Dryer Sheets May Be A Bigger Property Rights Issue Than You Imagined: Block Talk

We asked readers in a recent survey what topics they’d like to see addressed in Block Talk, Patch’s exclusive neighborhood etiquette column.

The use of fragrance-heavy dryer sheets and other scented laundry products struck a nerve. We heard about it from readers in multiple states.

One reader cited research that found nearly 35 percent of Americans reported health problems such as migraine headaches and respiratory difficulties when exposed to fragranced products.

Those people can take steps to live a fragrance-free life, but “as soon as the neighbor does laundry, they’re no longer safe in their own yard,” the reader said.

“Personal choices that change the air others have to share are no longer personal,” the reader continued. “They become a public health hazard for many and don’t actually clean and freshen a damn thing, but rather add more and more pollutants in the air, on and in the bodies of those wearing the clothes laundered in them and those forced to breathe their choices.”

“Toxic, fragranced laundry products do not stop at property lines!” another person said, but wondered how to handle it when “your neighbor’s laundry detergent causes you respiratory issues and keeps you from enjoying your own yard?”

So we’re asking you: How should people similarly suffering address it with their neighbors? What, if anything, should be done about other issues associated with scented products?

Just fill out the form below. As always, we don’t collect email addresses.

About Block Talk

Block Talk is a regular Patch feature offering real-world advice from readers on how to resolve everyday neighborhood problems. If you have a neighborhood etiquette question or problem you'd like for us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com, with Block Talk as the subject line.

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