi @Eric9799  - agree with all you have mentioned and always find it odd how other people use scented products in their homes.  It can be overwhelming.

If you haven't already, there is a 'feedback' spot - more voices on this subject is always a good idea. I can't link to it but it is here: click on 'help center', scroll to bottom and there is a small link "give us feedback'. This subject comes up on this community center and it is often suggested there should be a filter for 'unscented' homes or some such idea.

For our rental, we even ask guests to refrain from washing/drying our house stuff with any scented products.

Have learned that unscented and fragrance free have different meanings adding to the complexity.

thanks for posting about it.

[Helen3]

I use natural oils in my home because I like the smells and they uplift me @Greystone0 

I don't have cats in my house as I'm asthmatic and they trigger asthma attacks in me unfortunately.

Each to their own . Thats what makes Airbnb hosting so wonderful . 

[Lorina14]

@Greystone0 

I didn’t think about asking guests not to use their products until someone used a lot of tide detergent and I needed to wash my laundry 2-3 times to get the strong fragrance out. 

[Greystone0]

@Lorina14  

yeah, had that happen on this end. Our house stuff smelled and was unusable for next group. It's a real pain.

We also have guests who seem to really like dryer sheets which aren't great for fabrics,are also scented, and so we ask to not use that either. 

Guests aren't asked/supposed to do house laundry while here and we only leave unscented products out for use, but nonetheless we end up with scented items left behind that we need to we wary of.  I end up with a load of cleaning products, detergents that I can't/don't want to use but also don't want to toss as that seems the worse evil. My cleaning person will take some of it but even she won't use some of the stuff,  even if it's free.

But yeah, it's a pain for sure.

[Joelle43]

Hello @Eric9799 

Like @Greystone0 says, this subject comes up frequently and there is a post that dates back to 2022 that has had many many comments added over the years. I'll post it below and you'll see that you are far from the only one who would appreciate a fragrance free place to stay.  

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Advice-on-your-space/Please-make-quot-fragrance-free-quot-a-filt...

The trouble we have as hosts, is we can never really guarantee a fragrance free home because guests often use perfumed deodorants, soaps  and the worst of all, a heavily scented perfume that permeates through to every fabric of the home.  Had this happen and it's just awful and no amount of triple washing gets rid of that unbearable perfume.

[Helen427]

This links back to the Artificial Age of synthetics most unfortunately and that of those who are involved in Fast Moving Consumer goods research and innovation sector.

It has spiralled out of control since the 1990's era in part to gain traction into the Fine  Parfum and Fragrance market.

Many of these items you mention are likely to be what are also considered "Counterfeit items" or are a "variation" of an inventors original patents and trademarks Inventions.

Think back to how previously protected Information has become Open Access and exploited without adhering to Legalese.

Look up the World Legal Institute databases in relation to dumping of Counterfeit produced Perfume and it tracks back to the navigation routes and people involved.

Be mindful that previously locally manufactured cleaning products including shampoo etc now tend to be made in countries like Vietnam, Thailand, India and China.

The standards may or may not be the same as has traditionally been the case.

All part and parcel of Turing Institute Artificial Intelligence that's been going on since the 1960's and a failure to comply to Regulations.

[Eric9799]

Helen, thanks for chiming in. As i began to pursue my personal wellness & health nearly 40 years ago, the message was clear to stay close to natural "products & to avoid petrochemicals as the modern, embraced PLAGUE. Nearly 25 years I delved into aromatherapy & have been generating economy as an essential oil distiller. These synthetic petroleum distillates now permeate every aspect of "modern" culture. Here is an article I am currently working on:

Let’s talk about artificial/synthetic fragrance!! <gateway to PETROchemical = petroleum distillates discussion!>

 Our current global & social biome is rife with petroleum distillates.  Personal physical, mental, emotional, spiritual imbalance along with social and cultural imbalance has increased significantly in the last 100+ years. There seems to be a correlation to petroleum and this imbalance.

In my personal quest for wellness over the past 40 years, I have understood to only engage with petrochemicals for my machines = gasoline, diesel, lubrication products. And I have sadly learned that petrochemicals have permeated many “products” in the “super market” as artificial fragrance, flavor and color. Labels generally state clearly products that contain artificial fragrance (& flavor). We then have the opportunity to opt for products that have a more natural base (which assists with voting with our hard earned money.) 

Many of our vegetables, fruits and grains are grown with petrochemical fertilizers and are often treated with petrochemical insecticides & pesticides, then the foods often are treated with petrochemical preservatives for “shelf life”. These products may even be treated with artificial color so they may appear appealing and more natural. Some of these seemingly healthier choices instead of processed foods can be just as detrimental to our personal health as well as the general health of our culture. These foods often are wrapped in plastic when purchased. Sometimes these foods are cooked in teflon coated pots and pans. (Teflon is known to be toxic to biological beings.) Then left overs are stored in plastic containers.

Pet kibbles include artificial color, preservatives & flavor. Over the counter drugs have artificial color, flavor and often times the drugs themselves are made from chemically engineered petroleum distillates. WHOA!!

And it is also very sad to say, that many essential oils on the common market include synthetic chemical compounds.DANG!

Petrochemicals have literally enveloped our bodies via synthetic fiber = nylon, polyester, polypropylene, rayon, acrylic, spandex that are then dyed with artificial colors. Then they are often washed with artificial detergents imbued with artificial fragrance YIKES!!

The walls of our homes are often made of press board held together by petrochemical adhesives, then coated with petrochemically produced paint, floors covered with vinyl linoleum, polyester carpeting with polyester padding,furniture stuffed with polyester and upholstered with nylon or vinyl, closets full of clothing containing synthetic fabrics. 

A small fire in the home can lead to flames spreading rapidly, as everything listed above is highly flammable. When these products burn, noxious, toxic gasses are released that are very dangerous for any biological being.

Examples of common products containing artificial fragrance:

Laundry detergent/dryer sheets

Soap/shampoo

Shoe inserts

Perfume

Cosmetics/lotions/nail polish+remover

Aerosol fresheners

Aerosol cleaners

Public toilets

Car “fresheners” (things that dangle from rearview mirror) 

Plug in diffusers

Scented candles

Wicking sticks in fragrance oil

“Potpourri” fake flowers w/fragrance balls 

Conclusion: once understanding what ingredients make up a product, choosing natural based goods becomes easier.

Synthetic chemicals: derived from petroleum distillates

Artificial fragrance/flavor/color: derived from petroleum distillates.