Fifty plus years my body has been allergy free. The answer to the doctor's allergy question has always been, "No, no allergies." Dry hands in December are a common Minnesota malady, so I availed myself of lotion in a public restroom. Thirty minutes later red inflamed skin, itchiness, and a feeling of hot flashes was overwhelming me. A friend who has allergies quickly drove to the drug store for good ol' Benadryl. Twice the lotion got me. A third time the reaction came from a popular coffee drink I've had many times before.
The latest was a surprise. It occurred after showing a house which smelled of some kind of perfumed spray when we entered. It's a mystery what I touched, what I inhaled, or what touched me, but I found myself digging for the Benadryl once again as we left the showing.
It's been my practice to recommend against potpourri, air fresheners, and perfumed sprays when listing a house in St. Paul. There are a lot of people with allergies that may not view the house because of the allergic reaction to one of these scents. Previously, the reason given was about other people. Now, it's become rather personal!
I feel your pain Bonnie! I was just diagnosed with dog allergies to my dog whom I have had for 14 years!!
Benadryl is a wonderful thing for allergies, but won't cure the offense to the senses some of those air deoderants cause!
Posted by: Lisa Dunn | February 28, 2007 at 04:10 PM
You're so right, Lisa.
Posted by: Bonnie Erickson | February 28, 2007 at 04:25 PM
Why scents may not make cents when trying to sell your home.
For many home sellers and realtors 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 good news.
The savvy, health consious home buyer of today 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 and more often than not these chemical fragrances make people very sick. They have kids with asthma and allergies. They themselves might suffer from migraines, respiratory illness or fragrance sensitivity.
Home buyers know that clean should not have a smell. 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 system and will never come out, no matter what you do.
With the growing population of people suffering with fragrance sensitivity, Asthma, respiratory conditions 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.
After all, you do want your home to take a buyers breath away... but not literally.
Posted by: Kathy | March 05, 2007 at 07:43 PM
Thanks for the comments, Kathy, and welcome to my blog. My grandson is one of those with allergies. Until my last 4 months, I've wondered where it came from. For those with allergies, it is an all encompassing and "ever on your mind" factor in everything we do in life.
Posted by: Bonnie Erickson | March 06, 2007 at 08:20 AM