Why I Hate Air Fresheners (And Why You Should, Too)

[MICHAELSD]

75% of US households have air fresheners throughout. And I can not stand it. There are so many negative effects of air fresheners that outweigh the excuse of not keep a house clean enough for it to smell decently.

To start, eating with air freshener smell is annoying. Fruity scents and food don't blend. Chemicals that many let out are toxic. They have been proven to cause cancerous cells, adverse effects in infants, people to develop asthma, and more. I prefer natural wood, plastic, glass smells throughout the house to a cheap way to hide a dirty house.

My next complaint is that I do not want my gadgets, clothes, etc. to smell like whatever the air freshener is. My bag doesn't smell, but after being in one air freshener addict's house, my Apple iPad case smells, and I hate it. My iPad has less of that "new smell", too. You're also potentially making the house smell permanently for new buyers.

There's so many things to hate about the air fresheners that so many people use to hide their lack of cleaniness and laziness to open a window to let out unwanted smells. I can't be the only person on here who absolutely hates air fresheners.

 

[dmr727]

75% of US households have air fresheners throughout.

Link?

 

[Tomorrow]

Fruity scents and food don't blend.

Dude, fruit is food. How does the smell of strawberries not blend with the flavor of a banana?

...so many people use to hide their lack of cleaniness and laziness to open a window to let out unwanted smells. I can't be the only person on here who absolutely hates air fresheners.

You know, not everyone who uses air fresheners does so to hide the smells of a dirty house. It's quite reasonable to have an air freshener in a clean house, too.

In any event, I'm glad you got it all off your chest. I'm certain you feel a million times better now.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Link?

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1664954,00.html

The percentage may have went higher or lower over the last two and a half years, but 75% should still be close to the percentage today.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Dude, fruit is food. How does the smell of strawberries not blend with the flavor of a banana?

I don't know about you, but some psuedo fruity/waterfall smell is a little annoying when eating a meal. You would probably not like a restaurant that is using air fresheners or scented candles at every table.

 

[flopticalcube]

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1664954,00.html

The percentage may have went higher or lower over the last two and a half years, but 75% should still be close to the percentage today.

Well, that's hardly "throughout". The article says that 75% have an air freshener of some sort in the house. I'd rather open a window or two or strike a match in the bathroom.

 

[Melrose]

I don't know about you, but some psuedo fruity/waterfall smell is a little annoying when eating a meal. You would probably not like a restaurant that Is using air fresheners or scented candles at every table.

I totally agree with you. There is a big difference between real scents and falsies. Even some of the real, genuine, essential-oil-based jobs people can go overboard with. It's like people are afraid to not be smelling something all the time.

Still, I always prefer neutral settings (no sound, no smells, no bright lights) than not..

 

[bamaworks]

Well, that's hardly "throughout". The article says that 75% have an air freshener of some sort in the house. I'd rather open a window or two or strike a match in the bathroom.

Wouldn't you say you're splitting hairs here? He said that the largest percentage of homes use air fresheners, and the article supports that. Move along.

 

[RawBert]

I hate rose scented Air Wick combined with poop.

It's nauseating. *dry heave* Ha!

 

[Tomorrow]

I don't know about you, but some psuedo fruity/waterfall smell is a little annoying when eating a meal. You would probably not like a restaurant that is using air fresheners or scented candles at every table.

A restaurant is a completely different matter; their goal is to sell you food. They stand a better chance of doing that by letting you smell the food. But then, I don't recall ever noticing an air freshener in the dining room of a restaurant.

 

[flopticalcube]

Wouldn't you say you're splitting hairs here? He said that the largest percentage of homes use air fresheners, and the article supports that. Move along.

Splitting hairs is what I do best! In the OP, he made it sound like 75% of houses have air fresheners throughout whereas the reality (according to the article) is that 75% have at least one, somewhere, in the house. Many of those probably don't even use it.

 

[meisterjager]

I hate rose scented Air Wick combined with poop.

It's nauseating. *dry heave* Ha!

It's gotten to the point where I sense that smell and instantly think it must be masking the smell of poop!

 

[MacDawg]

While working my way through my list of things in the world I am really concerned about I have yet to make it to "hate air fresheners enough to post about them". Not saying I won't get there, but just haven't made it down that far yet.

 

[iOrlando]

75%? i doubt that figure. isnt it something like 90% of households have a TV.

i know maybe some houses have one little thing plugged into an outlet somewhere but to say that 75% have them throughout the house. ( just read the article...didnt say throughout the house..they are including handheld bathroom kind)..

bigger question is what is causing the need for these air fresheners? one should tackle that issue first.

 

[themoonisdown09]

bigger question is what is causing the need for these air fresheners? one should tackle that issue first.

I think one good reason for air fresheners is the fact that not everyone likes the smell of ****.

 

[yg17]

Link?

95% of all statistics are made up on the spot

 

[rdowns]

Did someone just fart in here?

 

[Disc Golfer]

Air fresheners smell like chemical death. Most of the people I've encountered using air fresheners are usually old lady types, girlfriends' moms and the like. The same sort of people that, when visiting my house, make little condescending remarks about how only drugged out hippys burn incense because they have to cover up the dope smell. But if I were using the burning plastic air freshener product available at walmarts everywhere it would be ok.

 

[H00513R]

I don't use air fresheners, colognes or anything like that because they give me headaches. If I walk past a Yankee Candle Company I about pass out!

 

[mgguy]

While working my way through my list of things in the world I am really concerned about I have yet to make it to "hate air fresheners enough to post about them". Not saying I won't get there, but just haven't made it down that far yet.

But you just did.

 

[ltldrummerboy]

The title of this thread looks like something The Oatmeal would write. Not what I was expecting. That said, I don't use air fresheners.

 

[samiwas]

Everyone should know by now that everything in the world is dangerous and will kill you. Cigarettes will kill you. High Fructose Corn Syrup will kill you. Meat is dangerous and will kill you. Vegetables are dangerous and will kill you. You just have to decide how much you want to hide from it all. If air fresheners are really that big of a deal to you, just make sure to steer clear of aisle 10 at the store. I couldn't care less.

 

[wackymacky]

75% of ........ I prefer natural wood, plastic, glass smells throughout the house .......

Glass has a sent? Really?

Got an iPhone? cellular phone use has been assocated with cancer too, don't you know.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Glass has a sent? Really?

Got an iPhone? cellular phone use has been assocated with cancer too, don't you know.

I know my MacBook Pro and my iPad have a distinct smell from the fresh aluminum from Apple's process that becomes less pronounced throughout usage. Call me crazy, but I prefer whatever smell nice furniture/gadgets naturally have, if any, to a chemical scent. Just a neutral enviorment without any other additional smells.

 

[Decrepit]

I know my MacBook Pro and my iPad have a distinct smell from the fresh aluminum from Apple's process that becomes less pronounced throughout usage. Call me crazy, but I prefer whatever smell nice furniture/gadgets naturally have, if any, to a chemical scent. Just a neutral enviorment without any other additional smells.

Ah yes, sweet formaldehyde.

Anyway, I have a pretty sensitive nose, so being near people who bathe in perfume or slather on lotion makes my eyes burn.

I go to hockey games, so a high density enclosed environment. Women show up, and 99% of them you can't smell anything except maybe food they just bought at the vendor's. But once in a while, you get somebody who lives at a perfume counter or something. I have to pull my shirt over my nose and filter the air through it.

I prefer to air a room out rather than put something in that emits artificial scents.