Not sure if this is the right thread, but lots of folks in this group seem to have problems with perfume, so maybe someone can give me some tips. I have managed to get my home *almost* perfume free (occasional use of store-bought shampoos when I don't have time to make my own). But EVERYONE else I come into contact with wears perfume, or at least washes their clothes in perfumed detergent AND uses perfumed fabric softener. Folks who visit hang their coats up with ours and sit in our chairs. I can send them out onto the balcony to smoke, but the perfume is an integral part of almost everyone in the industrialized world, and I am not ready to become a hermit (yet!). And when I visit the homes of others or even ride in their cars, you can imagine the stink on my clothes when I get home.

My question is, just HOW do you get the perfume out of the clothes??? Cigarette smoke is easy to wash out (important here in Germany where the anti-smoking lobby is still fighting an uphill battle). But clothes that have been hung outside for DAYS still stink when I bring them in, and I'm running out of clothes to wear! I've heard that putting a bit of vinegar in the wash water helps, but I tried that and the clothes still stank.

Any tips? Thanks, Rheanna

I wish I could help you, but I just wash the clothes several time to do the job. I use Tide Free on hot water. I am currently struggling with some idiot who spilled cologne in my apartment elevator. I don't even know where to begin.

Best of luck!!

Thanks, NY01, for letting me know that I'm not alone in having to deal with this. That must be awful knowing that you have to deal with this everytime you enter or leave your apartment via the elevator. Sometimes I think I'm the only person in the world who doesn't like perfume. Sometimes I'm hit in the face by the smell of someone walking past me on the street -- the smell of fabric softener and anti-static thingies for the dryer is enough to bowl me over. I posted the question again in the allergies section, after noting that it got LOTS more visitors that the environmental health section, and a couple of folks there suggested washing clothes with baking soda. See that post for a longer discussion. --Rheanna

How about washing them. LOL Well truly, what about vinger. It seem to take away other smells. Just add a bit to the wash cycle and see what heppens.

washing really is the only way. I would certainly not recommend Tide Free for someone with MCS though, as Tide Free is STILL a chemical mix even if the fragrance isnt as strong.

I had to start using organic detergent, get rid of all the clothes that had previously been washed with chemical detergent, and buy a new washer/dryer that has never had chemical detergent in it.

I still find myself washing my clothes many times from being exposed to crap. I generally end up washing things 2-5 times to get something out. You should see my winter coat. Extremely frayed from all the times i've had to wash it repeatedly.

If you truely have MCS and your washing machine has had regular detergent in it before, you'll pretty much need a new washer. To my knowledge, there's no way to make a contaminated washer/dryer safe. I accidentally put some sheets in my washer/dryer a long while back. These were Old sheets washed probably once or twice in regular, but not smelly, detergent, and just washing them once in my W/D contaminated it. Took about a month to get my washer safe, and my dryer is still contaminated.
But I am VERY sensitive to detergent and odors. You may not be as sensitive. Either way, if you have MCS, wether you can tell the chemicals are on your clothes are not, I would avoid the use of ALL chemicals. You don't want to be getting any worse.

Thanks, Rattlesnake. I don't have MCS, but do find certain perfumes to be particularly obnoxious, and sometimes find my throat starting to close up everytime I get a whiff. Lately I've been soaking clothes for hours in the washing machine with lots of baking soda, and then hanging them up to dry (I don't have a dryer) for several days. I find that hanging things outside for several days in a row helps, but the weather here in northern Germany doesn't always make that possible. After several days (weeks indoors if the perfume is especially strong) the smell is down to tolerable limits. But you're right, first they have to be washed. Next time I'll try a second long baking soda soak after the first day's drying, and see if that speeds up the process.

I've been using a laundry detergent from Spinnrad that has a short list of ingredients, none of them perfumes or colors. I don't know if this brand is available in America. Perfume free products are really difficult to find here.

I've also now started hanging my jackets and coat in another room, and leaving the "public" area for visitors.

Rheanna

New here and seen your post. I have this problem as well and I have found an sure way to get the odours out of clothes. This really works:

First, soak your clothes in vinegar and water only in the washer overnight. Use anywhere from a 1/4 to 4 litres of vinegar, depending on how bad the odour is.

Second, wash your clothes the next day for at least three to four full wash cycles, using only water after the first vinegar & water is gone thru the first spin and rinse.

Third, dry your clothes without any fabric softener at all.

Note that if you have stains, use vinegar & peroxide and use an toothbrush to remove the stain. Use an full bottle [450 ml] of peroxide in your wash to whiten your clothes.

Works for me every time. I just figured out what was right for the amount of odors. Soak anything new in an pail of vinegar mixed with water until the odour is not as bad. Watch this process carefully, for you can ruin some items but that's only if you don't take the item out before it's too late - that don't include clothes. Do watch your zippers and anything of that nature, they can break if soaking is overdone.

I also have an spray bottle with 1/3 vinegar, peroxide & water mixed well for my overall cleaning. Using those mibrofibre clothes sprayed with the mixture for easy dusting and cleaning up dirt. I use this for everything except the dishwasher. My husband turns that on after I am asleep so it won't bother me as bad. He uses one with as little scent as he possibly can.

For an air freshener, I have these vases that I got just for filling with just vinegar to place in each room. I use more than one if I need to. It really is an nice way to have an fresh scentless home. When I have company, they come with nothing of scent, plus they wash their clothes like I do to remove the scents. They also use the same shampoo and no under arm deodourant. They do this for me out of the goodness of their hearts and that's nice to have. If anyone don't respect our wishes regarding no scents in our home at all, then they not a friend of mine nor do I associate with them after talking to them about it. I won't let anyone in my home with scent and now they can't smoke in it anymore either. I can't breathe with the smoking unless it's outside and not in my air space.

I have a lot of sensitivities and it's worse than my fibromyalgia nowadays. Some days are worse than others. But at least I can have a better quality of life now than I use to. That's another story and long at that!

I hope this helps you or anyone else who tries it.

sierrad

Thanks, Sierrad, for the suggestion. I'll try vinegar next time to get the perfume out of my clothes. With all the perfume in the world, I'm sure I'll have an opportunity soon. I'm glad you have cooperative friends. I haven't gotten so bold, perhaps because I don't have quite as bad a reaction as you, but I DO make people go out on the balcony to smoke. The interesting thing is, it's FAR easier to wash cigarette smoke out of clothes than to remove perfume!

--Rheanna