To be offended about the plug-in comment?

[lavenderlooselips]

Last night I was forced to invited out with some people from work and it transpires one of my distant colleagues knows one of my good mum friends. When I was explaining how I knew this friend she said;
"Oh you're the one with hundreds of plug ins that give x the almighty headaches....hahahaha"

She spoke like it was some in joke but this is all new to me! I'm livid. I know it's not crime of the century to have plug ins but I'm angered at the fact she's obviously talking about me to others. Should I let on I know or secretly seethe or get rid of plug ins?? more plug ins and turn them up when she comes

Some teachers have started using plug-ins in our classrooms, and it just makes me feel nauseous! They're usually the same ones who shut all the windows and whack up the heating....I can't bear it! I need fresh air, and a slightly warm room ( in the cold months) or I melt! (It's my age...)

Seriously, they really are headache inducing.

They do not cover up your dog smell

I like tangerine incense sticks and fabric conditioner on my radiators in winter.

It was very rude of that person to have told you that and rude of your friend to talk about your home like that.

Another plug-in hater here. I don't like all the fake smells, spice, vanilla or cinnamon. Why would I want my house to smell of those? I do have a reed diffuser in the bathroom though.

there awful. mum has one with 2/3 scents that change so your bloody overwhelmed with the things. I turn them all off as they really set off my hay fever and dc usually end up unplugging them and throwing them about much to mum horror

The TV ad for plug-ins used to annoy me because it showed the thing being plugged into the socket WITH THE SWITCH LEFT TURNED OFF as if they wanted to imply that it didn't actually consume any power or something

Keep the plug ins if you like them, it's your house! Maybe I'm just overly territorial - I'm not a big fan of having people over anyway tbh - but I don't see why you should have to ditch something you like for the sake of one visitor who hasn't even mentioned anything to you directly. (I say this as someone with sensory processing issues - I can't stand any strong scents and often find the reed diffusers even worse than plugins! - but I wouldn't be rude about someone for liking them)

Never had a plug in at home but very useful at work... Strategically positioned outside the office door of the stinky senior manager to try and reduce the impact of BO wafting into the general office every time he flippin' well opens the door🙊

Plug ins reek and are bad for your health.

My friend was devoted until I told her that her house smelled of burned fabric.

Plug-ins are ghastly things, nightmare for asthmatics and anyone prone to migraines. Please don't expose babies and young children to them, they are full of artificial chemical crap. Wonder how long it will take to establish a link between the artificial scents in so many products nowadays and serious respiratory problems.

If you want a fresh smelling house, open your windows

Reading the title I assumed that someone had posted a picture of their mucus plug which had offended the Op not sure if I'm disappointed or relieved!

It's nasty and rude and I'd be quite hurt.

I'm another plug in/air freshener hater. They don't smell nice to me, would rather have the wet dog and farts (though ideally not those either!). Airfresheners etc don't hide those scents, they just layer over them. And they make my nose itch and eyes water when they're strong.

For me, most essential oils are better though there are some I just don't like and other people can find them as bothersome as I find artificial scents.

Non-scented candles seem to neutralize farts. I have no idea about wet dog! Maybe activated charcoal?

I'm sure your mum friend wasn't trying to upset you or disrespect you. She was probably just sharing the issue with someone she thought you'd never meet in a slightly exaggerated way as a way to cope with it. If she's round at your house all the time even though scents bother her she must like you quite a bit. Shame her friend isn't more tactful.

They make me feel unwell. I go for insence sticks all the way (and lots of ventilation as in I'll open my windows pretty much year round.

I don't think your friend has been bitchy, we all discuss mutual friends the 'repeater' has been the bitch. I also hate plug ins they set my asthma off and give me migraines so does febreeze and that awful cheap perfume deodorant stuff Impulse I would have to tell friends as I can't be in a room with plug ins.

Someone mentioned putting essential oils on light bulbs up thread. Please don't- it's a MASSIVE fire risk. You can put them on radiators, although they might discolour the paint. But it's best to use a burner.

Air freshener sprays just smell of bathrooms, when someone's trying to mask a stench. Total eye-opener to realise people use these in rooms other than bathrooms.

Just open a window.

I'd have laughed . Obviously it's just come up in some sort of conversation. She's hardly slated you.
But I do agree. Plug ins are awful!

Clean with zoflora and have a candle for when it's really bad. Personally I prefer incense but others in the household don't like it.

YANBU - I'd say something next time I saw her like
'Oh I do wish you'd mentioned to ME that MY plug ins in MY house were causing you headaches, then I could have done something about it sooner - nevermind, now that X has told me I'll switch them off next time you're coming 'round, if you have a problem though please do tell me rather than waiting for it to get back to me on gossip grapevine dear'.

Semi you'd be an ex friend if you spoke to me like that

Another who can't deal with all the fake smells. I hate the smell of reed diffusers and Yankee Candles etc too. They're all just too sickly and overpowering. Since I got asthma they make me wheezy too (as does Lush like a pp).

The other issue is being talked about. Your mum friend probably assumed she was speaking anonymously as she didn't know there was a connection. It's a bit like having a RL AIBU -

"I really like this friend but the strong plug in smells at her house make me physically ill. AIBU to tell her?"

That's what you might say in your head, Semi - but if someone said that in real life!

My house stinks. Far too many animals... ;-)

Things that keep things down to a manageable hum:
Hoovering up after the bastard creatures like a demon, and mopping hard floors with the Flash with Febreze in it.
Febreze spray on cushions and rugs.
Tumble dryer sheets tucked in all the radiators during winter. Fresh one every week.
Scented candles and oil burners.
Regularly bathing the dogs/washing their beds/emptying the cat litter trays (duh...).

Reed diffusers do work - and the L'Occitane oils are SO LOVELY - but I can't be arsed to keep on top of them. It's like an extra thing you have to look after and top up. Nope.

Trouble with those proper essential oil things is that they need plugging in (with a cable trailing) or a tea light, which lets face it, only last a blink of an eye and can be a fire hazard with pets/kids about.

Buy a cheap reed diffuser (couple of quid tesco or sains) bin the cheap smelly oil that's in the glass bottle, rinse it out and then re-fill with your own mixture of a carrier oil with a few drops of the essential oil of your choice added. Citrus, rose, white flower, geranium, bergamot, lemon, whatever. Mix two and experiment! They're not expensive (they're not going on your skin so you don't need the high grade stuff) and you can find them in loads of high st shops now. (You only need a few drops so each little bottle goes a long way). THEN put the dry reeds in and you have a lovely gentle custom made refillable reed diffuser.

Oh and yy to Zoflora. Marvellous stuff. The Fresh Linen one, tumble dryer sheets, cotton scented candles... My house smells like a dog just ran through a pile of fresh washing.