Please stop Febreezing everything

[Helenahandkart]

Every time I buy something from eBay it stinks. The item itself stinks. The packaging stinks.
If it stank of dog hair or mould or something natural then I could clean it, but no, everything stinks of Febreeze or Zoflora or one of those awful odour remover sprays.
It makes me feel sick, and it’s impossible to get rid of. If I can’t put it in the washing machine I have to put the offending item in the garage for months and hope that the smell will eventually dissipate. I bought some secondhand boots today and now the whole house smells of Febreeze, despite me immediately taking all the packaging out to the bin and putting the boots in the garage.
Please stop covering everything with revolting chemicals. It’s so unnecessary.

I hear you. Fabric softener, air fresheners etc make me want to vomit.

@TinselTitsAndGlitteryBits

Only on MN do you see people being so dramatic and having such violent reactions over fabric softener/frebreeze/air freshener.. Do you not wear perfume or deodorant, use skincare products/bubble bath/shower gel, use products to clean your home?

The smell won't last forever, leave them by an open window or something.

I love fabric softener, but the scent only sticks around for a couple of wears.

Ain't that the truth!

Only on MN do you see people being so dramatic and having such violent reactions over fabric softener/frebreeze/air freshener.. Do you not wear perfume or deodorant, use skincare products/bubble bath/shower gel, use products to clean your home?.

No I don’t wear perfume, also hurts my nose.
Dove roll on.
Lightly or no scented skincare/bath products.
Cleaning products also hurt but I used to use them with all windows open and not much product. Now the house buzzes after the cleaners gone so I air it out. Is it really that hard to understand?

I'm with you OP. Most of what I wear is decent brands second hand and mended. Trying to reduce my environmental impact and build a designer wardrobe without breaking the bank. I also hate getting stuff stinking of naphthalene when a misguided seller douses it. I always sell my stuff washed and steamed!

Shocked at the number of people here being snobby about buying second hand - I guess these are the same people who say it's "grim" not to change your clothes five times a day, or be seen wearing anything twice.

By the way - airing out is the best bet for chemical snells, but I recommend learning some gentle washing techniques for delicates.

I once bought a handbag which smelled like someone had chain smoked INSIDE it for years. I put charcoal sachets inside it and kept it open for a few weeks, and now it's fine.

Yanbu. I bloody hate it too. I've had a few things from the charity shop that I've been unable to wear as they stink so badly, even after washing.

Also, at the posters coming on to this thread just to sneer at people who happen to have a more sensitive sense of smell than them.

Here's a link to the science behind it if you'd like to learn something about it: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120182914.htm

@Sparklingbrook

I love a bit of fabric conditioner myself.

I'm with you. Nothing like clean, fresh smelling, lovely sheets.

@Hairyfriend

If you win something on ebay, just email the selling and ask them NOT to use febreeze on the product.

I often sell on EBay (I don't use Febreeze!) and that wouldn't work with me. Everything I sell is packed and ready for delivery as soon as I have listed it. It saves last minute running around when the auction closes - all I have to do is print the address label.

@TinselTitsAndGlitteryBits

Only on MN do you see people being so dramatic and having such violent reactions over fabric softener/frebreeze/air freshener.. Do you not wear perfume or deodorant, use skincare products/bubble bath/shower gel, use products to clean your home?

The smell won't last forever, leave them by an open window or something.

I love fabric softener, but the scent only sticks around for a couple of wears.

This.

I only ever get compliments on my house and the kids smelling nice.

I only ever get compliments on my house and the kids smelling nice

Tbf people won't say anything. I did once ask a friend not to burn incense when I visited but she took the huff so now I don't visit.
I use unscented anti perspirant and no perfume, unscented laundry detergent and fabric softener and organic brand toiletries that tend not to smell as strong.

About fabric softener

www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/skip-fabric-softeners

It irritates my skin so I don’t use it - even the eco/sensitive skin versions.

@TinselTitsAndGlitteryBits
I can't bear perfume or petrol either.
At least most perfume smells nice whilst it gives me a massive headache, febreze on the other hand vile. Part of my job is going into people's houses I hate that smell of air freshener as know it sits at the back of my throat all day. It also reminds me of toilets and toilet freshener.

[quote Scianel]@Blossom64265 where was it from, out of interest, so I know to avoid them?
Carrefour supermarket in Spain perfume their plastic bags! Couldn't work out where the sudden smell was coming from after shopping. Just why?![/quote]
I live in Spain and shop in carrefour and have never had a perfumed plastic bag?!?

People aren’t going to come to your house and say it stinks! If they’re commenting then the smell is probably overpowering. I’m with you OP, can’t stand those nasty smells that just cling whatever you do.

A friend of mine was left some beautiful scarves by her MIL but whatever the MIL had washed them in just seemed to have permeated the fabric, in the end she got rid of them because she just couldn’t get remove the smell.

We’ve been conditioned to believe that if something doesn’t smell of synthetic fragrance it by definition smells bad.

This is a bit dramatic. Fabreeze doesn’t last for months, there’s no way something would need to sit in a garage for months to get rid of the scent. Just send sellers a message asking them not to spray it with anything in future?

I don’t understand why people are so keen on using synthetic chemical smells when if a piece of clothing smells it’s obvious it needs washing or dry cleaning!
Febreeze actually makes me gag, it’s so disgusting and that goes for air fresheners, plug-ins etc too. Open a window or two ffs!

@Scianel

I only ever get compliments on my house and the kids smelling nice

Tbf people won't say anything. I did once ask a friend not to burn incense when I visited but she took the huff so now I don't visit.
I use unscented anti perspirant and no perfume, unscented laundry detergent and fabric softener and organic brand toiletries that tend not to smell as strong.

I don't have many people visit and the only ones that do say that it smells nice in my house.

I use scented everything. Each to their own

Oh dear it sounds like this is going to something else that is labelled as ‘bad for the environment’ that must be taxed/ banned etc etc.

@Helenahandkart

On a separate but related note, I’ve recently had a lot of success using activated charcoal (bought in bulk from fish tank suppliers) to get rid of musty mouldy smells from vintage leather. After years of trying various remedies to rescue them I’d all but given up on my favourite boots that were unwearable after they went mouldy, but I filled them with filter bags of silica and bags of charcoal, left them in a plastic bag for two weeks, and now they’re good as new. As yet, it hasn’t worked on chemical smells though.

I've just been gien a bag of ZEORocks - lumps of minerals that is supposed to work. About to try it with books that stink of cigarette smoke. If I remember I will come back and let you know how it goes.

All those who "Won't buy second hand" shame on you!

Sadly I do use Febreze - on the carpet, because of the dog. There's only so many times a month you can bear to wash a bloody carpet!

@OrangeBlossomsinthesun give them a sniff. I promise they're scented. The sort of dull white ones with the green print.

@CounsellorTroi

About fabric softener

www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/skip-fabric-softeners

It irritates my skin so I don’t use it - even the eco/sensitive skin versions.

This - I can't stand fabric softener. I've never used it, and my clothes and skin appear to have survived just fine.

I must admit I am silently judgey when I catch someone smelling of it - what's the point? If your clothes feel bad without it, you have shit laundry techniques, or shit clothes.

I once slept in a mates house where the sheets were soaked in FS and it felt heavy and greasy! Covering your clean clothes in liquid oil and plastic isn't "fresh", it's just a different type of dirty to me. And as for the smell, I trust my favourite perfume brands to cover that, not a laundry company flogging artificial "jojoba and lily".

Yanbu. Its grim and I always assume its hiding that something needs washing.