Increase in artificial scents sensitivity - anyone else?

[perchance dreamer]

Skunks are also cute, and well-mannered (if you're not trying to raise chicks or other tempting dinners). My brother-in-law's family raised one as a pet, without de-scenting.

And then there's the amorous skunk Pepe Le Pew, for those of us raised on Bugs Bunny. He was handsome, but not particularly well mannered.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

the amorous skunk Pepe Le Pew,

Loved that........

They've probably pulled those and locked them away, such a very BAD skunk, is that PEPE.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

so now I am wondering, having known people who befriended skunks- do skunks smell of Ambient Skunk?

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Sharing that I"m now living in a place where Perfumes are very common.

I made the mistake of blowing my nose into the wrong toilet paper.

We also had to ask the nursing staff to watch The Cologne.

 

[godlovesatrier]

Saw skunk and thought you meant marijuana haha!

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Saw skunk and thought you meant marijuana haha!

they had to install giant fans...in a town near me on the greenhouses which once grew flowers to put into vases.

whole neighbor hoods are now Skunked.

 

[Judee]

We also had to ask the nursing staff to watch The Cologne.

Yeah, the home health agencies didn't have a no fragrance policy when my Mom was prescribed some of that. I think that's a shame esp since she had COPD so one would think the two together are a bad mix. (Like me, she also had MCS.)

I had a roofing estimator come in a couple days ago...lots of cologne. (Honestly, I don't remember my Dad putting on cologne to go to work. He worked in an office and wore a suit but I don't remember him wearing cologne all the time.)

After the estimator went outside to scan my roof, I turned on the air purifier. Still the odors lingered after he left.

I then put the purifier on turbo, wiped down the areas where he sat (vinyl ottoman), touched (table/door handles) or even walked but I couldn't get rid of that smell and it was bothering me still last night (headache/swollen brain feeling).

So I prayed and remembered a couple other times when I had used drug store peroxide in a spray bottle to get rid of scents. I tried it again. I think it helped.

This morning, I can still smell that smell but it's finally less now.

 

[Wishful]

I had a roofing estimator come in a couple days ago

Choose your roofing carefully. Asphalt shingles will probably outgass for a long time. I highly recommend metal roofing. It's a bit more expensive, but lasts longer and is recyclable afterwards. White makes a big difference in keeping your house cool (little difference in keeping warm in winter). Metal also reduces water pollution and doesn't fill your drain system with grit.

 

[perchance dreamer]

We really like our metal roof because it's required very little maintenance through the years, and we love the sound of rain on the roof.

 

[Wayne]

I recently heard from a friend that vinyl siding can be very toxic, especially to residents of a house in the first few years. I just did a quick search, and came up with the following. It looks like my friend was correct.

Pro/Con: Vinyl is Lethal​

Bill Walsh is founder and executive director of Healthy Building Network, established in 2002 to promote the use of green building materials. Previously, Walsh coordinated some Greenpeace USA campaigns, and held staff attorney positions with the US Public Interest Research Group and at Georgetown University Law Center.

From Cradle to Grave, It’s the Worst Choice​

The environmental, health, and social equity impacts of vinyl throughout its life cycle – from production to use to disposal – make it the worst plastic for the environment and the antithesis of a green building material.

Production​

Vinyl is the only plastic, and the only major building material, made from high volumes of chlorine – chlorine gas, that is. Thus there is an unfortunate domino effect tied to vinyl’s chlorine content (which in final products can exceed 50% by weight) that is not present in the life cycles of alternative materials. In fact, vinyl production requires consuming in excess of 40% of the chlorine gas produced in this country. That is the largest use of the gas in the world. By comparison, 5% of the nation’s chlorine gas is used to disinfect water – and that includes sewage treatment....

 

[Wishful]

Vinyl doesn't, AFAIK, outgass chlorine. It does outgass vinyl chloride, which is toxic, but a quick look made it sound like the majority of the outgassing is relatively quick (weeks).

People do like to attack artificial materials (They're EVIL!!!!), and suggest natural materials, but have a look at some of the chemicals outgassed by wood. I've worked with various woods, and that "lovely aroma" of cedar or some resinous tropical hardwood can be as strong as a splash of perfume, and some of it is chemicals evolved to fight fungi or insects. Natural doesn't mean safe.

 

[Judee]

I'm not sure. I do think there are different kinds. For instance I can't do PVC vinyl but we went with some vinyl furniture because the odor was very low and I react very strongly to dust mites which fabric furniture is known for.

This is what Perplexity.ai said:

"Yes, furniture vinyl and PVC vinyl are different. PVC vinyl, or polyvinyl chloride, is a synthetic plastic material that can be rigid or soft and malleable
2
. On the other hand, furniture vinyl can be PVC-free, made from materials such as polyester, nylon, and polyurethane, and does not contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC-free vinyl has a lower level of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) than traditional vinyl, which can help improve indoor air quality
1
. Additionally, PVC-free vinyl is often made with energy-efficient processes, reducing the amount of energy required to produce it, resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions and a reduced carbon footprint
1
. Therefore, while PVC vinyl is a type of synthetic plastic material, furniture vinyl, especially PVC-free vinyl, is designed to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly."

Not sure of the accuracy of ai but the furniture we bought never seemed to offgas really that much. I never felt sick around it and I react pretty quickly to things so I think it might be low VOC. ???

 

[Wishful]

From wiki: "In polymer chemistry, vinyl polymers are a group of polymers derived from substituted vinyl monomers. Their backbone is an extended alkane chain [−CH₂−CHR−]. In popular usage, "vinyl" refers only to polyvinyl chloride."

For many plastics, it's not the main polymer that outgasses, it's the plasticisers and other modifiers. For cheap soft articles, I think it's common for them to use the cheapest modifiers, which outgass quickly, rendering the article brittle quickly. For sensitive people, a sniff test is a good idea. I'm not sensitive, but I still encounter products that fail my "Wow that's strong just being near it" test.

 

[belize44]

My ring camera chimed, and I noticed the postal person delivering my mail had a large spray bottle in their carrier bag. I saw them use it before they delivered the mail. And, Voila! When I opened my door to pick up the mail, I was engulfed with strong scent. Why on earth is this person scenting my mail? I had to put it all on the back porch for a few hours and it still stank when I brought it inside.