Please make "fragrance-free" a filter

Answered!
Brian450
Level 10
Tempe, AZ

Please make "fragrance-free" a filter

There is now a HUGE number of people who are fragrance-sensitive or have MCS. I'm one of them.

 

The odours of conventional cleaning products, air fresheners, dryer sheets, etc. make me sick. They give me headaches, burning eyes, feelings of tightness and tingling, respiratory irritation, heart palpitations, nausea, dry mouth and many other symptoms. I've had more than one vacation ruined by fragranced bedrooms that were making me ill. Surveys indicate that about one-third of the population in the US and other countries is fragrance-sensitive or has MCS or prefers fragrance-free spaces.

 

Please AirBnB stop ignoring this incredibly large group of people. You currently have filters for 13 different accessibility features. Could you PLEASE add another one, "fragrance-free"? Fragrance-free properties actually exist, it's just that you can't easily find them, at least not on the airbnb site itself. (Google search can be used as a workaround, but it's far from perfect.) Thanks!

1 Best Answer

I can see why you would think that, because you are probably picturing the people who would use this feature as entitled white ladies who put too much faith in Gwyneth Paltrow's take on medicine. In truth, they are people with conditions like MCAS who need to travel and are grateful for any accomodations that aren't a total assault on their bodies. Because of that, as long as the host makes the accomodations the say they will (e.g., no scented products and cleaning with safer products) they can expect very positive reviews.

 

For example, the only fragrance free Airbnb I know of is near Sedona, is always booked, and has great ratings.

In my own experience, I have managed to find a number of hosts who were willing to work with my medical issues, and we have always been on good terms because the accommodations I asked for were relatively easy (see above) and even though I wasn't perfectly comfortable, I felt much better then I would have in an ordinary hotel or Airbnb. But a fragrance free filter would have saved me SO MUCH work contacting hosts and explaining my medical needs.

 

The only time I have ever heard of a person leaving a bad review was when a woman was repeatedly assured by a host that the room used unscented laundry detergent and no scented air fresheners, which turned out to be completely untrue.

 

As for the other points like the healthy bed (i.e. A bed that doesn't off gas the VOCs that trigger our symptoms), those are things that would make a space even better for many, but I don't think anyone would expect those things just because a place is listed as fragrance free.

 

I think you are also underestimating the prevalence of these conditions because people with them usually don't mention them. People who report any degree of problems with fragrances are about 20% of the population (mostly headaches and such) and severe sensitivities are about 2%. That means a number of hosts may already be practicing fragrance free cleaning of their properties, but are unable to communicate it with the large numbers of clients who would love to rent such a space. At one rental I checked out in 2021, I spoke to a cleaning lady and asked if she could use mostly vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda to clean. She replied that those were all she used because her son was "sensitive to chemicals."

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187 Replies 187

@Cheryll7  unfortunately, even no-pets listings have to accept service animals (until a few months ago even so-called emotional support animals) and guests don't even have to tell they are bringing the dog. I suppose that's why there is no such filter

Pam1839
Level 2
Wallington, Australia

MCS noted in a host listing?  I am not aware of that although I don't use this platform a lot for hosting.

Curious about this: Is there any technology or gadget to ensure that your property remains fragrance-free? 

I like your idea of soft accomodations and sympathise with your situation. You have certainly alerted me to the fact that I have scented candles, reed stick oils all over my property. Awareness is a good thing.

I guess us hosts do this to alleviate stale smells, or previous guest cooking smells or body odour etc. We also run an air purifier in one bedroom where we had a dead rat in the ceiling insulation once upon a time and short of replacing all the insulation and lifting up the roof,  that's the best we can do. We also have charcoal bags all around the place. And then my cleaner might spray glen 20 or we use bleach to get rid of the mould in shower wells because the guests never turn on the bathroom fan or open the shower doors to let it air dry. And don't let me get started on paint, decor, flooring, mattresses, garden chemicals storage. So I don't think I would be ticking any soft accomodations box, even though we are  eco friendly, with solar, EV charger, bamboo toilet paper, minimal single use packaging, enviro house cleaning chemicals (which do smell like lemons) etc. 

