Post by High Priestess on May 30, 2016 21:29:25 GMT
Dee shared on Culver City Hosts
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-102733
Travel Odors
Hi all. I have a guest that arrived from Indonesia and is to be my guest for 3 months. Has anyone dealt with my guest problem and can anyone provide me suggestions on how to graciously eliminate my problem. My guest arrived from Indonesia with the strong odor of mothballs. On the first day of her arrival I got nauseated from her aroma. I did confess my nausea to my guest, and thereafter, the 2nd day of her arrival she allowed me to place her suitcases in the garage to air out and cooperated with me by allowing me to re-wash/rinse most of her washables and I steamed her non-washable clothing in my new steam clothes dryer. After 2 weeks, the odor (strong smell of mothballs) does seem to be evaporating. What can I do to assist my guest with clearing out this strong smell that travels throughout my common areas whenever she opens her room door or whenever she walks through the common areas directly from her room. Somebody, somebody help me please!
15 comments
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judalon
judalona year ago
Wow! This is a new one for me. Fabreeze? Sounds like you've done more than I would have thought to do.
Like
Dee
Deea year ago
Well thanks for the encouraging word, Judalon. I meant to state that the odor IS NOT evaporating. I suspect she may be harboring some mothballs in her items w/o knowing the effects on the rest of my home. In any event, I decided to share my internet search on the pesticide harm in them here in America and continue to assist her with clearing out the odor. I'll keep the group posted on my results. Thanks, Dee
Like
judalon
judalona year ago
If you have a STEAMER that will kill the bacteria & odor. I bought a professional clothes steamer years ago and now you can even get them at Bed, Bath & Beyond for 1/3 the price I paid and you can steam the suitcase, her bed, the curtains, everything. We also have a floor steamer for cleaning the floors. Steam does seem to eliminate all odors and then follow up with a bottle of Fabreeze if you can deal with the chemical compound. I prefer to use a diffuser with spearmint oil or eucalyptus oil. Finally, they use USED COFFEE GROUNDS to absorb smells from crime scenes; just set them in the room on newspaper or a tray because they are wet so you don't want to harm or stain anything, but they do need open exposure in the room.
Like
Dee
Deea year ago
Thanks so much. I will report on the results of each of your suggestions for use by other hosts.
Like
Carlos
Carlosa year ago
Baking soda mixed with white vinegar diluted 50_50 with water . Mix it in a gallon jug only half way because it will fizz and expand like champagne.
Like
Carlos
Carlosa year ago
You can put it in your washer
Like
Carlos
Carlosa year ago
And on a spray bottle.
Like
Dee
Deea year ago
Thank you Carlos. I do this regularly for my towels & linen. My challenge is to get my guest to re-wash her items in this solution. I will suggest it to her and see what happens.
Like
Dee
Deea year ago
Also, I finally had the odor conversation with my guest. I had already found a website about Indonesian culture that referred to the cultures heavy use of mothballs to kill roaches. This site offered a word translator, So I translated the words: mothball, chemical, pesticide, and cancer into her language. I shared these words written down on paper, and I felt she really understood my concerns and agreed to work with me to evaporate the odor. She profusely shared her own dislike of mothballs in her country. We put coffee grinds in her room last night. She offered to buy a room spray of her choosing to reduce the chemical smell odors and she said she would rewash some of her clothing. I also asked her why did she return the suitcases to her room, when I provide her a cabinet with shelving for her clothing. She said, "oh, it was dusty so I didn't use it". I told her it was not dusty when she moved into the room and she could simply remove the dust. "I thought...go figure
Like
Carlos
Carlosa year ago
Even if she spray mists items will deodorize and neutralize. Great for all cleaning needs, shower soap scum, bacteria, etc. Just apply and walk away for 15 minutes and then wipe off, where you need it abrasive
Like
Carlos
Carlosa year ago
Just add a little vinegar to the baking soda to be a paste
Like
Carlos
Carlosa year ago
Cleans plumbing hardware without hurting the finish
Like
judalon
judalona year ago
Dee I think it was wise of you to investigate her culture, it made me start thinking that every time I get a foreign guest I should check out cultural issues so I won't insult them without knowing and also have a bit of advance notice on possible issues. Sounds like you have it under control.
Like
Dee
Deea year ago
Thank you Judalon and Carlos for your feedback. Alas, my guest has decided to abort her stay with me. She is a young 20's something student and says she is very stressed out with concern about her odor, because she "absolutely cannot smell anything". She could not even smell the coffee grinds I put in her room. She simply refuses to continue working on the problem and says her family is urging her to get a studio apt. and live by herself for the duration of her time in LA. I feel badly about this whole situation. I ,too, will investigate the odor culture of my future international guests because 90% have been international in my 3 years as an AirBnB Host. Never has the problem been this extreme or this offensive. I guess there is a 1st time for "EVERYTHING"
Like
judalon
judalona year ago
Glad to hear it's resolved. Does sound like she needs her own space.
