sense of smell keener?

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I had a strange experience last night and I was wondering if others have experienced anything like it. I have always had a keen sense of smell. It appears to be improving even more. In the last few months, as I have used up chemical cleaners, I have replaced them with homemade natural products. Lately, it seems as though I can really smell odors that others can't. Last night, my son brought home a friend to spend the night. I was in my room with the door closed and they were in my son's room next door. Within two minutes, I was overwhelmed with the scent of Tide. I do not care for Tide! It was 30 minutes before I quit smelling Tide. Then I realized that I have been having this kind of experience alot lately. I go into the store or church or anywhere and it seems as though people are covered with laundry detergent smells and perfumes and shampoos etc. I used to like these smells because it represented cleanliness to me. Much preferable to unwashed odors. Not it is making me feel ill. Has anyone else had this experience?

-- Cheryl (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), November 18, 2000

Answers

To put this in my terms, the chemicals you were using before were probably interfering with you sense of smell, That's what air fresheners do, kinda numb your nose. You could be developing allergies like a few of us have here on the forum and (possibly yahoo has it too, I can't get into it to read my mail):~}Bounce fabric softener is especially offensive to me. I can smell all kinds of things no one else can until they go looking for it. They think I'm nuts or puttin on, their day's a coming.:~/

I hope you'll continue to use you natural products. Vinegar is great for cleaning just about anything and is a lot cheaper.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), November 18, 2000.


I know this has probobaly been in here before but does anyone have a web site for natural cleaners recipes and suggestions esppecially laundry detergent thanks ronda

-- ronda (thejohnsons@localaccess.com), November 18, 2000.

Cheryl, thanks, now I realize it's not just my nose too! I find the perfume in laundry detergents very offensive also, I have to use the "free and clear" formulas all the time, the smell gives me a headache. So does most perfumes and aftershaves, and bath soaps. I especially like Dove sensitive skin formula, it is more mild than my homemade soap, and moisturizes well too. Annie in SE OH.

-- Annie Miller (annie@1st.net), November 18, 2000.

I can smell when my neighbor is smoking cigarettes in his yard--a full acre away! And no one believes me. I can identify many kinds of perfumes, and DEFINITELY Bounce fabric softener--it even smells greasy to me.

Cheryl, are you prone to migranes? I notice that about 12-24 hours before I get one, all my senses are much more acute than normal, and my sense of smell can pick up things no one else notices.

-- Hannah Maria Holly (hannahholly@hotmail.com), November 18, 2000.


Cheryl, I know just what you mean. I have really bad asthmatic reactions to scented stuff. I can smell someone wearing something when no one else notices. I can't tell you how many times people have told me that they put stuff on this morning and it is worn off by now. BULL! It may be less and certainly to them, they are so used to it they don't notice when they wear it that it is not gone just less odifferous ( is that a word ) well aromatic, SMELLY? I guessed I notice everything as a defence thing. So I can RUN AWAYYY! I can litterally taste perfume or hair spray walking down a hall or into a room where someone has been. Seriously though; you should stay away from chemicals as much as possible. And don't always assume that scent free really is FREE. It is the chemicals in the stuff that is hurting you. OH HOW I WISH PEOPLE COULD REALLY UNDERSTAND! I went to a lung specialist last week and guess what he told me. You are a classic asthmatic, not a candidate for desensitizing.( allergy shots ) and that I was very sensitive to chemicals. Then gave me some more stuff to spray up my nose and a anti-inflamitory to inhale along with four other chemical inhalers.Waited for months and months for an appointment and that was the best he could offer.The nose spray gave me migranes for three days. I quit it. The new inhaler didn't last that long. Litterally made me puke the second it hit the back of my throat! Twice I tried this stuff. NO MORE. I say POOOOOOOWY on chemicals! As long as I stay away from the public and chemicals I can breath. Any one know where I can locate a good cave? Well , I guess that is way enough from me. Sorry I got so carried away.

-- Bonnie (josabo1@juno.com), November 18, 2000.


Bonnie and the rest of you

Things that bother me smellwise ARE things that I'm allergic to.I use to hate the smell of synthetic perfumes.I just thought I hated stinky perfume,but instead I also am allergic to them and their petroleum base.

Bonnie-I'm allergic astmatic also and I practice avoidance,including foods.If I eat food I'm allergic to,not just inhalants ,I will also start to get asthmatic.I also have to take Zyrtec, but for the first in almost 2 years I actually can miss a dose now and again w/o suffering badly.So I have slowly improved.

