Fragrant albergues

[JillGat]

I am having a wonderful time walking every day, enjoying the scenery, foods, people, and weather. I can wear earplugs at night when people snore, so no big deal there. I never thought I was the overly sensitive type and I don't remember this problem last year in the albergues... People using strong smelling menthol foot ointments and sickly strong perfume stuff. Last night I had to go sit outside till late because I actually had a sinus headache. It has been a problem for me in almost every albergue. I may have to start getting a private room, which I can't afford. Is this just me?!

 

[hel&scott]

Perhaps you could find a bed by a window... Nothing wrong with a bit of honest sweat, a shower and even hand washed clothes getting an airing on the line helps keep the Camino pong down to a manageable level. I fail to see what good trying to mask you natural smells with crop dusting of chemical deodorants and perfumes does. Gives me a head ache and makes my eyes water... menthol foot rub I could probably tolerate, but not on mass. You have my sympathies... Not sure that helps much.

 

[SabsP]

I am having a wonderful time walking every day, enjoying the scenery, foods, people, and weather. I can wear earplugs at night when people snore, so no big deal there. I never thought I was the overly sensitive type and I don't remember this problem last year in the albergues... People using strong smelling menthol foot ointments and sickly strong perfume stuff. Last night I had to go sit outside till late because I actually had a sinus headache. It has been a problem for me in almost every albergue. I may have to start getting a private room, which I can't afford. Is this just me?!

No Jill, unfortunately you are not alone. I do sympathise as a sufferer myself of allergic conjunctivitis.
I don't understand why people don't stick to natural soaps / shampoos. Especially in cramped dormitories.
And why in heavens' name bring perfume with you on a Camino...??
Hope you have some anti allergic meds with you for some relieve?
Meanwhile, like already written above, try to open windows as much as possible.
Hope it gets better.

 

[trecile]

The only thing that I ever really noticed were they guys with spray deodorant which formed a fragrant cloud around them. cough, cough

 

[MTtoCamino]

Must be more popular to think they smell better using that stuff, just curious are you in the midst of a large group from one culture?

Maybe bust hard to get in front of or slow down a day. Everyone I was around got stinky walking but showered & had no smell.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I'm so sorry. I know exactly how you feel. This is why I must nearly always pay for private rooms.
You would think, in public dorms, people would be more sensible.
And yes, WHY carry perfume on the Camino?
But that's my life.
I've learned to carry a mask EVERYWHERE.
The menthols don't bother me -- they actually soothe my frazzled nerves.
But the chemical perfumes put me down for days.

People wonder why the world is getting cancers; they slather those chemicals on the largest organ of their body, their skin, where they go right through the pores into the blood and bones and tissue. When you start adding the fragrances up, from the laundry soap to fabric softener to soaps, shampoos, and conditioners, to lotions, powders, and then perfume, the chemical cocktail is shocking!

Right now I'm dealing with a headache from Hell from my flight from Orlando yesterday.
Yeah . . . I feel your pain... literally

 

[hel&scott]

headache from Hell...

Hey, I resemble that remark!

 

[Beeman]

I am having a wonderful time walking every day, enjoying the scenery, foods, people, and weather. I can wear earplugs at night when people snore, so no big deal there. I never thought I was the overly sensitive type and I don't remember this problem last year in the albergues... People using strong smelling menthol foot ointments and sickly strong perfume stuff. Last night I had to go sit outside till late because I actually had a sinus headache. It has been a problem for me in almost every albergue. I may have to start getting a private room, which I can't afford. Is this just me?!

Never noticed any unusual smells

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I’m sorry to hear that you are suffering with this. I got incredibly ill after a night in Zubiri when a group of women put on a bunch of that foot salve and hung up a big line of wet clothes to dry in the room, right above the heater. Two of them were also very ill with a nasty cold.

We played the cultural game of me opening the window and them closing the window a few times before I just give up.

Between the obnoxious smell, the humidity, and the germs, I was down and out for about three days. I got to Pamplona, but had to stay two nights.

 

[HedaP]

I don’t mind the menthol smell but I know about that perfume smell and the closer to Santiago the worse it gets. Maybe these folk have heard that the botafumeiro doesn’t swing as often as it used too?
I don’t have a solution beyond doing my best to pretend my sinuses aren’t closing.
In my experience private accommodation doesn’t always work because some use artificial room deodorants which can be worse than perfume.

