Perfume in the office

and people that think it's fine to spray their unwashed armpits with deodorant in the middle of the office.

I’d welcome perfume right now as my office smells of fart. Not from me might I add.

I have a friend like this — not just perfumes. He once had to live elsewhere for several weeks when there was a pipe issue in his new house causing a smell that was barely detectable to me and which my husband couldn’t smell at all, but which gave him a violent migraine within minutes.

We were once going to a gig together and picked up another friend who’d forgotten and was wearing spray deodorant. The friend scrubbed himself with bottled water and wipes, but the scent-averse friend was pretty much incapacitated within ten minutes in the car, was throwing up in a lay-by, and had to let us go on without him. He has his own company, and there’s a total scent ban in the office.

Everything I don't like should be banned, and other stories.

Excessive fragrance, especially one that isn't very nice to begin with, can be overwhelming. I once was sitting on a bus behind a woman whom I guess had been bathing in Eau de Garbage that morning. It was that strong I felt very sick. Luckily she got off the bus before me but the pong lingered for a while.

I've got genetic lung problems. Strong smells, chemicals, dust, smoke all make it worse. In the workplace, I think it should be minimised. The one I have a real problem with is those poo disguising sprays. They are eye wateringly strong. I have to use the disabled toilet as I can't breathe it in.

I certainly prefer it to the smell of BO.

I love to smell other people's perfume, some people smell really lovely as they go past

I feel you - I get really bad migraines and certain smells (especially certain perfumes) set them off. I don’t want to be that person but why are you wasting your fancy perfume on us in the office anyway 😂

I'm with you.

In the summer I'd rather smell perfume rather than smelly bare feet in sandals.

People seem to forget that you have to wash your feet it seems

To be fair to the OP, I hate perfume in the office too, mainly because most of them are too strong and musky or sickly smelling to me. I’d like it banned too 😀
But I wouldn’t dare say anything!!

I don’t mind smelling others peoples perfume; like as in when it wafts off of them.

but when it’s seeping off of their body it gives me such a headache.

smelling like a whores handbags doesn’t even make you more attractive idk why they do it

I’d much rather smell someone’s perfume than BO or sour, damp clothes! But this is Mumsnet where a mere hint of a whiff anything scented will have you blue lighted to hospital.

Right....

The Completely Reasonable Office Bans List

Perfume
Orange clothing
Egg sandwiches
Jokey tea mugs
Pictures of your dog
Anything drawn by a person under 21
Motivational books
Motivational posters, esp those featuring sunrises
Trolls, dolls, any sort of humanoid toy figure
Football stuff indicating your club allegiance
Certificates awarded by management, even if deserved
Anything purchased on holiday abroad
A pebble from a British beach, indicating that you don't 'do abroad'

.....feel free to add more. They must be as reasonable as these, all of which, I think we can agree, are completely uncontendable.

What about enclosed shops, cafés, restaurants, hotels and the myriad of other public places an asthma sufferer could come into contact with someone wearing perfume? Why just ban it in the workplace? I think the asthma argument is to make it look like a legitimate reason to ban something a few mnetters don't like!
FWIW I use scented washing powder/conditioner, scented body wash,scented shampoo and hair products and scented deodorant/perfume. I have no intention of stopping using any of them.

Even worse when they are doing it to cover up the smell of cigarettes. It doesn’t work, love! Now you just smell like floral fags. 🤮

No, perfume should only be smelt in close proximity, like a hug or a kiss (so not colleagues). It certainly shouldn't be announcing you to the whole room before you enter.

And neither should the er, scent of colleagues who have yet to learn the successful use of soap and deodorant... but I must return to that environment.

Chlorine in swimming pools can cause asthma attacks but removing it would cause more harm.

When I was 16, aeons ago, I read in whatever magazine was all the go that your perfume should precede you into a room, and remain after you have left.

What about a small desk fan, OP, angle it to send the pong back at Miss Perfumery?

I work with the general public… sadly some of them absolutely honk (stale drink, stale fags or vapes and stale body odour🤢). Sometimes, I’d be grateful for a spray of scent!!

So you think it’s fine for colleagues to choose to wear perfumes etc that can give everyone else a headache?

Why?

Worked with this awful woman - one of her habits was spraying herself and the entire office in cheap body spray every morning... I hated her.