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Old 09-20-2019, 06:10 AM
 
9,952 posts, read 6,577,544 times
Reputation: 19649

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Quote:
Originally Posted by settled00 View Post
That would totally suck not to be able to open your windows and smell fresh air or fresh cut grass, or the beautiful aromas from the garden. Consider living where I do, in a neighborhood where most days you can't even open a window unless you want your entire house and clothes smelling like curry or hukkah.

Trust me, both seem 'toxic' to me when it gets too heavy, which is most on Sundays ALL DAY starting in early AM.
My old townhouse was near a water treatment plant in a marshy area. The smells in that area when there were low clouds and the wind was blowing the wrong way were not delightful, to say the least. They would even permeate with the windows closed (my windows were old and my chimney was not really functional).

 
Old 09-20-2019, 07:32 AM
 
2,176 posts, read 1,302,869 times
Reputation: 5574
Quote:
Originally Posted by in_newengland View Post
Can you have a talk with them? Some of that stuff is really toxic--the fabric softeners people use, I don't know how they stand the smell. I get the stench sometimes walking around the neighborhood but not in my own home.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/dr...xic-chemicals/

I only read this fast but it seems to admit that some of the chemicals are dangerous. I think it said there was a form of Bounce that was pretty acceptable. Maybe suggest to the neighbors that the odor gives you terrible headaches? Then tell them about one of the alternatives. It seems that people who use stuff are going to use stuff anyway so you would have to give them an alternative to use. Formaldehyde, acetone--you don't really want to be breathing it and some of the "fragrances" smell terrible.
I am surprised that nobody feels sympathy for the OP.
Those scents he/she is talking about is an unnecessary, dangerous- may cause a dryer fire, and unhealthy pollutants- and should be called that.
I can smell the laundry’s pollutants on people’ s clothing while browsing the stores - from quite far away!
Why would someone willingly pay good money to bathe themselves and their loved ones, including children in harmful revoltingly smelling chemical pollutants is beyond my understanding . Ignorance?
Perhaps they even buying organic food, but do much worse for their family in the laundry room. The skin is the largest organ in the body- and pollutants pass through it in to the bloodstream.

Hope, someone will start a class action lawsuits- we managed it with the cigarettes and work place perfume...Smoking cigarettes was legal, until it was not- in public.
OP, you have my sympathy!

Last edited by Nik4me; 09-20-2019 at 07:41 AM..
 
Old 09-20-2019, 10:09 AM
 
9,725 posts, read 7,549,607 times
Reputation: 24139
Quote:
Originally Posted by Withinpines View Post
Thanks for these suggestions. We have overcast days, clouds hold pollution down trapping it in our air space. The nearly round the clock smell boggles us. One neighbor with a large family works a night/swing shift schedule and does laundry at 4 am. Another has teenagers who keep late night hours doing laundry. There are different "flavors" at different times and we dont plan on knocking on our neighbors doors. It's not their fault these new formulations are too strong smelling. We've just dealt with it for about four years. The smell makes us feel sick and one of our children has asthma. Cloudy, windless days cause stagnate air. A sunny, windy location would be healthier, having less pollution. I'm guessing this is the new normal with everything being overly scented. I never imagined the air coming in my windows would be chemically fragranced....it's odd this is ok with people.
No one is saying it's a new normal, but my goodness, how close are you to your neighbors? And how low is your cloud cover where you are?

If you don't want to move, what about putting a fan blowing out of your window?
 
Old 09-20-2019, 04:53 PM
 
13,262 posts, read 7,936,831 times
Reputation: 30752
Quote:
Originally Posted by Withinpines View Post
This is what comes in our windows nearly round the clock now. We're unable to keep windows open on hot days/nights. It's rare if the air smells fresh around our home. This harmful pollution makes us feel sick. It's hard to believe this is allowed/accepted now. Has anyone tried to stop this, or written/called the maufacturers of laundry products? It's chemical trespass when it exits the polluters dryer vent and enters my open windows and yard space.

Are you the same person who tried to sue the BBQers in Australlia?
 
Old 09-20-2019, 05:03 PM
 
13,262 posts, read 7,936,831 times
Reputation: 30752
I work in an area next to a large dump that's burning underground, toward another large dump that has nuclear waste. Sometimes, the smell burns my nose.


OP, your problem is easy enough to fix. get a box fan, stick it in the window, to push the smell out and away from you.
 
Old 09-20-2019, 07:47 PM
 
Location: near bears but at least no snakes
26,637 posts, read 28,442,766 times
Reputation: 50443
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/scented...s-study-finds/

A small study suggests scented laundry items contain carcinogens that waft through vents, potentially raising cancer risk.

https://ackermancancercenter.com/blo...bric-softeners

Unfortunately, there are many harmful chemicals in fabric softeners, including BPA, which may affect your body in a variety of ways.

Fabric softener coats clothes with many harmful chemicals, including one called QUATS (quaternary ammonium compounds) which is linked to asthma.

Another chemical in softener is benzyl acetate. This substance has been linked to pancreatic cancer

Softeners also include A-Terpineol, which is linked with central nervous system (CNS) and respiratory disorders.


Do we need more reasons to avoid things like fabric softeners and dryer sheets? They also emit vapors that irritate the eyes and respiratory system. It's just a ploy from the manufacturers so they can make money. They don't want people to know how harmful these things are. Yet people wash babies' clothing and use these products on them. Then the poor baby gets an exposure to this stuff.

I don't blame anyone for not wanting to inhale this stuff. When I walk down the street and come to a house where someone's using one of these products, I hold my breath it smells so awful and sort of makes me sick. Probably I am more sensitive than others but it's getting so bad that some people don't even seem to notice when something smells sickening and artificial.

I don't think this junk is regulated by any government agency so they can just add anything they want no matter what illnesses it may cause. You can use white vinegar in your wash if you need to "soften" anything.

I think the idea of getting a fan for the window is good. Don't let that bad air into your house. Legally, there's nothing you can do but the fan will blow the vapors away. You shouldn't have to breathe unpleasant and potentially dangerous chemicals.
 
Old 09-20-2019, 08:19 PM
 
Location: Wine Country
6,103 posts, read 8,763,214 times
Reputation: 12324
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sassybluesy View Post
Are you the same person who tried to sue the BBQers in Australlia?
Too funny!
 
Old 09-20-2019, 11:41 PM
 
Location: USA
643 posts, read 1,149,624 times
Reputation: 466
Where we live, the air is wonderful and we keep the windows open ... until someone starts using those "lovely" dryer fragrances. At that point, we close the windows and use an air filter fan to clean the scent from our indoor air. Works great, and fast.


I'm with everyone else. Not sure why users of these scented dryer sheets or scented laundry detergents smell good. OP, I feel for you.


Added: we're using the Hamilton Beach True Air Filters, which we got from Amazon ... not some several-hundred-dollar home filters. Works a treat.
 
Old 09-21-2019, 07:21 AM
 
1,733 posts, read 1,194,263 times
Reputation: 9511
I don't use dryer sheets myself.

I may smell them on someone close wearing clothing right out of a dryer but I can't say that I have ever noticed dryer sheet odor while walking down the street or blowing in my open window. I smell other stuff just fine so I don't think it's an impaired sense of smell. Obviously, some are more sensitive to it than I am.

Last edited by CatzPaw; 09-21-2019 at 07:42 AM..
 
Old 09-21-2019, 07:31 AM
 
Location: USA
643 posts, read 1,149,624 times
Reputation: 466
Okay. Or, it could be your neighbor doing it.
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