My pillow and pjs smell like 3rd hand smoke after leaving a sit.
One of the HO was a 3 pack a day smoker before getting cancer. The master bedroom furniture where they asked me to sleep was the culprit.
I cannot seem to find a rule on disclosing this on a sit. Any one have info.
Somehow I have gotten lucky as this is the first time. No more smoking odor for me!
There is no rule about this as it’s a personal preference whether a person smokes or not. It’s a question you need to ask in either your application or video chat. Some owners mention in their listing it is a smoke-free home or they prefer non-smokers.
Treat yourself to a new pillow and PJs!
Thanks but it’s $100 pillow and brand new PJs
You might want to try OxiClean to neutralize the smoke smell.
If you’re looking for justification to press the host to help you pay for replacements, there’s no such help to be found in terms and conditions.
Kind of ridiculous, in modern times! Right?
The only way to know if an owner or sitter is a smoker…ASK, unless this has been specified voluntarily in the listing/profile.
Absolutely ludicrous!!! Maybe the president of THS is a smoker, and she cannot understand the other side…
I haven’t stayed in any smoker’s homes. Now that I think about it, I haven’t asked! On my homeowner listing “no smoking” is almost the first thing mentioned, and I often check with sitters on that. It’s amazing how long those smells can linger! I’m sure the homeowners can’t smell it. I think you have two choices – mention it to the homeowners as tactfully as you can so they can disclose it or alleviate the situation for the next sitter though I’m not sure how short of getting rid of the furniture or at least offering another room for the sitter to sleep. OR mention it as tactfully as you can in a review.
If someone has been smoking for years in a home, the smell permeates the walls, soft furnishings, carpets, curtains and other textiles. And heavy or regular smokers tend to lose their sense of smell. You basically have to ask if that’s something that bothers you.
In my sitter profile, I note that I’m a nonsmoker and appreciate clean, tidy, nonsmoking homes. And I know that the hosts I pursue sits with read my profile, because they mention or ask about elements in it.
@GentleSitter Oh dear, that’s unfortunate.
I state in my application that I’m only seeking non smoking homes. Our family detests tobacco smell.
Thanks everyone.
No I am not askjng anyone to pay for a replacement.
I just think it’s gross. Got lucky that it never happened before, and was looking for tips to prevent it and was open to hearing others experiences.
Thanks
I would surely have a mention in my review that the sit is not for someone allergic to tobacco. I think that would be enough to give a signal.
As for your pillow and PJs, I’ve found that white vinegar is really great. Just have a splash in the detergent chamber of your washing machine.
When I wash my (feather) pillows I follow the instructions on the label and put in a couple of tennis balls, both in the washing machine and the tumbler, to help fluff the feathers. I’ve found that the pillows doesn’t dry completely from the tumbler cycle, so I run an additional warming/ fluffing cycle and afterwards let them dry further overnight before using them, fluffing them up occassionally.
I use white vinegar for many things, also for instance if a pet has an accident inside I first clean it and then wipe over with some vinegar water. Learnt it from a breeder - it will cover the smell so the pet won’t be considering it the new toilet space…
It is an old household trick to leave a bowl of vinegar to help smell, so one could have done that in the room to try to freshen it.
Fortunately we haven’t had this experience so far on a THS sit .
If I read a review that stated this information we would avoid the sit , so please leave an honest review stating the facts.
( we have had this experience in an AirBnb which was designated as non smoking but it was obvious that people had smoked there in the past )
You are so right!
My inlaws, whom we both love dearly, have been smokers for decades. Even though they now only smoke outside and have repainted the whole interior, none of their kids will spend the night in the house.
When hubby and I visit, we stay in a local hotel and hand wash the clothes we wore at the house each night. We also don’t take anything into the house that we won’t be either leaving there or handwashing later that day. That includes coats and most shoes. We leave them in our car in the driveway.
Even with all this, we still both develop mild headaches and sinus issues after just a few days, so we only stay for 3-4 days max. We’re not looking forward to cleaning out the house when they pass.
So yes, I ALWAYS ask in my video calls if, to their knowledge, anyone has ever smoked in the house.
Thanks for the tips. I’d never heard of putting out a bowl of vinegar to help reduce a room’s smell. Hopefully I’ll never have to use that tip, but it’s good to know, just in case I do.
I’ve never used vinegar for smoke smells, but microwaving a bowl of vinegar diluted with water and then wiping it down helps to clear out old food smells. It’s commonly used for that.
We put that we are non smokers on our own profile, some may think we put it as a selling point, but in reality its a cunning trick to encourage owners that smoke to pick someone else, it’s simply a deterrent, and it’s worked brilliantly so far, without a single conversation taking place.
There is no rule that this is something a host must disclose on a listing. I doubt the failure to mention it was intentional. When people are around a certain scent all the time–especially smoke-- they usually will become desensitized and not realize how strong it really is. And they may have noticed it even less since the host quit and the home may have been smoke free for awhile.
Like others have said, the only way to avoid this situation would be getting confirmation ahead of time. I do see listings where hosts clearly state they don’t smoke but most don’t seem to address this directly.
In cases where you can’t discern this from the listing, the best thing to do would be putting your preference directly in your application message so hosts can confirm this for you right off the bat in their first message back to you.
In the 11 years I have been sitting, this is never something I have asked about directly and if I ever have sat for smokers, they must be doing it outside because I can’t recall ever being in a home that smelled like cigarettes. If I had to guess, I bet most prefer not to smoke indoors. I imagine the reason I never thought to ask is because smokers are the minority–often a pretty small one-- in most places .In the US–where I am from–they are less than 12 percent of the population.
But once a sitter has an experience, even one that is not likely to keep repeating itself, it is probably good to ask about it on subsequent applications if it is something that they are going to worry about.
Another magic trick is full-on sunshine. After washing, hang the pillow and the PJs on a line in full sun for a day (not just outside - actual sunshine). It’s truly magical for eliminating smells of any kind.
I have listed in my profile that I am a non smoker. So far I believe all my sits seem to have been in smoke free homes. It could be a reason I have been chosen, and equally a reason why the odd one has turned me down?
@Visit I, too, include in my profile I am a non-smoker and have never sat for owners who smoke.