 

[yaying]

@JillGat with my weird sensitive nose drag me down to be the one felt ashamed coz if unfamiliar smell(most of them from expensive & branded perfume) i got, i simultaneously sneezes not less than 10x(as if i got terrible cough & colds) & worst the whole day i kept sneezing. I felt often from others person's behavior that im carrying a contagious disease.... NOW coffee bean always on my pocket if needed as it helps me neutralize the fragrance & works for me... may be you can try too.

 

[HedaP]

@JillGat with my weird sensitive nose drag me down to be the one felt ashamed coz if unfamiliar smell(most of them from expensive & branded perfume) i got, i simultaneously sneezes not less than 10x(as if i got terrible cough & colds) & worst the whole day i kept sneezing. I felt often from others person's behavior that im carrying a contagious disease.... NOW coffee bean always on my pocket if needed as it helps me neutralize the fragrance & works for me... may be you can try too.

Wow that could be very useful. Do you eat it or sniff it?

 

[VNwalking]

@yaying ...very interesting...so can you please explain more? What do you do with the coffee bean to neutralize the other odors? Smell it, chew it...? White noise for the nose?? What a good idea!

 

[yaying]

Wow that could be very useful. Do you eat it or sniff it?

sniff it...

 

[Bradypus]

@yaying ...very interesting...so can you please explain more? What do you do with the coffee bean to neutralize the other odors? Smell it, chew it...? White noise for the nose?? What a good idea!

Perhaps you use them in pairs like earplugs for the nose?

 

[yaying]

Perhaps you use them in pairs like earplugs for the nose?

3-4 pcs of coffee bean(whole, not powderized, not waterized) place it on a small tiny plastic and kept it in my pocket, if needed i just take it open it and smell from it... if im attending meeting(not to be very obvious sniffing something from my cute tiny plastic container) I put them on tissue nicely & tidily making it sure it will not be falling down then i place it in my folded hanky, as if your wiping something on your face but actually sniffing it...

 

[HedaP]

Perhaps you use them in pairs like earplugs for the nose?

And when all else fails drink it.
Seriously, I am definitely going to try it. Thank you @yaying.

 

[yaying]

@yaying ...very interesting...so can you please explain more? What do you do with the coffee bean to neutralize the other odors? Smell it, chew it...? White noise for the nose?? What a good idea!

im in a country that most of the locals using extremely strong fragrance(most of them taking bath from perfume instead of a water from a shower hehehe)... just try to smell a coffee bean.

 

[yaying]

And when all else fails drink it.
Seriously, I am definitely going to try it. Thank you @yaying.

honestly...i gathered those used bean(i replace them when out of smell) i dont feel they are dirty, if i have enough i roast them and make a brewed coffee...otherwise i put them on a flower pot as fertilizer.

 

[VNwalking]

Thanks for this @yaying ! Definitely worth a try.

 

[C3 to Camino]

Another reason to love coffee! I have to try this, as I often have reactions to scents (e.g. on public transportation, at church...) Thanks @yaying !

 

[Paladina]

Count me in for the chemical-free Camino club! I've also found it necessary to escape from pungent deodorants, perfumes, body sprays and detergents wafting through the dorm. Next time I'm in Santiago I'll avoid the botafumeiro. Did anyone else suffer adversely from the fumes?

 

[JillGat]

Several here said they don't mind mentholatum. Whatever it is that people are using this year is much more powerful than just menthol. One night I got smoked out of the bunk room from this and was lucky to find a couch elsewhere to sleep on that night.

 

[Anniesantiago]

@JillGat NOW coffee bean always on my pocket if needed as it helps me neutralize the fragrance & works for me... may be you can try too.

Coffee beans are good.
I also carry a tiny container of BenGay because for ME, it calms the reaction.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Count me in for the chemical-free Camino club! I've also found it necessary to escape from pungent deodorants, perfumes, body sprays and detergents wafting through the dorm. Next time I'm in Santiago I'll avoid the botafumeiro. Did anyone else suffer adversely from the fumes?

