Fragrance Free Filter

Susan612
Level 7
United States

Fragrance Free Filter

Hello I am looking for hosts that would like a fragrance free filter added to the accessibility filters. And yes for those who might not know fragrance  a disabling for some and acknowledged as such under ADA definition.

 

16 Replies 16
Jean5718
Level 2
Salt Lake City, UT

I have MCS.  I have successfully stayed in two locations.  I have failed at six locations.  I did ask about fragrance free linen, no air freshener and fragrance free cleaning products.  It completely sucks when you ask are told it's fragrance free and you have to turn around and drive home.  I have had to drive for 20 hours, after getting blasted with fragrance. Also,  paid thousands of non-refundable dollars for the torture.  There definitely needs to be a fragrance free search option and some recourse for the renter.  I would travel often and everywhere if I could trust the owners to be honest.

Emilia42
Level 10
Orono, ME

@Jean5718 Likely these same hosts who told you the property was "fragrance-free" would be the same ones who are checking a box within the listing indicating it is "fragrance-free." Do you really think that they are "lying" to you? I would bet that when they don't have sensitivities themselves, they don't know what scent free entails beyond using Free & Clear laundry detergent.

Jean5718
Level 2
Salt Lake City, UT

I messaged the hosts and asked very directly.  I also did a follow-up message.  I did not get any refunds.

Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

@Jean5718   I'm confused.   Your own experience seems to suggest that 'fragrance free' is extremely subjective.  Multiple hosts have told you their space was fragrance free and yet it was not satisfactory for your needs. 

Jean5718
Level 2
Salt Lake City, UT

Yes, that is what they have said.  I don't think it's confusing when there are lavender trash bags, scented candles, plug-in air fresheners.  Scented things are fragrant and trigger an autoimmune reaction, fragrance free does not.  I have dilegently asked and clarified, then straight up lied to about it.

@Jean5718   I seriously doubt the hosts deliberately lied to you with the intention that you'd get sick, drive back home, and give them a bad review. Maybe they genuinely thought they were accommodating your needs but misunderstood your condition and the full extent of your sensitivities (as most people without MCS tend to do). Or, maybe the cleaning staff misunderstood the altered changeover instructions (also happens all the time, especially when language barriers are involved). 

 

If you want a "fragrance-free" filter, all it takes to activate it is a host clicking a tickbox. So what you get is a lot more hosts seeming to offer that without knowing what it means. I really don't see how that would be helpful to you.

Rachael316
Level 3
Albany, NY

As much as I love condescending men and ableism, @Susan612 is absolutely correct in saying this would benefit a large number of people. I think the way to do this, since there is no legal definition of the word fragrance-free at this time, is for airbnb to work with the community of folks with sensitivities to come up with a list of acceptable products for laundry, cleaning, etc. and have the hosts who apply that filter to their listing be required to only use the products off that list. Then at least the folks booking those stays would know what to expect and could plan ahead to best accommodate their disability further. 

Whether hosts choose to utilize these accessibility features and make their homes accessible to them is up to them, however, there's a very large community of people who would be interested who are likely all willing to pay more for spaces that won't make them physically ill. Multiple international studies show that 30% of the population has at least some sensitivity to fragrances, including folks with MCS, migraines, mast cell diseases, asthma, people undergoing chemotherapy, and those who are pregnant. 

@Susan612   The many, many times you've tried to resurrect this topic, hosts have pointed out many reasons this would not be a good idea. I'm sure you'll never be persuaded of that, but you're not the party that will be held liable and risk losing income when a guest reports that an accessibility amenity was not delivered.

 

Hosts would be really unwise to guarantee a "fragrance free" environment, when all it takes to be in breach of contract is the guest saying they smell something.

 

Rather than beating this dead horse even further, can I offer you an alternative idea to campaign on? In its early days, Airbnb used to offer a keyword search for listings. Bringing back that feature would allow guests with a broad spectrum of specific interests, lifestyles, and needs to connect with similarly inclined hosts and locate uniquely suitable homes. Private Room guests seeking social stays with people who share common identity or who want first-hand contact with a different one (e.g. vegan, Buddhist, Nudist, LGBT). Entire Home guests looking for homes containing a rare or regionally-specific amenity. Farmstay guests who want to be around a specific animal. And, indeed, fragrance-sensitive guests like yourself, seeking hosts who share your condition and are uniquely able to accommodate it.  Hosts benefit from not getting boxed into a corner with a vague filter tickbox that locks them into guaranteeing any of these things as a feature, and getting guests who are likelier to appreciate the unique qualities of their homes. 

 

Everybody wins, and you can attract a hell of a lot more people to your cause than you've managed up to now.

Jean5718
Level 2
Salt Lake City, UT

WOW. Just like people in wheelchairs should just not worry about stairs.  Very rude response and you don't have to participate in this discussion.  Obviously you find people with disabilities distasteful.

@Jean5718   What on earth are you talking about?  Wheelchairs and MCS are simply not comparable as accessibility issues.

 

I think every host is 100% aware of whether their property has stairs. There's no ambiguity - either you have them or you don't. But when the host earnestly believes they've done everything they can to meet the "fragrance free" criteria, and it's still so unacceptable to the guest that they have to turn around and drive home (as you describe below), that is a nightmare situation for both host and guest.

 

This is exactly why a "fragrance free" filter would be a really terrible idea. Situations like the one you describe would be rampant, holidays would be ruined.

MCS is a physical disability recognized by ADA.
Fragrance free accommodations are straight forward. 
No air fresheners, like plug ins. Fabreeze, candles or items specifically used to mask odors.
fragrance free cleaning products & laundry detergents , no dryer sheets or fabric softeners. 


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Andrea5437
Level 2
Ottawa, Canada

It would have been nice if you could have made your point without being so condescending. 

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Susan612 Is there a legal definition of fragrance free? I suspect every property has a fragrance of sorts.

Jean5718
Level 2
Salt Lake City, UT

Nope, 

Susan612
Level 7
United States

@Mike-And-Jane0  There is no legal definition. From my experience hosts who claim to be fragrance free choose so because of their own preference or disability. Fragrance free listings are generally thought of as listings that use no fragranced consumer products such as air fresheners, fragrance wands, fragranced laundry detergents etc

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