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-102733
Travel Odors
Hi all. I have a guest that arrived from Indonesia and is to be my guest for 3 months. Has anyone dealt with my guest problem and can anyone provide me suggestions on how to graciously eliminate my problem. My guest arrived from Indonesia with the strong odor of mothballs. On the first day of her arrival I got nauseated from her aroma. I did confess my nausea to my guest, and thereafter, the 2nd day of her arrival she allowed me to place her suitcases in the garage to air out and cooperated with me by allowing me to re-wash/rinse most of her washables and I steamed her non-washable clothing in my new steam clothes dryer. After 2 weeks, the odor (strong smell of mothballs) does seem to be evaporating. What can I do to assist my guest with clearing out this strong smell that travels throughout my common areas whenever she opens her room door or whenever she walks through the common areas directly from her room. Somebody, somebody help me please!
15 comments
Follow
Like
judalon
judalona year ago
Wow! This is a new one for me. Fabreeze? Sounds like you've done more than I would have thought to do.
Like
Dee
Deea year ago
Well thanks for the encouraging word, Judalon. I meant to state that the odor IS NOT evaporating. I suspect she may be harboring some mothballs in her items w/o knowing the effects on the rest of my home. In any event, I decided to share my internet search on the pesticide harm in them here in America and continue to assist her with clearing out the odor. I'll keep the group posted on my results. Thanks, Dee
Like
judalon
judalona year ago
If you have a STEAMER that will kill the bacteria & odor. I bought a professional clothes steamer years ago and now you can even get them at Bed, Bath & Beyond for 1/3 the price I paid and you can steam the suitcase, her bed, the curtains, everything. We also have a floor steamer for cleaning the floors. Steam does seem to eliminate all odors and then follow up with a bottle of Fabreeze if you can deal with the chemical compound. I prefer to use a diffuser with spearmint oil or eucalyptus oil. Finally, they use USED COFFEE GROUNDS to absorb smells from crime scenes; just set them in the room on newspaper or a tray because they are wet so you don't want to harm or stain anything, but they do need open exposure in the room.
Like
Dee
Deea year ago
Thanks so much. I will report on the results of each of your suggestions for use by other hosts.
Like
Carlos
Carlosa year ago
Baking soda mixed with white vinegar diluted 50_50 with water . Mix it in a gallon jug only half way because it will fizz and expand like champagne.
Like
Carlos
Carlosa year ago
You can put it in your washer
Like
Carlos
Carlosa year ago
And on a spray bottle.
Like
Dee
Deea year ago
Thank you Carlos. I do this regularly for my towels & linen. My challenge is to get my guest to re-wash her items in this solution. I will suggest it to her and see what happens.
Like
Dee
Deea year ago
Also, I finally had the odor conversation with my guest. I had already found a website about Indonesian culture that referred to the cultures heavy use of mothballs to kill roaches. This site offered a word translator, So I translated the words: mothball, chemical, pesticide, and cancer into her language. I shared these words written down on paper, and I felt she really understood my concerns and agreed to work with me to evaporate the odor. She profusely shared her own dislike of mothballs in her country. We put coffee grinds in her room last night. She offered to buy a room spray of her choosing to reduce the chemical smell odors and she said she would rewash some of her clothing. I also asked her why did she return the suitcases to her room, when I provide her a cabinet with shelving for her clothing. She said, "oh, it was dusty so I didn't use it". I told her it was not dusty when she moved into the room and she could simply remove the dust. "I thought...go figure
Like
Carlos
Carlosa year ago
Even if she spray mists items will deodorize and neutralize. Great for all cleaning needs, shower soap scum, bacteria, etc. Just apply and walk away for 15 minutes and then wipe off, where you need it abrasive
Like
Carlos
Carlosa year ago
Just add a little vinegar to the baking soda to be a paste
Like
Carlos
Carlosa year ago
Cleans plumbing hardware without hurting the finish
Like
judalon
judalona year ago
Dee I think it was wise of you to investigate her culture, it made me start thinking that every time I get a foreign guest I should check out cultural issues so I won't insult them without knowing and also have a bit of advance notice on possible issues. Sounds like you have it under control.
Like
Dee
Deea year ago
Thank you Judalon and Carlos for your feedback. Alas, my guest has decided to abort her stay with me. She is a young 20's something student and says she is very stressed out with concern about her odor, because she "absolutely cannot smell anything". She could not even smell the coffee grinds I put in her room. She simply refuses to continue working on the problem and says her family is urging her to get a studio apt. and live by herself for the duration of her time in LA. I feel badly about this whole situation. I ,too, will investigate the odor culture of my future international guests because 90% have been international in my 3 years as an AirBnB Host. Never has the problem been this extreme or this offensive. I guess there is a 1st time for "EVERYTHING"
Like
judalon
judalona year ago
Glad to hear it's resolved. Does sound like she needs her own space.