Cut out sugar to help your immune system heal.Go to organic foods to avoid the petro chemicals,if you haven't already.Eliminate foods that bother you.A test will help you id allergens.FAST website has a good ammt of info for food allergies.Get a good air cleaner and run it in the rooms where you are,esp. the bedroom.

So those are the things I do, plus occasionally ibuprofen when I get a bad headache.Very occasionally the nasal spray but I don't like to.And I take vitamens to help me get what I need bc I can't eat all the things I should for nutrition.I'm always looking for suggestions,as well.

I tried evening primrose as an antiinflamitory and it helped,but then I got allergic to it.Allergic to garlic as well.Also,Some other herbs too like sweet annie, lavender and mints. But I try different things, to see if it helps.Remember everyone is different and what worked for me may not work for you.

I do trial and error on cleaners,for instance I can't use vinegar bc I'm allergic to molds.Yet Lemon Mr Clean doesn't seem to bother me.Lysol does.I use plain water as much as I can.Use unscented arm & hammer laundry detergent and that doesn't seem to give me problems.Oh- I guess I should add I do very little of the laundry and cleaning,so maybe some things would bother me more if I did more.I wear a mask when I do clean.

-- sharon wt (wildflower@ekyol.com), November 18, 2000.


My son was getting sick in school. I went to the class and found where the smell was but not the cause. I believe they plugged a hole when fixing the roof and the chemical outgased into his classroom. No one else could smell it or got sick. Had a major fight to get an air purified into his classroom. I finally got them to change the floor cleaners too.

I get nausea when my son's friend gets into the car. His clothes stink to me. I ask all my friends not to wear perfume if we go out. We get sick in church alot too. People stood behind us and stunk of cigerette smoke - got a headache for the day. And everyone has to put on the perfume and calogne for services.

Harmony (gaiam.com)has a product that combines 2 activated ceramics with magnets to ionize the water for cleaning clothes. Never tried them but wanted to. They cost $45 for two.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), November 18, 2000.


At the risk of not being believed, again, I've got a strange one. I use shampoo and conditioner from the health food store. It does have a fragrance but not like commercial brands. When I use it, it doesn't bother me, but when my grandkids visit and use it, it bothers me very much. Maybe it as to do with the steam from the shower???

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), November 18, 2000.

Cindy,

Maybe your grandchildren's other shampoo is reacting to yours and making yours smell different. Or maybe, if they eat "normal" foods, they could be detoxing through their skin which would make your shampoo, again, react different.

Hey, I find I don't stink under my arms as bad as I did before I started eating healthy. My natural deodorizer may not keep me as dry and totally smell free but compaired to before...

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), November 19, 2000.


I read somewhere to where American who eat a lot of meat stink to the Japanese. (Remember, in Japan, meat is both rare and very, very expensive.)

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), November 21, 2000.


I noticed a change when we moved from our temporary place in town back out to the country. What a difference. The Mrs had always been a city girl and was embarassed and hesitant to tell me that she thought her nose was getting keener, she thought I would think that she was crazy. Ive come to find that while I dont get sick from smells, I dont have much appreciation for any manmade smells. I too am especially repulsed by Bounce, the Mrs said that I was overreacting. Ill have to show her this thread. Now that we dont use much in the way of chemicals and we live out on our own little frozen tundra paradise, Ive come to really appreciate the smell of cow pies and goose squirt for all the things that they represent. Now how do I convince the women in the whole of the population to switch to "Ode To Pasture" instead of that strange peppery smelling perfume?

-- William in Wi (thetoebes@webtv.net), November 21, 2000.

I do not think I have exceptionally keen smelling ability but I have thought that the products have increased their perfumes. Could this be true? Would they ever admit it? What are they covering up if they have increased the stink? I love the smell of my animals, especially the horses and donkeys. A big whif of them brings only good memories and no headaches.

-- Maureen Stevenson (maureen@mtaonline.net), November 25, 2000.

I don't KNOW, Maureen, but it wouldn't surprise me if they had increased the amount of scent/perfume in products. Probably everyone's nose is fatigued from all the scents foisted on us all the time!

Do you all know about the microfiber cleaning cloths? I got some about 2 years ago from a company called Solutions. They are a "pile" textile, and boy, do they work good at cleaning with just water! I ran around the house looking for things to clean when I got them, so I could demonstrate them to family and friends. They are pricey, but you save a lot in cleaners. I see that Home Trends has something similar now too. Both these companies are on the web.

If anyone is extremely interested in these and can't find them by searching the web, either post here or email me, and I'll look up the particulars for you.

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), November 25, 2000.


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