Everyone is familiar, no doubt, with the practice of placing air fresheners around the home when the home is for sale. Some people apparently like to have these things around even when the house isn't for sale. Bathrooms are a common place for them. I often see the ones that are a night light with oil in them. The heat of the bulb warms up the oil so that it gives off the desired odors.
I HATE these things----and that puts it mildly. I am one of those people that are bothered by all kinds of perfumes. As an inspector, I don't remark on how nice they smell but want to know what someone is trying to cover up. I often find them in every room in the house when there have been pets---smoking----or the "M" word.
The other day I inspected a commercial property where one of the "rustic" potties once had one of these plug-in oil-filled air fresheners. The lamp was gone, but there were signs of where the genie had left the bottle. Maybe he moved into the paper dispenser above? My guess is that these devices are not UL Listed as cigarette holders to be used while one whizzes or washes one's hands.
As it turns out there is a fair amount of "anecdotal" information on the web as to the safety of these devices but even more "scientific" evidence to support that they actually contribute to worsening the indoor air quality as opposed to improving it.
My nose----feels quite validated.
Charles Buell
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Charles... When I saw this photo, I automatically thought of air fresheners... Cool post...
I thought for sure those were burn marks, but I never would have guessed air freshener. That is what is in our lungs after plugging these things in? NOT GOOD!
Thanks for the warning.
I have concerns about those too, but I love the Warm Vanilla Sugar during the Holidays from Bath and Body works. It is a relaxing non offensive oder.I think what is irritating are the flowered scents.-Dinah Lee
Michael, it wasn't my first thought but with no evidence of fire inside the box I quickly realized it must have been the air freshener.
Todd that is what happens to the wall when they catch on fire:)
Dinah----just use products that don't plug in:)
Charlie,
I do not see those very often. More likely I see the rodent prevention device, marginal in operation as it might be. Nutsy assures me that they are of no value.
Next time he is in the office crank it all the way up and see what happens.
I have a sensitive nose too. I HATE having associates in the office smell highly of perfume or cologne! I once told an agent that I liked that he needed to cut out the offensive cologne. He did but he probably dislikes me still!
Don't these people have noses themselves?:)
I often wonder what these people have to hide that they need a half gallon of bug spray to get rid of it. I was in a house several months ago that had one of these things in (what seemed to be anyway) every outlet. The house smelled so strongly of pumpkin pie spices that I thought the owners left me desert.
Jack, I always wonder the same thing----it just makes me look harder and always document there presence:)
OH man!! I love those things :) I did read about the air quality issue a while back. Maybe you are just pushing me over the hump. I do have two dogs and two cats and that's what I am covering up :(
Renee there are lots of "natural" kinds of things to use---like lavender etc. Pets can be a problem though.
Why scents may not make cents when trying to sell your home.
For many home sellers and real estate agents who believe the TV commercials that claim chemical sprays "sanitize" the air, plug-ins "freshen" the air and Fragrance emitting devices actually clean the air, well...this may not be music to your ears.
The savvy, health conscious home buyer has added chemical fragrances to their list of what they don't want to smell when they are looking to buy a home. These chemical fragrances are now listed right next to mold, cigarette smoke odor and animal urine by many home buyers.
Home buyers today are more educated than ever. Even inexperienced first time home buyers understand that chemical fragrances do not clean the air, they contaminate it with toxic chemicals and more often than not these chemical fragrances make people very sick.
Home buyers have kids with asthma and allergies. They, themselves, might suffer from migraines, respiratory illness, cancer or fragrance sensitivity. Home buyers know that clean should not have a smell, not of disinfectant or chemical emitted fragrances .
So, while the location, square footage and price of your home might be perfect for your would be buyer, the smell of your home just might be the deciding factor on why an offer was not written up.
What does your house smell like?
Once plug in style fragrance emitting devices are used in a home, the oil / fragrance permeates the wallboard as well as flooring. Similar goes for the fragranced dryer sheets in the laundry room. These chemical odors then circulate in the air vent heating and cooling system and will never come out, no matter what you do.
With the growing population of people suffering with fragrance sensitivity, Asthma, respiratory conditions, various cancers and allergies, house hunting can often prove to be quite a challenge.
If you are seriously in the market to sell your home, increase your odds of getting top dollar and more offers by discontinuing the use of fragranced products. Open your windows and let the fresh air in. Clean with non-fragranced products. Your house will then be marketable to all potential buyers... even those with health issues.
Might have been a good place for a "stick-up".
Kathleen, thanks for the great additional information to my post.
Kevin----remember those things you could hang on your rear-view mirror in your car that made it smell like a new car all the time?
Charles - I have to admit that it took me a second to figure out the "M word" here (mold). To give you an idea of my mental state, I thought of "murder" first. Yikes!
Jason, I hope I wasn't being to "presumptuous" thinking that sooner or later everyone would figure out what I meant by the "M" word:)
that picture is digusting! that looks like a gas station bathroom actually. Thanks for sharing. You are so right, people need to use less air fresheners and just clean better.
Sandy---typical men's potty:)
Charlie, I like Michael thought immediately of a plug in air freshener when I saw your photo. It didn't occur to me that they were flammable, but duh, there's oil in these things.
I have had many a client point out an outlet with those sooty stains above and ask if there was a fire. I explain about the air fresheners. Now I have more to add to that explanation.
I printed out that pamphlet for my wife. She is a ah...very conscientious cleaner. Likes using those plug ins and sprays. She also likes opening windows of which I complain because of heat loss. I think I just had a change of heart about those open windows.
Wow. a picture truly is worth 1000 words.
WHen you first walk in a house if I see air fresheners everywhere I also wonder WHY?
James the big "THEY" claim that there is actually very little waste of energy from opening windows a little bit everyday because it is just the air that cools off and the stuff and walls in the room heat the place back up very quickly. I found that pamphlet pretty interesting as well.
Erica, when they are in every room you gotta wonder why.
I've never bought one of those air fresheners. I guess I never will now.
Carol---I doubt that I ever will either----the odors of those things really bother me.