 

So, soft accomodations would be an opt in category, but I think a very small market. And as another host replied, this costs money. Are you willing to pay more for this? If hosts choose to provide their property to meet such stringent requirements, then good on them, and whether Airbnb thinks its a market enough to add such features (and then have to manage it) is up to them. Perhaps this is an opportunity for a different accomodation platform that specialises in this instead? 

 

By the way sleeping area being made dark, its catered for with black out blinds selection.

And I also agree with other host, that when I get special requests related to the house, 99% of the time it ends up being a problematic booking and I wished I hadn't taken it and I get the 4 star kiss of death. People with exacting expectations beyond what they pay for annoys the hell out of me. It's why I have a very long list of 'things to note' and I can point to that if they complain that the 'lighting is old' (see note dear guest, its preloved/vintage home) for example....

 

 

Kate867
Level 10
Canterbury, United Kingdom

@Brian450   In an ideal world we would all be able to get exactly what we want but without going into detail, I essentially agree with @Anonymous s very well thought out comments.  I do appreciate that it must be like hunting for a ‘Unicorn’ when looking for the perfect listing that complies with all your requirements and all I can do is suggest that like a number of my guests, you message prior to booking and ask the host if they can avoid the use of certain products prior to your arrival.  We always ask our guests if they have any special requirements and do out best to accommodate them.

Kate just because several options could be offered by AirBnB to describe attributes sought by sensitive people does not mean that I or anyone else for that matter seek all of them simultaneously.

 

We don't seek or need unicorns. We mostly need short-term rentals without dryer sheet or air freshener odors. Everything else is bonus.

We don't ask people who want conventional amenities to "hunt" for them. I can search right now for properties matching "crib", "iron" and "hair dryer", and find the 181 properties listed on AirBnB that satisfy these requirements. The people who need this specific combination of things are not being required to individually contact hundreds or thousands of hosts and individually ask. I just want the same thing.

 

If conventional amenities and luxuries are searchable in exquisite detail, then it's not too much to ask to have a box to search for "no air fresheners used" and "unscented linens".

 

It matters not just because it's a convenience for guests. It matters because it demonstrates to hosts that this is important. More hosts will reconsider their use of air fresheners and scented laundry detergents if AirBnB educates them on this issue by supporting no air fresheners used and unscented linens as an amenity.

@Brian450   You are  missing the point that 'iron' is a specific thing, there is either an iron or not.  Noise, air quality, healthy mattress and fragrance free are subjective.  

Only when you phrase them the way you just did. These things can be phrased much more specifically, and then they become specific and objective. I've already suggested 

 

"no air fresheners used" and "unscented linens".

 

Whether the host sprays Febreze or not, or has Glade plugins installed, is a specific and objective thing, just like whether there is an iron in the rental or not.

 

Likewise, the laundry detergent used on the linens is not a matter of opinion. Is it 7th Generation Free & Clear, or Tide, or perhaps even Fabuloso? These are objective differences, and for about a third of the population, they can make-or-break the experience. 

 

Amen!

Whether a mattress is "healthy" is indeed subjective, but whether it's "certified organic" is not. 

Fragrance free is not subjective! Neither is air quality or a healthy matress 

Yes!!! Kudos to this

 

And we don't need unicorns, we need a business to care about those with medical conditions who need search criteria that recognizes them as well.

well put Brian450.  This is not only about enabling MCS suffereings (and people who are just disgusted by these toxic odors) it's also about educating profoundly ignorant hosts who have never even HEARD of MCS or even CONSIDERED the possibility that their gl@de plugin might be highly toxic, or those scented linens might give a LOT of people headaches. 

 

and then there's fabr#ze .   REALLY disgusting but almost universally embraced as a "clean" smell.  The thing is, there ARE healthy ways to achieve a "clean smell" without carpet bombing people with toxic scents bombs.

 

Sure, most people walk into a room and smell that "clean" frabr#ze smell, and a huge sense of comfort and joy fills their soul, but there is a FAST growing number of us that instantly KNOW that our body is now under ATTACK.  It's no joke once you start learning about these toxic products, they ARE toxic.  People need to know.  Air BnB hosts need to  know.