Generally, church incense doesn't bother me because it's mostly natural resins. But everyone has different triggers.
The WORST for me is FEBREZE! That stuff is poison! I once bought "new" backpack and couldn't keep it in the house because the owner had sprayed it with FEBREZE. I went to the church offices this week and had to leave because they had FEBREZE room freshener. I'm still struggling with the headache from that and flying. At Disneyworld, I had to wear a mask in the longer lines where we were stuffed together like sardines because of people's HIGHLY fragrant laundry products. I feel like starting a support group for MCS folks . . . maybe I will.

 

[Paladina]

Generally, church incense doesn't bother me because it's mostly natural resins. But everyone has different triggers.
The WORST for me is FEBREZE! That stuff is poison! I once bought "new" backpack and couldn't keep it in the house because the owner had sprayed it with FEBREZE. I went to the church offices this week and had to leave because they had FEBREZE room freshener. I'm still struggling with the headache from that and flying. At Disneyworld, I had to wear a mask in the longer lines where we were stuffed together like sardines because of people's HIGHLY fragrant laundry products. I feel like starting a support group for MCS folks . . . maybe I will.

You have my sympathy and unqualified support. You've just reminded me that, mercifully, I never came across those noxious plug-in air fresheners in any of the albergues I stayed in. It's a relief to know that there are some things the Camino doesn't provide!

 

[m108]

I fully understand and sympathize. I also experienced that the young peregrinas delayed their stuff on the beds next to mine, they sprayed the bed with a huge amount of poison against bed bugs (really it was all cloud) and quickly retreated to fresh air -it would be fair at least alert me (I rested, half-sleeping). I can not spend the night sleeping in private rooms every night. That's why I'm going to Camino every other year. Unfortunately, I can not do it otherwise - the albergues have become overholming for me - do not allow me the rest that I need. I admire those who can do it - flexible and patient, as I would like to be

 

[Priscilla NC]

The WORST for me is FEBREZE! That stuff is poison! I once bought "new" backpack and couldn't keep it in the house because the owner had sprayed it with FEBREZE. I went to the church offices this week and had to leave because they had FEBREZE room freshener. I'm still struggling with the headache from that and flying. At Disneyworld, I had to wear a mask in the longer lines where we were stuffed together like sardines because of people's HIGHLY fragrant laundry products. I feel like starting a support group for MCS folks . . . maybe I will.

Oh yes, Febreze is terrible! And so many manufacturers put it in garbage bags and all kinds of household stuff. This makes me physically sick.

I am really sensitive to many scents, but I don't remember any really egregious incidents in albergues. Maybe I was too tired or the vino tinto deadened my olfactory system!

I don't know if I'm a good candidate for coffee beans, I can do coffee early in the day but I can even get caffeine effects from smelliing coffee beans later in the day. But I may try the Bengay.

And Anniesantiago, I'll join your support group!

 

[Anniesantiago]

You have my sympathy and unqualified support. You've just reminded me that, mercifully, I never came across those noxious plug-in air fresheners in any of the albergues I stayed in. It's a relief to know that there are some things the Camino doesn't provide!

Yes, I've unplugged more than a few of those and shoved them in the garbage. They're horrible!
On the Camino, in private lodgings, two of the worst are the scented laundry detergents, which scent the sheets and some STRONG perfumed floor cleaner they use.
I always have to write ahead and request a fragrance free room.

 

[hel&scott]

Ha, the Camino coffee club, count me in! My daughter associates me with the smell of coffee and leather as when she was young I regularly carried home freshly roasted beans in my bag. Now days she sends me my weekly roast to the farm and our mailbox smells of coffee.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Menthol, perfume, powder? Just imagine what pilgrim rooms smelled like BEFORE any of this stuff came into use. Not to mention daily showers...

 

[november_moon]

As a fellow sufferer, I can definitely empathize. And I've never understood why people feel that a shower with plain soap and a bit of non-scented deodorant isn't enough. Why the need for perfume or cologne?

I can deal with the methol ointments better, but I still don't like them much. I know people recommend Vicks for your feet, which I can imagine works really well to prevent blisters, but that can stink up the whole room. Last year on the Camino, my husband and another man we were walking with got some sort of spray stuff for muscle aches and sore joints. It had a strong smell, so we made them use it outside.

 

[HedaP]

Coffee beans are good.
I also carry a tiny container of BenGay because for ME, it calms the reaction.

