Reed diffusers in holiday house. Woe!

[JustAMiddleAgedDirtBagBaby]

Any holiday let/Airbnb owners reading: please, I BEG YOU, don't fill your houses with a reed diffuser in every room.

The last three we've stayed in, the first job has been to round up the diffusers and find a safe outdoor spot to put them before opening every window in the place, while I stay outside snotty and sneezing with puffy eyes.

It's not too bad today as the weather's nice, there's a garden to sit in and DH is bringing me cups of tea. Hopefully I'll be able to go in to eat later.

I am fully dosed up with antihistamines and steroid sprays, but there is something about reed diffusers (and branches of Lush, but I don't find myself staying in those) which makes me feel like I've been napalmed, even when nothing else is touching me.

Then when we leave the challenge is to remember to find them all to put them back, otherwise the owner will think we've nicked them.

Why don't you put a comment in the notes when you book asking them not to use for your arrival due to allergies?

Probably best to warn them of your allergy when you book. Others might like that level of sophistication (I don’t).

I agree 100%! I don't suppose one of your holiday lets was on the Isle of Wight, was it? We stayed in a cottage there that had reed diffusers in every room, and I had to corral them all in the downstairs loo and ban anybody from opening the door, for the sake of my sinusitis. And then I had to remember at the end of the stay which room they all came from 😂

This is one of the many reasons we avoid this kind of rental u less they specifically advertise as fragrance sensitive which is sadly not rare. I tend towards hotels and contact them in advance to ask for a fragrance sensitive room prep. It’s not perfect, but it is better than the sensory overload that sometimes results in a hospital visit.

I take your point, but the cottage we stayed in had multiple diffusers in every room, way beyond what would be reasonable! There were so many that it made me wonder if they were trying to cover something up.

I have learned from past experience to take a photo of each one before moving them so I know what went where. There were nine in this house!

Obviously I haven't learned to make a note when booking and that's a really good idea! I know it sounds ridiculous that I haven't thought of it but it's just never occurred to me - I think because I would just never have one in the house I don't think of it.

I also don't think of myself as a particularly allergic person which also sounds mad given the level of reaction I'm describing but at this time of year I've usually been on a daily antihistamine and nasal spray for about six months so I think I'm assuming nothing can get me!

These things can. 🤧

We stayed in a small two u two down cottage in Devon in 2020 (COVID era) and it had one of those plug in fragrance things in the loo, I'm not particularly sensitive to fragrance but my God it was overwhelming, we had to unplug it and put it in the garden, the whole house felt toxic!

I've never had such a strong reaction to anything else in terms of artificial fragrance, it's so strange. I can wear and be around perfume. I dislike the smell of strong washing powder/ fabric softener and use unscented myself, but I don't react to it.

There's just something about reed diffusers.

My only other allergy is pollen really. And cats but that's milder.

I've been outside nearly two hours. Feeling better but itchy. Might venture back in...

It's such a lovely house! I'd like to be in it!

Why wouldn’t you message the host before your arrival and explain your situation? They may remove any reed diffusers before your arrival.

One of my absolute hates, they give me headaches and make the inside of my nose burn. I too banish them to cupboards in holiday lets. I used to put them all back, but now I leave them to make a point and put something in my review.

Bit random but we got a hypoallergenic cat (a Siberian) because my partner is allergic. When we first got the cat it was the time of year when he gets really bad hayfever as well, the cat seemed to push him over the edge as for a few weeks he was basically wiped out, in bed all the time really suffering. However, fast forward a year and he has not suffered with hayfever at all this year, despite all our friends with hayfever really having been suffering. I'm convinced the cat has somehow resolved his hayfever. Just sharing in case useful!