 

Yes they are WARY of those SUPER "picky" people that don't want to breath toxic chemicals into their bodies all night long, or don't like dog smells, I get that.   Those are seen as the NIGHTMARE guests for many hosts...I get that.  Still...this is a real and present danger for some, and a huge discomfort for others, should these people be ignored completely?  if you can search for places that include WINE GLASSES, you should be able to search for places that USE NO AIR FRESHENERS at the very LEAST.  my GOD those are gross....some people think they are wizards because they BOMB the place with W#zard air freshener, but those chemical actually DO cause neurological damage.  should we PUNISH the most intelligent guests by forcing them to CALL each listing to see if the host is profoundly ignorant of these things?   we also just want to know HOW ignorant the host is, these additional checkboxes would give us a great idea without having to call.

 

NO AIR FRESHENERS USED

UNSCENTED LINENS (with some explanation like: no dryer sheets or toxic environmentally unsound detergent and/or fabric softener)

NO CARPET

 

just those 3 checkboxes would be HUGE for a LOT of (highly intelligent aware) people.

 

and remember, this isn't JUST about helping people find healthy accomadations, this is ALSO about stopping pollution.  Those toxic laundry products are devastating our planet, it's no joke, it's very serious pollution when you are using these toxic laundry products and it goes RIGHT into the ocean in many cases.

 

people need to be taught about these things, and people who are well aware of these things need to be able to avoid them more easily.  This is a thing.  it's a big deal.  It's happening now, it's a revolution, it's the future as more and MORE people wake up to these facts.  There ARE healthy alternatives to this horrible stuff, and make no mistake, this stuff is a HORROR show for your health whether you have MCS or not, and it's also a HORROR show for the planet (big time)

 

go and look at the pollution in the ocean, there are a LOT of dryer sheets floating at sea, so people can pollute their bodies AND the planet at the same time with those!  woohooo.  and all those scented toxic detergents and fabric "softeners" are flowing right into our oceans.  Really a bad situation.  Is Air BnB a bull**bleep** company like most of the companies in the world today?  or can they at LEAST make a TINY effort to help raise awareness and help people avoid toxic exposure to their bodies AND help reduce pollution to the planet.

 

if we have NON SMOKING as an option, we MUST also have NO AIR FRESHENERS USED.

 

this issue won't go away...it's only going to get more and more imporant as more and more people learn about this crap.    Just a few new checkboxes isn't going to kill anyone or start a barrage of refund request, it just isn't. 

 

in fact, if someone sees the "no air fresheners" checkbox has been selected, and then there ARE fragrances, which WILL happen, you will have an unhappy guest but the same is true if they check the "No smoking" box and then you smell someone smoking...hosts should not LIE to people in the description right? 

 

if they are honest, and there ARE no air fresheners used, you will have a win win.  a happy host and a happy client.  as far as disgruntled guests, we just want honesty here, that's all.  Lack of honesty SHOULD be grounds for a refund wouldn't you agree? Lack of awareness is a part of this issue, but if these new "woke" checkboxes are EXPLAINED, then the non woke will at least be able to be honest and at the end of the day... all MOST guests want is simply an honest listing.

 

 

 

 

I think it’s reasonable to have a fragrance free filter. MCS is going up 200-300% per year! 32.2 of the population is sensitive to fragrances. Let’s say you disinfect with lysol, at least make sure it’s the unscented version (I’m sure it’s still toxic) but that can help people with mild to medium MCS. You have freebreze air refreshner in your bathroom. Buy the unscented version (it works just as well) they also have the “air” version that’s scented, but not as heavily scented. Dove unscented soap costs just as much as the scented version. Air purifiers will help with the virus also (probably better than any disinfectant since the chance of getting it from a surface is very small. The CDC said it’s like 1 in 2,800). Pantene has a FF or it might be unscented version. I don’t use any of those products. I shop at wholefoods. But you get the point that you can easily switch the products to the FF/unscented versions. If restaurants accommodate people with nut/dairy/gluten allergies and schools have nut free zones. Why can’t we get accommodated?? You can easily see how healthy a product is on ewg for a health score