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Old 05-13-2019, 12:47 AM   #1
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WHY Do people use Air "Fresheners" in their Motorhomes!!?

Soooo, I've gone to look at a few now that I feel have been ruined with air fresheners. These "fresheners" are petrochemicals, you cannot get them out of plastics (think plastic bottle after storing gasoline) so the smell has completely permeated into the cushions, carpeting, ceiling, fabric and so on.


For the life of me I don't understand why in such a small space people would use something so unhealthy and toxic?


Anyway, just a rant, has anybody else had this issue when trying to buy an RV? I bought one many years ago thinking I could get the smell out of and after months of airing it out, shock treating with ozone, baking soda, and cleaning the smell wouldn't budge so I sold it.
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Old 05-13-2019, 05:45 AM   #2
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Maybe the same reason some use perfume instead of bathing????

Keep it clean and maybe some natural herbs around.
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Old 05-13-2019, 05:50 AM   #3
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Same reason there are lots of used cars that smell like the little pine trees hanging from the mirror. The driver doesn’t believe the smell problem is him.
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Old 05-13-2019, 05:53 AM   #4
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Quote:
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Maybe the same reason some use perfume instead of bathing????

Keep it clean and maybe some natural herbs around.
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Originally Posted by wildtoad View Post
Same reason there are lots of used cars that smell like the little pine trees hanging from the mirror. The driver doesn’t believe the smell problem is him.

Awesome comments and totally true, it's SOOOO hard to find a nice scent free coach it isn't even funny. I wonder if some regions are better than others? I know Arizona is overly bad when it comes to people using scented products as a shower substitute.
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Old 05-13-2019, 06:24 AM   #5
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Rather than actually clean a vehicle, many people will attempt to mask the smells with an overpowering "air freshener". We hate febreze and such products. More than once I've looked at a vehicle, truck/car or RV, that's advertised as non-smoking and/or no pets only to find wet dog smell, hair, and of course other obnoxious smells. If you elect to purchase one of those vehicles, expect to spend considerable time and money trying to get the imbedded odors/stink out. There is no substitute for cleanliness and all the perfume in the world won't effectively block an odor. Perfume and air freshener is the olafactory equivalent of visual "lipstick on a pig".
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Old 05-13-2019, 08:36 AM   #6
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Because used coaches often stink inside. When shopping we walked away from many immediately after opening the door. I doubt the coaches with air freshener smelled very nice before perfume, either.
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Old 05-13-2019, 08:44 AM   #7
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If you do end up with a smelly vehicle, just let it sit with the windows open. I have bought heavily smoked in cars in the past and would leave all the windows open when parked under a cover or garage. After about a month, 80% of the smoke smell would be gone. Just a tip!
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Old 05-13-2019, 09:36 AM   #8
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Amen!

We heard of a MH that had just been taken as trade in and was not even listed, yet. We specified that we did not want it cleaned before we saw it "because we were allergic to cleaning materials." We got there and inspected - no smells, no smokers, no babies, no dogs, no cats... We bought and have continued to keep it clean... that's all it takes.

Nope - we're not allergic - it's just that all the products on the market STINK!
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Old 05-13-2019, 11:04 AM   #9
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Rent an ionizer to get rid of the smells. It may not be air fresheners that you are smelling. The RV may have been used by smokers and the dealers try to clean up the smell as well as they can but the cleaners used leave a smell that's just not quite as bad as the smoke smell. An ionizer will fix the smell problem.
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Old 05-13-2019, 11:07 AM   #10
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We use candles to conceal unpleasant odors!
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Old 05-13-2019, 11:13 AM   #11
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So you're worried about the toxicity of an air freshener in a box filled with off-gassing plastics, laminates, carpets and two diesel engines. Right.

My father was a perfumer. I grew up with fragrances, and know quite a bit about their use. Most people don't.

They are NOT designed to mask foul odors. They are, properly used, a fashion/decorating/ambiance accessory not unlike lighting and sound. They have to be chosen to match and complement the setting. Just like you don't (or shouldn't) wear brown checkered pants with a pink polka dot shirts, you should wear fragrances that complement your body chemistry and natural odor. Woody/sweet/flowery etc etc. Some people can wear XYZ and it smells good, some can't.

Same with air fresheners. Properly selected and dosed they can complement and already properly cleaned environment. We have a small, fitting, air freshener in our regularly cleaned lav. It doesn't mask anything, but it does (subliminally for many) enhance the sense of "freshness" in the also nicely decorated space. An elegance enhancer.

So the Christmas Tree "freshener" hanging from the mirror is a no-no. Same with some of the crap people douse their RV interiors with.

You'd be amazed where fragrances are used. Did you know part of the "new car smell" is sometimes artificially added?
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Old 05-13-2019, 03:54 PM   #12
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We keep our motorhome meticulously clean, and always put 2 big buckets of Damp Rid inside when it is going to be stored closed up for any length of time.
People often comment that our rig smells clean and fresh when they enter.

The same with a car. My car is 5 years old. I keep it clean. Carpet well vacuumed. Leather seats cleaned and conditioned. Food is not allowed.
Our neighbors needed a ride recently, and they both commented that my car still smelled new when they got inside.

No air freshener required.
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Old 05-13-2019, 03:56 PM   #13
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So you're worried about the toxicity of an air freshener in a box filled with off-gassing plastics, laminates, carpets and two diesel engines. Right.

My father was a perfumer. I grew up with fragrances, and know quite a bit about their use. Most people don't.

They are NOT designed to mask foul odors. They are, properly used, a fashion/decorating/ambiance accessory not unlike lighting and sound. They have to be chosen to match and complement the setting. Just like you don't (or shouldn't) wear brown checkered pants with a pink polka dot shirts, you should wear fragrances that complement your body chemistry and natural odor. Woody/sweet/flowery etc etc. Some people can wear XYZ and it smells good, some can't.

Same with air fresheners. Properly selected and dosed they can complement and already properly cleaned environment. We have a small, fitting, air freshener in our regularly cleaned lav. It doesn't mask anything, but it does (subliminally for many) enhance the sense of "freshness" in the also nicely decorated space. An elegance enhancer.

So the Christmas Tree "freshener" hanging from the mirror is a no-no. Same with some of the crap people douse their RV interiors with.

You'd be amazed where fragrances are used. Did you know part of the "new car smell" is sometimes artificially added?

This is sort of like saying a properly use lobotomy is effective and while I won't disagree with the premise I will argue that it's historically rarely been properly used.



Please remember, "perfume" or "fragrance" are always petrochemicals, they are not a real scent, the are a facsimile of a scent and for many healthy people with properly working endocrine systems they just smell like toxic chemicals. So while the user is smelling vanilla peach ocean breezes the other person is smelling harsh nausea inducing chemicals.


I will say that you're not wrong either, if you are subtle enough to just have something mild and natural (no more overwhelming than a freshly brewed glass of tea or baked cookies) and it isn't something that lingers or a stranger would smell the next day it would be nice.
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Old 05-13-2019, 04:17 PM   #14
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As noted earlier an ozone generator is the way to go

Any coach or house is going to have an odor even if you shower every day, except for the OP's of course

The ozone will reach in and penetrate the fabric, paint, cushions and so on
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