AIBU to expect air freshener in toilets when visiting friends?

[HangryBrickShark]

Is there an expectation that people's toilets should have an air freshener in? Like a spray air freshener?

We always have air freshener in both our toilets in case friends or family get caught short when visiting us or even to freshen the bathroom after having a wee if necessary, so I hate it if I go to a friend/family members house and they have none.

I get some people may be affected by asthma but surely if you had asthma you wouldn't use it?

We have a glade air freshener at work that sprays into the space where the wash handbasins are for example.

We don’t use them, they are very toxic to breath in, and toxic for the environment!

Don't crack the window, bit drastic. Open it maybe. Although many toilets don't have one.

You'd love the Airbnb we stayed in over the summer. Absolutely stank of plug-in air freshener. We switched them all off on arrival. Vile stuff.

There is a cupboard right next to the toilet with air freshener in it (and extra loo roll). It’s not out for all to see but easily found and there is a reed diffuser on the windowsill.

Only on a parenting website would people be so aghast at rhe idea that poo has a bit of an unpleasant whiff for a couple of minutes.

Our bulky baby changing bag never had any air freshener in it; I can only assume that others must be changing their babies with a look of abject horror and then spraying their bums with half a can of nasty chemicals that are supposed to smell of pine forests and jojoba or whatever.

Drop a generous lump of sodium in it too - you certainly won't be left with a (usable) stinky toilet for the next person to use!!

The simplest method is just to chant "Poo smells, fly away; be thou not my dear nosegay" three times, and then leave and come back 15 minutes later. Magic is real; the stench will be gone when you return!!

I didn't know that. Thank you.

How do all these no fan, no window places pass building regs? Especially in workplaces.

People aren’t talking about baby shit though. Although I don’t think a lot of babies smell as neutral as their parents believe!

Very old building - I think there is a vent thing by the ceiling but it doesn’t seem to do anything but then neither do most extractor fans if you don’t want the shit smell to linger for when the next person comes in,

No not at all although I'm surprised at the responses from some.

We have air freshener at the stables too in the toilet although no window or vent in there.

I'm traditional working class, live in a 4 bed two toilet house.

The spray I use is the fabulosa room spray so no aerosol cans. Sorry I didn't make that clear. I'm no eco warrior but try and help the environment by helping where I can, recycling, litter picking, reducing landfill schemes at work.

I work underground, I don’t even know how you would vent it

Lol you're not wrong there 🤣🤣🤣

All air freshners are rank. And bad for you and the environment.

I have IBS and had to take medication before visiting my ex to try to ensure i wouldn't have to go there as he didn't have any kind of toilet cleaner, air freshener etc. He had an en suite bathroom with no window and a broken extractor fan, and a macerator toilet so no bleach, wipes etc allowed down it.
He also insisted on not using the living room on the lower floor of his flat, but constantly being in the bedroom, so if i needed to go, he would have heard and smelled EVERYTHING. I know how badly it lingered as he'd take a massive shit 10 minutes before i arrived every damn time like a ritual and it stunk out the bedroom that he made us hang out in for at least an hour after. (wouldn't open the bedroom window incase flies would come in) He was militant about power/water usage because of bills so courtesy flushes not allowed.

As an OCD sufferer with germ phobia being able to smell shit, especially in rooms other than the bathroom, is super distressing to me, makes the air feel contaminated. Plus there's nothing sexy about being greeted every visit by the stench of your partners shit.
I did take one of those VIPoo sprays and left it in his bathroom, but he would never use it, would never use the toilet brush, wouldn't even check everything had flushed away (not that he would have second flushed anyway) so sometimes i even saw bits of his shit.

For the sake of your guests comfort and dignity, have SOMETHING to let them clean up and mask smells if it is something they're bothered by. Any kind of air freshener, or a toilet cleaner (i love the mint toilet duck!) or a scented candle, VIPoo spray, it doesn't have to be an aerosol.

I actually don't like swearing but sometimes it makes a ( humourous) point if used sparingly 😊

I refuse a toilet brush. If there's skids a good dose of thick bleach gets rid of every trace

We always spray in our house if someone poos. We live in a bungalow so poo stinks out the whole house otherwise, especially my 20 year old sons

A tip: lighting a match briefly will eradicate the smell quicker than any air freshener and won't leave a nasty fake floral mixed with shit smell.

"Air fresheners can lower indoor air quality and release chemicals that cause health concerns, especially with long-term or heavy exposure. Inhaling small amounts is usually not dangerous for most people, but frequent use releases a mix of pollutants into your living space.
Key Health Risks and Chemicals

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Air fresheners release VOCs like benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde. These compounds can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat, and trigger headaches or nausea.
• Secondary Pollutants: Chemicals from air fresheners can react with indoor ozone to create new pollutants, including more formaldehyde and ultrafine particles.
• Respiratory Issues: Ingredients and secondary pollutants can inflame airways, reduce lung capacity, and trigger asthma attacks or wheezing.
• Hormone Disruption: Many conventional air fresheners contain phthalates. These chemicals act as endocrine disruptors and may affect reproductive health.
• Allergens and Sensitizers: Scents often include terpenes like limonene, which can cause skin irritation and increase your sensitivity to future allergic reactions."

All that, and it doesn't even cover up the smell, just provides a hideous mixture of shit mixed with cheap artificial scent for everyone to enjoy.

But the lit end can fall to the floor and burn a hole in expensive lino or floor covering. True story...

Ooops.

I have never understood where the idea for air fresheners came from. Assume some enterprising American.
Life involves smells, some of which are important.
If you have issues with normal, biological smells, open a window.
I would judge someone, who had diffusers etc. on the basis that they were of an inferior demographic.

Id prefer the smell of shite over shite mixed with floral scents anyday 🤢