Well Said Dear Abby

I am not a regular follower of Dear Abby but occasionally the headlines capture my attention.  Today’s Dear Abby’s headline reads:  Perfume puts family in stinky mood. 

Hmm, does this sound familiar to any of you out there?  I want to thank Dear Abby’s writer, Jeanne Phillips, for her reply.  In fact, I plan on sending Jeanne an email (www.dearabby.com) to tell her how much I appreciate her response to this woman’s dilemma of her mother-in-law visiting wearing an abundant amount of perfume.  I tried scanning the article but when I do, the background shows through.  I found the article on the internet here.  I have taken the liberty of copying and pasting it directly into my post.  The title on this site is a little different from the one used in our local paper but the content is the same.  I know many of you have dealt with this first hand.  How have you handled the situation?

Visiting Mom’s Sweet Perfume Puts Household In Sour Mood

Jul  1, 2013Abigail Van Buren

DEAR ABBY: My problem is my mother-in-law and her abundant use of perfume. The last time she visited, it was so bad we had to open our windows to air out the rooms. (This was in January in Minnesota.)

My husband addressed the problem with her when I was pregnant, but now that the baby is here she’s back to her old habits.

We are all sensitive to perfumes and get headaches when exposed to it. When she visits, we can’t get away from the smell. I don’t wear perfume, but was always told that perfume is to be discovered, never announced. However, when I say that around her, she dismisses it.

What’s the proper etiquette in addressing the perfume cloud that surrounds her? — THE NOSE KNOWS

DEAR NOSE: I receive complaints about perfumes almost daily. Perfume in abundance can cause serious allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to it. And when they are exposed to it in enclosed places (elevators, airplanes, houses with storm windows, gymnasiums, etc.), it can cause real problems.

Your mother-in-law should be reminded again that her perfume is causing headaches and asked to please not use it around you. Depending upon how old she is and her sense of smell, she may not realize she is using as much as she is.

Women’s perfumes and men’s after-shave lotions and colognes can also cause problems at the gym. When people who are exercising begin to sweat, the smell can become overpowering and a nuisance to others. Scents that were applied the day before can turn rancid, so a shower before working out would be considerate if this could be you.