To find this smell offensive?

[GreenMonkies]

We live in a maisonette which shares a communal garden with about 5 other households, mainly elderly folks. We are an "Ecover" household, we don't use "mainstream" cleaning products or air-fresheners.

I am sitting in the garden whilst the DD's play on thier bikes etc, and two of my neighbours have hung washing out, and the stench of Lenor/Comfort/whatever is all but making me gag, I am seriously thinking of going inside the smell is so strong. Bleurgh!!!!!

......I know!!!!

I can almost 'feel' the awful things cillit bang is doing to my insides whenever i have used it......it is disgusting

I don't even think it works that well...

I love a good spray bleach . I know, I know! But its just so CLEAN.

Unfortunately OH is highly sensitive to it. I think its something to do with his MS but he gets really affected by the smell if I use it.

He is so selfish!

I'm going to post and run now and say that I can sort of understand the OP's sentiment. I really don't like overpowering washing powder odours either. I recently bought those washing tablets that are put into a net bag and then put on top of the washing. Christ, the smell was extremely overpowering and that wasn't even fabric conditioner! Never use the stuff.

Some people love that soapy smell but it makes me want to heave and don't get me started on those synthetic plug-in fresheners. Yet I'm not heavily into Ecover either. Each to their own though.

I don't think there's much you can do if you share a communal garden! Other than moving to a place with your own garden or attaching a nosegay to your head with gaffer tape and hoping that they'll get the hint! They might think you're strange and leave you in peace!
I'd have to say, begrudgingly, that YABU. Move or get to know their washing timetable.

I also don't like VERY pungent washing smells BUT I use Ecover stuff for some of my chores (washing up, kitchen surfaces) and wish it had a better smell as I do like things to "smell" clean IYKWIM. Gave up on it for bathroom cleaning and now hooked on CIF for my shower!
Having spent time working in a residential home a few years ago, I would be glad that your fellow neighbours have clean smelling clothes, even if it's not your preferred scent - there are far worse smells to be exposed to with communal living!

I can really identify with the OP's sentiments, and she is NBU to find certain smells offensive. Unfortuately, as others have said, many people here in the UK are very used to these types of synthetic smells and see them as normal and pleasant, and are mostly unaware of just how powerful the scents are. It's obviously nice that the neighbours like to keep clean and hang out the washing, but you can't expect others to understand that you find the smell offensive - just try and stay out of the way on those days, if at all possible.

When I was pregnant with my second, laundry smells, especially fabric conditioner, were the things I found absoultely revolting and unbearable. I had to run past the laundrette in order not to heave. In fact, anything remotely chemically seemed to react with my skin, so I had to change to organic natural skin cream, shampoo, conditioner etc, as well as changing to Ecover for the washing. My sense of smell has remained slightly more sensitive than before, but I still would prefer not to smell fabric conditioner on peoples' clothes, but then the world is full of smells you may and may not like.

I've read the whole post and all I can think is:
Am I going wrong somewhere with my strategy of "buying the cheapest?""
and
"Wow, lots of people iron."

My SIL uses ecover washing powder and it smells really odd not unpleasant the only smell I can liken it too is black pepper. I use non bio which does'nt smell of anything but my neighbour uses persil bio liquid and I agree it can sometimes be a bit strong but nothing I would think warranted complaining about. So I do think YABU

YANBU - I loathe it and you can smell it on the breeze when someone pegs out a whole line full. I don't even know what the purpose of so-called fabric conditioner is - I've got along perfectly well without it for all these years. If you want your clothes to smell nice - wash and rinse your clothes properly and wear Chanel or Estee Lauder - much more civilised and eco friendly behaviour

I sympathise with the anti-pong sentiment of GreenMonkies' post. Not so much with the lofty wording.

Lenor, Comfort etc may smell nice on clothes (debatable, some smell lovely, others smell vile) but that won't shake my belief that they're all repackaged toxic waste - and I'm not an eco-warrior at all, I'm one of the least environmentally friendly people I know.

