Creating list of MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) friendly or no fragrance/scented stays

[Kip93]

If you have any recommendations for MCS friendly or non scented / fragrance free airbnb listings please let me know.  I'm creating a list for a MCS group and wanting to share it. Many people on that site or looking for places to stay but its incredibly difficult.  I get horrible migraines from scented laundry detergent, perfumes, cleaning products so it has become increasingly difficult to find a place to stay where I'm not sick.  So far I have about a dozen properties, and looking to add as many as I can.  Thousands of people are searching for this, so if you're a property owner please share, hopefully it will get you more listings!  If you are a traveler, share your great experience and I'll add it to my list.  I'll then update the complete list here to help others.  Thanks!

[Breanna]

Hi @Kip93 

I can see how that would be an invaluable resource to many Airbnb guests looking for MCS friendly listings. Have you been able to identify any to get your list going?

[Kip93]

A few.  But not as many as I'd like.  Many people are recommending hotels that have MCS and allergies as many hosts are not wanting to change cleaning procedures.  

[Kia272]

@Kip93 You'd be doing all of those people the biggest favor by simply encouraging them to reach out to hosts before they book. Many hosts would be glad to accommodate for MCS, even if they don't advertise as a scent-free place. There is no harm in asking, and I believe many hosts would oblige if they can. 

I use unscented laundry supplies. I also cannot tolerate many scents and fragrances, although I have no official diagnosis. I use very lightly scented organic/natural products for hand soap and dish detergent, and I would happily replace those things with a "free and clear" products to accommodate a guest. I clean with natural products as well. 

I have seen many people bring up this issue in the community center, and I always encourage them to contact the host prior to booking. So, an official list would be great, but sometimes I feel that guests are making it a complicated issue, when really, it's all about communication. 

Good luck. 

[Daniel12227]

@Kia272Thank you for your advice, but I must strongly object. First of all, there are varying levels of sensitivity and for those of us who's condition has progressed, even if you were to cease using of such products on a Monday, the environment would still be debilitating the on Wednesday. This is especially true for some synthetic fragrances found in laundry detergents like Gain, where a small spill on the floor can effectively contaminate a house for months or years.

I've also found this to be true with air fresheners using terpenes like d- and l-lemonine. These are oily substances and once they get into fibers, they can last well over a year. You can only get them out through washing and oxidation (ozone, hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate [the active ingredient in "OxyClean" though that's no longer a safe product as they began adding a fragrance], etc.).

This really is a niche need, though it's by no means "boutique."

Reaching out to hosts and asking is the only thing we have right now, but that's a fraught journey. First it means that attempting to book takes much longer. Many hosts will interpret what you say differently, or lack an appreciation for just how little of a synthetic fragrance can wreak havoc for people with MCS. We *really do* need a special filter for this!!

[Daniel12227]

@Kip93THANK YOU for posting this. I'm in a crisis right now where I have to live in my car because my apartment is contaminated. I've tried hotels and they use synthetic fragrances that make me sick and I've given up on airbnb due to numerous past failures. We really do need a filter for this!

[Pat271]

@Kip93  Here’s another option based on a previous experience I had with a guest.

A few days before a guest arrived, she contacted me to double-check that I had a working washer and dryer, because she needed to wash all of the linens on the first day of her stay. I assured her that the washer and dryer were working.

I then mentioned that the linens will have just been washed, and asked if instead we could do something to avoid her having to waste a day of her vacation washing clothes, like use a particular brand of detergent, etc. for her.

She was very pleasant and thanked me for my concern, but assured me that she was used to doing this, and had to first wash everything in plain water and then use a detergent that she brings with her. She again thanked me for my concern and offer. A very pleasant 5-star guest, who also left 5 stars. 

Just another example of how some guests might deal with this issue, at least in terms of the linens.

Having an MCS box for hosts to check, as well as an MCS filter for guests to use, is the optimal solution, IMO. Also, for those whose needs can be met with a simple request, some sort of “Host encourages and can accommodate special cleaning requests for those with allergies” box and filter would also be helpful. Both of these filters could help the guest quickly narrow down accommodating properties, without having to maintain a list.

@Breanna, please submit these checkboxes and filters as an enhancement request, if they haven’t been submitted already.