Mom- check your sniffer!

[LarsMal]

We are at my parents right now and I think my head is going to explode! My mom has always gone heavy on the smelly lotions and perfumes, but it seems like EVERY room in the house has something smelly in it now. And they are all different smells. ICK! I don't think she can smell any of it!

I am extremely sensitive to perfumes/scented things. Everything I use- from shampoo, soap, and lotion to laundry detergent- is fragrance free. I have a horrible headache and I just want to vomit. bleh!

My parents had been using free and clear laundry detergent for the longest time. I don't know why they switched (probably got something on sale), but the sheets are SO stinky! I think it would be okay if it was just a "fresh scent" kind of thing, but is the most awful florally smelling cr@p. ugh...even DH (who doesn't have any allergy issues) was bothered by it last night. I'm sure we are noticing it more because we just don't have it around in our house.

I think I'm going to have to go buy some Tide Free today and wash our sheets again. I can't take it. :barf:

I can't wait to get outside to enjoy the beach and pool- and the fresh air. I'd sleep outside if they had a screened-in porch!

[ewpmsw]

Ugh. Scented stuff makes me sick, too. It's horrible when you just can't escape from it. Do you feel like you could mention it to her with the suggestion to cut back on using so many different things when you're visiting?

[Reyadawnbringer]

Ooh yea... I cannot stand all the smelly stuff. I get a migraine quick and then feel like I will vomit. I would talk to her gently about it as I am sure she doesn't want y'all miserable the whole time you are there.

[fivi2]

ooh - mil's house is like this - scented candles in every room, plug in things, room spray, potpourri - and it is all different scents. She does it to "hide" the cigarette smoke and cat odor (they have about 7 cats). All it does is add layers of miserable smells. And I am also so sensitive to smells - I hate to be around normal perfume/shampoo smells.

I am so sorry!

[gatorsmom]

I know exactly what you mean about being sensitive to any scents once you've eliminated them from your house. Our houseguests have been using our washer and dryer to wash their clothes. I guess all that scent builds up because even after washing their clothes with our free and clear detergent, I can STILL smell their detergent on their clothes! We don't use anything with any fragrance anymore, so I guess I'm especially sensitive to it.

[MamaMolly]

ooh - mil's house is like this - scented candles in every room, plug in things, room spray, potpourri - and it is all different scents. She does it to "hide" the cigarette smoke and cat odor (they have about 7 cats). All it does is add layers of miserable smells. And I am also so sensitive to smells - I hate to be around normal perfume/shampoo smells.

I am so sorry!

I threw up in my mouth a little reading this. :eek:

[goldenpig]

Yuck! I feel for you. I am not a super sensitive person, but this is one of my pet peeves. I hate it when M/MIL comes to visit and the baby starts smelling like them. Babies should smell like babies! We use unscented laundry detergent only and no fabric softener. I even offered to wash MIL's clothes for her but she declined. I also don't like when a nanny's scent rubs off on the baby, so I've written it into our nanny contract that they don't wear perfume and use unscented laundry detergent.

[ewpmsw]

Yuck! I feel for you. I am not a super sensitive person, but this is one of my pet peeves. I hate it when M/MIL comes to visit and the baby starts smelling like them. Babies should smell like babies! We use unscented laundry detergent only and no fabric softener. I even offered to wash MIL's clothes for her but she declined. I also don't like when a nanny's scent rubs off on the baby, so I've written it into our nanny contract that they don't wear perfume and use unscented laundry detergent.

Hate when MIL leaves and DD reeks of her perfume.

[Puddy73]

That drives me crazy, too. We have a friend who has a Glad Plug-In in almost every outlet and sprays Febreeze on every possible surface. It is truly hard to breathe in her house, much less eat food without gagging.

[JTsMom]

I totally sympathize. I'm the same way- horrible headaches, the whole nine yards. You really don't smell the stuff when you use it all the time, so I think people just keep adding more and more. I remember that when we used scented stuff, nothing every smelled strong enough. Now I smell those same things and gag. Really makes you wonder what those fragrances must do to our bodies.

[Corie]

That's horrible!! I know how you feel. I am super sensitive to smells too.

[California]

I've heard a few times that room deoderizers actually coat the inside of the nose to prevent a person from smelling, so your mom really would need to check her sniffer. Out of curiousity did a google search and this article on artificial chemicals came up... it's much more serious than I'd read before. You really can get sick from scents!

http://www.naturalsolutionsmag.com/articles-display/13404/keyword/stop%20making%20scents/Stop-Making-Scents

[fivi2]

I've heard a few times that room deoderizers actually coat the inside of the nose to prevent a person from smelling, so your mom really would need to check her sniffer. Out of curiousity did a google search and this article on artificial chemicals came up... it's much more serious than I'd read before. You really can get sick from scents!

http://www.naturalsolutionsmag.com/articles-display/13404/keyword/stop%20making%20scents/Stop-Making-Scents

Thanks for the link! Interesting reading to follow up on. I do use unscented stuff at home, but according to the article, some "unscented" stuff may just use more chemicals to block scents.

And I really don't want to go to mil's this weekend! (we stay in a hotel because I can't stay there, but we do have to visit at their house all afternoon).