We used to pester my mother to buy them when I lived at home because Ecover doesn't get the clothes smelling clean and does indeed have that slightly pissy/lemony aroma. Madre would crumble under the pressure and return from the supermarket with a big bottle of Blue Lenor. Within 48 hours the whole family would be covered from head to toe in eczema. Substitute blue Lenor for any other coloured Lenor, Comfort, Ariel, Bold, anything like that - same story. Fairy was OK but stunk to high heaven of a girl at school I'd gladly have pushed in front of an oncoming lorry. So that was vetoed.

Not long ago we discovered Simply Sensitive Eco-Smart Non Bio tablets. You get that lovely, heavily scented, perfumey clean clothes smell that has people loitering around the dryer for hours - but without any residue or skin irritation. Now that I've moved away from home I refuse to use anything else.

I'm surprised you find the smell so strong coming from neighbours' washing lines. I thought I was overreacting to the smell of cigarette smoke outside as well as in - I find the area around the hospital where I had both my babies really hard to cope with, everyone and their dog seems to smoke there!

We use supermarket own brand washing stuff although I do have some Persil handwash liquid which smells lovely to me. We used Comfort for a while but a different flavour from usual provoked a scary rash in ds1 - we only worked out a fabric conditioner connection after a visit to the GP and a referral to paediatric A&E - eek - never again.

I'm also put off Ecover though we currently use their washing up liquid because my dad says they run private prisons in the US, so I don't feel any more comfortable ethically.

lolianja, where do you buy the tablets you mentioned - are they available from ordinary evil supermarkets?

This thread popped into my head the other night when I walked in the back door and was gagging on the smell of a spray air freshener.

Asked dp if he had been spraying and he had sprayed it in the bedroom I was just about to go to bed. He said it smelt fresh I think it smelt fake, synthetic and a bit wee like and I do use fabric softener but even then I buy shops own brand stuff and do still look for something only lightly scented, bought something on offer the other week and my own washing made me want to boak too.

"We are an "Ecover" household, we don't use "mainstream" cleaning products or air-fresheners.
"

after reading that sentence it doesn't matter what you said. you could have followed that up with "and our neighbours raped and dismembered our beloved pet jack russell.aibu to be upset?

the answer still would have been yabu

I think it is a lovely smell,i love blue comfort & especially the lavender one for bedding.

Op you have come across rather up yourself sorry.

I also have to admit to hating the chemically synthetic smell and feel of most 'mainstream' washing products.

and having it forced on me would probably make me heave too.

Having said that, having to put up with your neighbours idiosyncrasies is part and parcel of communal life.

So YAB abU

YABU and you smell too!!

Light a BBQ so their washing smells of charcola rather than stinky artificial Lenor.

yes yabu, and prissy.

You should be happy you have had nice weather, instead of finding something to moan about.

i use tescos own non bio liquid and fabric conditioner. it's cheap but sadly under-perfumed for my liking. i love the smell of the mainstream brands.

LOL @ Mayorquimby.

I Love love love the smell of fabric softner and since pregnant have become addicted to the pink ironing water also. I mean I actually enjoy ironing as I get to smell it for a bit. Sad sad sad, I daren't even tell my mam I buy it she will never speak to me again. "Smelly water for your iron, £1.50 a go are you mental???!!!"

I'm sorry but I just can't bear ecover hippies. Their dreadlocked hair stinks, in my opinion.

Hilarious thread and YANBU.

elkiedee you can deffo get them from Sainsbury's, not sure about Tesco or anywhere else. They are cheaper than Ecover too

Right now I smell of baby vomit.

Thanks DVC, that's good - we use Sainsburys for online shopping and mostly for interim supermarket visits - our nearest branch is better than our delivery branch - think there's more people who aspire to be sort of eco-friendly in this area.

Scampi and Lemon flavour nik naks I have just eaten.

Now there's an unreasonale smell right there