Convincing church to reduce air fresheners

[lingon]

With kid activities and volunteer work, I am at our church building 4 days a week, and the air quality is starting to get to me. They use glade plugins extensively and put in a new glued in carpet in the basement a year ago that still seems to stink. I have tried leaving windows open for some air, but I got yelled at for that, and didn't press the issue.
How can I convince the pastor and the building manager to increase air flow and reduce fake air fresheners? Any good articles/summaries about health effects in simple convincing terms? If they are determined to have stink in the air, what natural products exist to replace the plugins?

[newbymom05]

Blech, I would just say they aggravated my allergies/asthma and say that I couldn't be in the same room with them. For many people, it's a health issue. If you present it like that rather than a personal taste issue (p/u that stinks lol) I bet they'll listen.

[lingon]

We've discussed my asthma issues in the past, and they seemed to think the new carpet should solve the problem. So I think they really don't understand the issue, which leads to them using carpet deodorizers and stuff like that, that make things worse. I'm not sure how to explain to them that anything with fake smell or strong chemicals, new carpet, new paint, etc makes my breathing difficult. I'm worried if I give them an extensive list, they'll think I'm hyper sensitive and making things up, plus the things I forget to put on the list, they'll start using instead.

[ASusan]

Maybe someone else can give suggestions about how to be more direct, but at this point, I would start surreptitiously removing the plug-ins and/or other air fresheners. Start by taking out the ones in inconspicuous places, one-by-one, and move on from there. If you feel uncomfortable actually throwing them out, you can close them (the old fashioned ones), or unplug/have them drop to the floor, get kicked under a bookshelf for a few weeks, then removed if it isn't replaced, place aerosol sprayers in locations where they're out of sight...Sorry, not very church-like of me, but neither is refusal to consider someone's health and comfort, especially a worker/volunteer.

[Ola_]

How about a note from your doctor or even an "official looking" printout or pamphlet about some of the alternatives? Often calling on the authority of an expert figure carries a lot more weight. Now you just need a doctor who is on board with all this.

[lingon]

I think an "official looking" printout or pamphlet would work well - but I'm not sure I can write one up myself - does anyone know of anything out there I can use or summarize?

[tsfairy]

Would something from an asthma or MCS site have some language for you to use?

Can you open the windows while you're there if you close them as soon as you leave? Or maybe see if they'll let you open them for the first 10 min or so that you're in the room? Just that little bit might help a lot.

I also agree with surreptitiously removing the plug-ins, or just unplug them while you're there and "forget" to put them back.

MIL had a room-sized plug-in in her teensy downstairs bathroom for awhile. I got a serious headache every time I went in there. So I just unplugged it and left it on the counter while I visited. It was plugged back in next visit, but after 2-3 times it was gone and never came back.

[EdnaMarie]

Originally Posted by newbymom05

Blech, I would just say they aggravated my allergies/asthma and say that I couldn't be in the same room with them. For many people, it's a health issue. If you present it like that rather than a personal taste issue (p/u that stinks lol) I bet they'll listen.

I would put it in health terms, but not in terms of allergies or asthma if you don't have those conditions. (Especially not at church, LOL!)

Can you explain that you have sensitivities to artificial scents and explain the effects? E.g. nausea, headaches, dizziness, whatever you actually have?

If you are specific about symptoms, I might be able to find you a handout.

[lingon]

I do have asthma (currently I don't need to take any medication to control it), and my breathing gets tight at the church. I also get the typical allergy itchy nose/throat/eyes.
I open the windows when I'm there, I just can't leave them open when I'm not - but they're the tiny, in glass block windows, so they don't make too much difference.

[EdnaMarie]

If you do have asthma, yes, be specific. "This irritates my asthma and I have an allergic reaction. I know it's pleasant for some but for me it's a medical problem. Thanks for understanding."

Would that work?

[staceychev]

You may be able to find some good, convincing information at Healthy Child, Healthy World. Those air fresheners are pretty toxic, IMO.

[zebra15]

In my case its very simple. 'Any artifical scents, air fresheners, perfumes, lotions, or the like affect my breathing and asthma'.

[meg_shannon]

MSDS sheets

As a chemist I would suggest researching the chemical components of the carpet glue, air fresheners, etc. and then presenting the church leadership with the MSDS (material safety data sheet) on the chemicals. For example one of the main off-gassing components of carpet glue is formaldehyde, not a nice chemical. Many air fresheners contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds - this is how the scent is distributed) and can aggravate many respiratory conditions.

In college I was exposed to a high vapor concentration of dichloromethane (DCM), and now I am very sensitive to most VOCs.

MSDS sheets can be found by searching for the chemical name and "MSDS."

Hope this helps.

There is also a lot of research on poor indoor air quality and ways to improve it. Plants would be a much better idea than air fresheners.

[acupuncturemomma]

How about printing this brochure and taking it in? I just printed it to take in to DD's gymnastics academy--I can barely breathe when I'm there and I don't even have asthma. Yuck!

Good luck!