To think air fresheners are unpleasant?

[Panamanian]

We have come away for half term and the house we are staying in has one of those plug in air-fresheners in every room. I’ve turned them off but they still smell so strong. I genuinely can’t understand how anyone thinks they smell nice. Also (and I have no evidence for this so feel free to correct me) I can’t believe it’s good for you to be breathing those chemicals every day.
AIBU - they make a home smell lovely
AINBU - they are horrible and make me feel ill.

Yes nightmare trigger for lung conditions.

I hate them too. Headachy and nasty.

Can't stand them that is what opening windows is for

Including scented candles, oil defusers, wax melts etc.

I only can tolerate certain fragrances. Most Xmas themed ones - no. Can tolerate Yankee Candles’ Christmas Morning Punch.

Cant stand Lily of the Valley or Stock flower

Had to use inhaler when customers had these flavours in their shopping

They're really bad for health and are known to cause lasting damage to the central nervous system plus linked to all sorts of other serious issues.

They should be banned really.

I find it really weird people use them, especially in homes with kids.

They're OK in moderation, which my neighbour in the flat beneath fails to understand. For a few months she's been using some peculiar, strong-smelling product (I assume air freshener) in her bathroom. I can only describe it as a highly concentrated lily fragrance. Whatever it is, it's revolting and way over the top and, because my bathroom is directly above hers, finds its way into my bathroom! I have to open the windows on the communal landings when she's been using it.

I wonder what she's trying to hide?

Glad I’m not the only one! I thought I’d removed them all but keep finding hidden ones around the house! The little plastic stand-alone ones make me gag they are so foul!

Revolting things. They emit such a cloying, cheap and nasty smell.

I’d have to unplug them and put them in a bag outside until you leave.

Yanbu.
I dread to think what chemicals they are spreading in the air. They always make me think a house is dirty too.
Plain old fresh air is best.

They are horrible. I don't know why people waste their money on them when opening windows is free!

They make me feel sick often. I can just about manage a quick spray of Waft in the bathroom after a number two

There are many properties that don't have a window in their bathrooms/ensuites/downstairs loo. I don't have a window in my bathroom with the sole loo. It has an extractor fan. A quick spray of air freshener helps.

My parents' downstairs loo has no window. Told if you need to do a poo, either of the loos in the bathroom or en-suite as have a window.

Strongly dislike. The chemicals in them are probably bad for you (most chemicals are).

There is a type that is motion activated, so when you go near it it puffs out a spray of unpleasant chemicals in your direction. I once went into a toilet and this thing sprayed me right in the face.

They also achieve nothing but mask smells. They don't get rid of the offending molecules, which simply stay in the air, they just overpower the smell from them by creating a stronger smell which overwhelms your senses.

Bad for the environment and bad for people. Do not use.

Awful. And I feel the same about the laundry ‘scent boosters’ they’re all madly trying to flog now. ‘Fresh’ my arse! Artificial pongs, more like.

Especially given the COL crisis, who on earth is wasting money on these?

They smell terrible and make me feel ill. I do sometimes spray diluted essential oils, but it's mainly an open window round here. A pp mentioned windowless bathrooms and I have one of these, but still think poo+air freshener is the worst smell combi action known to mankind.

I'm another one that gets migraines from them so not a fan.

I also once stayed in a Spanish hotel where they sprayed what seemed like a bottle of air freshener every day. I did ask them not to during my stay but the smell had badly permeated the curtains, the chairs, just every porous suface, and despite rinsing the kettle repeatedly, the only time I made a coffee it tasted of it.

My SIL is convinced plug-in ones can cause cancer and when visiting her mum, removes them all.

Are the stinky stick/ reed ones as toxic ? I have a lovely reed one in the lounge

Ugh they're hideous. Horrible strong synthetic smells which give me grinding headaches. I can't hack most reed diffusers either - I got given a high end one and had to give it to MIL, and even now when I catch the scent of it in her house it makes me nauseous.

Open window any day. I'd rather smell cut grass, or coffee, or the sea, or just fresh air, even if it's not all that fresh.

I don't think l they're something you need or should be breathing in. Fresh air daily. Keeping the gaff clean. Nice natural scents like beeswax polish and candles, flowers,I try and use natural products like soap, I absolutely hate the smell of strong fabric softener too. Plug ins are a fire risk. At least you blow candles out when you leave.

Americans seem big on matches after using the loo, we spray the buggery put of it. neither is perfect but I think matches work better.

I don’t like them as a general rule and my DH is very sensitive to them.

But I have a plug in one with different settings 1-5 that I plug in near the cat’s litter tray - it is a neutralising odour one - not just perfume. It really has helped with the cats pee smell that we come down to in the morning (door been closed all night) so I only use one there. Otherwise I wouldn’t use them.

edited to add - I keep it on the low setting so it’s not an overpowering aroma.

Crawling kids and toddlers who are at the exact height of the things and breathing them in at super concentrated stage before they dissipate higher up in the air.

Has anyone got alternative suggestions?

I'm.disabled and don't get to clean the way I want. I can't use the plug ins or zoflora or other artificial scents like that, but feel things like flowers are both expensive and not long lasting enough.

Difusing essential oils is an alternative... or even placing a few drops of essential oils on a tissue. Vinegar and baking soda are good for removing sources of odors and citric acid in the loo... removes limescale without scrubbing.

Vile unless they are essential oil.

I used to love fragrances of all kinds and home fragrances until my son was finally diagnosed with an allergy to limonene and linalool. These are naturally occurring and are in essential oils and also in all home fragrances, toiletries and also cleaning products. It is really difficult to avoid them completely which we now do. I’d been giving him Calpol plug ins, olbas oil, natural tea tree oils etc etc to help him sleep and wi th his cough and congestion. All the time it was being caused by these products. Apparently it isn’t that rare of an allergy, so there you go.