How do you use the bengay? Rub it or sniff it?

 

[Anniesantiago]

How do you use the bengay? Rub it or sniff it?

I either rub it on the inside of my mask or on a tissue and sniff it.
It clears my head and if a migraine is starting, sometimes this and a shot of espresso will knock it aside if I can get into fresh air.

 

[JohnCP43]

I sympathasize with all of you who wrote regarding odors from various perfumes, etc because my wife is also very sensitive to odors. Traveling with her (not on the camino) is a hoot. I check in. We go to the room. It has an odor so I go back down hauling multiple suitcases to get another room. This has on occasion gone on for several room changes. I've finally gotten smart. I check in, give her the key to go check out the odor with her supersensitive olfactory abilities while I wait in lobby with suitcases. When finally ok then and only then do I haul everything up there. Yes, requesting an allergy free room with no spray or deodorizer when you make the reservation sometimes works. Even at home however, as the grocery store shopper for our family it can be very hard even to find products that the manufacturers haven't "improved" with one of a dozen or more scents. Maybe I'll have her try the coffee bean in each nostril technique. She likes coffee. Regular during the day, decaffeinated at night! I like it!

 

[HedaP]

I either rub it on the inside of my mask or on a tissue and sniff it.
It clears my head and if a migraine is starting, sometimes this and a shot of espresso will knock it aside if I can get into fresh air.

Thank you I’ll give this a go too.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Yet another way to spot a Forum member on the trail: look for the internasal coffee beans!

 

[JillGat]

Menthol, perfume, powder? Just imagine what pilgrim rooms smelled like BEFORE any of this stuff came into use. Not to mention daily showers...

Yes, and while we are at it, imagine poorly fitting leather shoes, leprosy and thieves. No part of me longs for those good old days.

 

[MTtoCamino]

Yes, and while we are at it, imagine poorly fitting leather shoes, leprosy and thieves. No part of me longs for those good old days.

Shoes? They had shoes?

 

[Helen Avoca]

Confession, it’s good for the soul.
Every night on the Camino, once I am tucked up in bed, I rub tea tree lotion into my feet. It is anti fungal and antibacterial as well as moisturising. I credit it with saving me from getting blisters, but it does smell Mentholy. I thought it smelt fresh and clean. So tell me, is this ritual bad form?

 

[Former member 49149]

I sympathasize with all of you who wrote regarding odors from various perfumes, etc because my wife is also very sensitive to odors. Traveling with her (not on the camino) is a hoot. I check in. We go to the room. It has an odor so I go back down hauling multiple suitcases to get another room. This has on occasion gone on for several room changes. I've finally gotten smart. I check in, give her the key to go check out the odor with her supersensitive olfactory abilities while I wait in lobby with suitcases. When finally ok then and only then do I haul everything up there. Yes, requesting an allergy free room with no spray or deodorizer when you make the reservation sometimes works. Even at home however, as the grocery store shopper for our family it can be very hard even to find products that the manufacturers haven't "improved" with one of a dozen or more scents. Maybe I'll have her try the coffee bean in each nostril technique. She likes coffee. Regular during the day, decaffeinated at night! I like it!

Do you know about simple, cheap, white vinegar? And simple lemon juice? And bread soda? (bicarbonate). Most of the time, that is what I use to clean surfaces at home. Very little perfume from them. I rarely use commercial floor washing liquids. I look for plainest bathroom cleaners. I don't use softeners in the washing machine because of the smell and also because they clog up the machine. A squirt or two of white vinegar in the washing machine is no harm either.

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

For what it's worth.......A light touch of lavender oil under the nose at night really helps

 

[november_moon]

I don't mind tea tree oil - actually most natural scents are ok for me, it's the manufactured ones that do me in. I use a lot of essential oils at home, so I wouldn't mind a little tea tree oil smell in the albergue. But it does have a strong smell, so it could be bothersome to others. When a family member was in the hospital, her daughter was trying to augment her care with the use of essential oils and coconut oil massaged into her feet. She used a lot of tea tree and you could smell it down the hall.

 

[Jodean]

Well, you have quite a few people who think that spraying their bunk with essential oils will keep the bedbugs away.

Spray deodorant is the only thing that bothers me. It is kind of gaggy.