Ew, That Smell
Your room smells good, your house smells good, your car smells good, but what is it doing to your lungs?
Captivating aroma. Heavenly scent. Stink. There are thousands of products made to change the smell of a room, or person. Products like scented candles, incense, diffusers, and room sprays, come in a rainbow of smells. There are scented body washes, colognes, hand lotions, and deodorants. You can have your car fresheners, potpourris, or even units that plug into the electrical outlets. There is scented toilet paper, laundry detergent, and scented tissues.
It is not uncommon, or considered unacceptable, for people to complain about the smell of cigarette smoke, but many people have sensitivity to other smells and are offended by them, or even allergic to some of them. Why is it not equally important to be considerate of these people?
Some of these products are actually worse for people to breathe in than second hand smoke is, and yet there seem to be very few people concerned about them. Take “air fresheners” for example, they pump an assortment of unknown chemicals into the air, undoubtedly sending who knows what, straight into your lungs. It might have been tested, and be called “Safe”, but obviously something is entering our lungs.
What is really alarming, is that many air fresheners do not actually freshen the air, some work by masking, or covering, another odor, or worse, some work by deadening the nerve receptors in your nose for certain types of smells. That scares me, if I have the choice I do not want cigarette smoke in my lungs, nor do I want any chemicals, and I especially don’t want a chemical that is deadening any nerve endings!
When it comes to products used on our skin, it is well known that products with scents often contribute to skin problems. This is why people with eczema have to be careful what they use. Even some things like scented fabric softener can be problematic to a person who is sensitive.
I was traveling through the United States a couple of years back, and rented a car. Even though I am not a person who is overly sensitive to smells I felt overcome by the strong odor. There were no less than five car fresheners in the rental car. I had to put them in the glove compartment. Too much of a good thing, is not necessarily a better thing.
When we burn candles and incense, we put particles into the air, particles, that eventually have to come down, additionally we breathe in many of those chemicals. If you burn a lot of paraffin candles you will certainly notice the thin layer of soot they leave on your windows, try cleaning a window with a piece of white paper towel and you will see a black mark. This is the evidence of soot. This is also in your lungs. When candles are scented it means even more tiny particles are in the air, and in your lungs.
Airplanes and other public transportation have already banned cigarette smoking, but most allow people drenched in perfume to board. People, particularly teens and seniors, often put on too much perfume or cologne. What happens is that in seniors, they have become so used to the smell of their favorite scent that they have to use more and more before they smell it, and as a result tend to over do it. Teenagers, on the other hand, suffer from lack of experience, lured by clever advertising they think more is better, and go wild. Body spray, being the teens weapon of choice.
So for better health, and better air quality, try to be aware of how many scented products you are using. I personally would rather breathe in actual clean air, than air loaded with chemicals labeled as “Clean Scent”.
Liked it
Anne Lyken-Garner | Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
A very interesting article
nobert soloria bermosa | Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
nice stuff,hate the smell of cigarette smoke,and i agree that chemical air fresheners are more likely to be health hazard,thanks B Nelson,
PR Mace | Aug 25, 2008 | Reply
Thanks for the advice. I learned something new.
Verniel Cutar | Aug 26, 2008 | Reply
I’m very sensitive to smells. That’s why I don’t like bathroom perfumes and some brands of body spray. Great article!
M.Pence | Oct 7, 2008 | Reply
And interesting article, but I’ve got to point out that our grandparents and their parents’ parent’s lived by candle and oil lamps–they made it
A little worry about what we are doing, breathing, eating is okay–but too many of the worry about what’s what is bordering a bit on fanatical. Can’t all live in a bubble world!
reddan | Jan 14, 2009 | Reply
i have just gone back to sleeping with an air filter, it circulates air through a HEPA filter to remove air particles and dust.
i do not like the ionizers.
James T | Sep 28, 2009 | Reply
This is, by and large, entirely silly.
Although I completely agree that we should be more socially conscious about people’s sensitivities to smells, I think it’s borderline absurd to worry about the dangers of air-fresheners, especially when they’re used to cover up far more unpleasant smells.
Look, I run a clean house, but I have two dogs. I bathe them regularly, but… they’re dogs. And they smell like dogs on occasion. I would much rather have my guests smell “wild orchard” or whatever the new fragrance is instead of the two slobberhounds by their feet.
HEPA filters are expensive, air ionizing filters are a sham, and Lysol Air and all those products are quick, easy and painless. Absolutely nothing in them is even suspected of being dangerous. As to the claim of “nerve deadening” chemicals, I’ve never heard of such a thing, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Besides, what do you think Tylenol is? Don’t pretend for a moment that Neutra-Air goes up into your brain and permanently corrodes your nerve endings. This is the kind of sensationalism that sparks those “Dangers Lurking in Your Own Home!” specials on the news.
B Nelson | Sep 30, 2009 | Reply
If one person takes a Tylenol it does not cause problems for the person sitting next to them as does a spray on scented chemical. That is the problem. I never said anything permanently corrodes nerve endings, but if you have a choice why take it?
If things ar enot suspected of being dangerous why do some tell you not to use around pets or durring pregnancy? oh believe me there are lots of products in use that are suspected of being dangerous. just apparently not dangerous enough to warrant somebody not making money selling them.
Sarah | Nov 19, 2009 | Reply
lately I have noticed that incense smells seem to be irritating my breathing nothing to bad but just enough to feel like haaaaa and need fresh air QUICK also I feel like haaaaaa when Im around people cleaning with certain cleaning detergents chemicals like bleach I need to run outside and breathe and having the heat on to high in the room bothers me as well I use a air inhaler and it makes a BIG difference should I be worried? I mean do I just have a sensitivity to scent that bothers my lungs or does this sound like asthma? or just weak lungs