Allergies to cleaning products used
 

Hi I have had several problems when carpet freshening chemicals are used in hotels. I have very strong reactions--I take allergy pills but it usually takes a full day for symptoms to subside; however these are not life threatening in any way. This has happened recently in two hotels--one a Hampton Inn and the other an Embassy Suites.

What is the best way to highlight this sensitivity so these chemicals wont be used on my room? Once when I returned to a hotel that was a problem before, I called ahead and told the desk staff. It doesnt happen in every hotel--has anyone had experience with this and what did you do? Does using the comments section help?

Thanks.

I guess you could try Marriott...

Seriously, if they use these products it would seem that the residual would affect you just as much even if they didn't use the product right before your stay. I don't know that, though. I just think it is unreasonable to expect a hotel to track that kind of issue, especially when trying to block rooms.

Gotta agree with dd92emo on this one...unless you choose to live your life in a sterile bubble, you're SOL. Can't really expect special rooms like the "peanut-free" rows on the airlines...LOL. What would happen if the hotel, by some slim chance, did actually change cleaning supplies...and then the housekeeper ate peanuts for a snack and breathed inside your room?

It does make a difference if the products are used immediately before checking in--it is a lot more potent than if they are not used for a day or so.

You can't open windows in rooms any more so cranking up the fan is about the best you can do to get rid of the chemicals..

This is not living your life in a bubble, this is trying not to be overly sensitive to chemicals. Just like I no longer have to stay in a room where someone has smoked or I can ask for hypo-allergenic pillows.

I don't see equating this with peanut allergies by the way... I was asking for serious suggestiions.

My suggestion is to call the hotel a few days ahead of time and let them know the situation. You can also call HHonors or list this request in the comments, although, IIRC, the comments section says it isn't read until the day of arrival.

There are actually hotels that will make sure you have a room that is chemical free. I used to have a list, but no longer have an up to date one. If you get in touch with the feingold association I believe they keep an up to date list of this (avoiding chemicals is a big part of what they help their members do).

I have had this happen 2 times in 2005, both times, they moved me to a room that no one had been in for over a week, one was a very nice suite.

Hilton is Sensitive to this
 

For those who made the bubble comments, Hilton obviously has more sensitivities to this than you all do....

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/st...3396617&EDATE=

They are moving to more and more chemical free enviro-rooms. the o'hare property is leading the way

This IS serious stuff
 

My spouse has severe environmental allergies, and we have had many problems in hotel rooms with the "perfume" they spray as air-freshner. We've had to change rooms due to the air-spray or "non-smoking rooms" that clearly had lingering cig smoke.

My spouse travels with an ionizer (from Sharper Image) which helps on airplanes, but not much in hotels rooms.

I do try to call ahead and address the issue. I'm thinking about buying a portable ionizer that I found online, and I'd be happy to PM you the link to that if you are interested.

I'm glad you posted this, because it is an issue. We are travelling to Europe this summer (cig smoke, anyone?) and I'm a bit freaked out about his asthma going out of whack. But there may be a better forum for this issue where you'll get better responses? I'm not sure which one...

I have occasional problems with the cheap crappy "fresheners" the hotels use to cover up the smells that should be cleaned up. Often my eyes will water, my throat becomes dry etc. The worst situation is use of extra excessive "fresheners" to try to hide odors where a smoker puffed away in a NS room. Most chemicals used in these are naphthalene based and are very irritating in higher dosages.

The best bet is to check in early and check out the rooms. FWIW the spray used in most Holiday Inns is one of the worse irritants. I avoid them 100%.

MisterNice

Thanks to all
 

Thanks to all who posted suggestions and to Lehava who sent me info. I think now I will email or call hotels ahead--I dont want to risk this happening again and I suspect that more exporsure may exacerbate my symptoms.

allergic to hotel
 

I'm allergic too! which hotels? so far crowne plaza and something else.

You do realize you’re replying to a post from nearly 14 years ago, right?

Like rock n roll, the Internet never forgets!