I am hanging my head in shame...

[broadzilla]

I just read the the thread, "Why are FO's so addicting." I am new, haven't made any candles or soaps. I did make 2 bags of carpet freshner the other day though. My very first attempt at making anything. I now have a box of 39 scraggle bears to dip, 22 bottles of FO's, a 2 lb bag of wax, I bought 3 new glass jars with lids, a roll of raffia, boxes & boxes of baking soda, different salts, and some other stuff. Why am I hanging my head in shame?

The FO's are making me sick to my stomach and give me a headache. I bought 22 bottles of FO's. I was so excited when they got here I couldn't stand it! I opened them up and smelled each one. After about the 3 rd bottle, I felt queasy. I took them all and put them on a shelf in the room where this computer is. A 10x10 room. I then took a blanket and covered the whole shelf to keep it dark where the bottles were.

About an hour later I made 2 different kinds of carpet freshner. I was so excited I just had to try one right away. I thought it smelled really good, Baby Powder.

About 3 hours later, while staying in this room, on the computer, where all the FO's were, I started "tasting" wierd stuff in my mouth. Like I had drank these FO's, but didn't of course! Then I got a really bad headache and my stomach was sooo queasy! I left the room and went to bed.

The next day I came back in here and within seconds, the same thing happened. I took all the FO's out of here and had no glass containers to put them in, so I put them in an old pot I have and covered them with a glass lid. Then I brought a fan into this room and turned it on high. I can't open the window, it's sealed shut. In fact, I can't open ANY windows, they are all sealed shut. Long story concerning flies. *lol*

I am disappointed and don't know what else to do. I want to make stuff that smells good and I can't stomach the smells!

We are "putting up" a house in 13 months. Wanna see? It's a cross beween this...

and this one....

So I'm thinking I need to bust out the windows in this house since they are all sealed and put in new ones, but I REALLY don't want to spend the money on new windows for this POS.

Does anyone else have the "sick to your stomach" feeling and combat it somehow? Opening the 2 doors doesn't seem to help much. And even today I am "tasting" that wierd taste again and I have a headache. I never get headaches either!

[candlesprite7]

I'm really sorry to hear about your headache's. You definitely need more air circulation. I know some people have a sensitivity to fragrances, maybe think about getting a mask, the kind that help filter the air when breathing? I know I sometimes get that way when I am pouring a lot or i come accross a fragrance that doesnt agree with me (Green Clover and Aloe does that to me and a couple of others.)

Your house is going to look cool though I really love the shape.

[broadzilla]

A mask! Why didn't I think of a mask?! *lol* I know the air circulation is important, but I didn't think it would be this bad since I'm not making candles or soap yet.

The house...I about died when I saw this. It's differnt, that's why I like it so much. You know those hangars they use for planes, or those things they store hay in on farms? That's what these are made of. *lol* Some people have made them really cool. I'll have a loft in mine and a deck out side.

[mountainmadness]

It sounds like you really over did it or you are actually allergic to a FO.

Baby Powder FO gives me an instant headache. It always has. Also, if you were making carpet powder did you inhale baking soda or cornstarch? The particulates are very small, especially with corn starch and it could be giving you a headache.

The most important thing when using FO is to have good ventilation. Between you smelling the FO, making the carpet powder, and I am assuming using the carpet powder you are on a FO overload.

I hope that you feel better soon.

Jennifer

[starlessjade]

It sounds to me like one of your bottles might be leaking. I can't smell my FOs at all unless they are open or I at least stick them right under my nose. I had one that leaked during shipping, all over the other bottles, and the room smelled like it for a week.

[broadzilla]

Mountainmadness, I did inhale the baking soda trying to smell the baby powder I put in it. I STILL taste baking soda and might be blaming that on the FO's taste. But the scent after sniffing bottles, really made my stomach hurt. I just now took 2 Aleves, so the headache will go away. I'll be spending most of the day outside looking after the 8 brand new puppies, and I'm keeping the doors open.

Last night I bought a 2 lb box of baking soda and swore I smelled it all the way home, 70 miles, and it was in the trunk. I'm not the one that picked it up from the shelf either. *lol* AND I had the lady double bag it.

[broadzilla]

Oh...and mountainmadness...I never did find a meatballer, I've been looking for days. I'll have to get one off the net.

[broadzilla]

Hi starlessjade,

All the bottles felt dry, the lids were taped shut as well. It didn't appear any were leaking. I think like mountainmadness said, I probably over did the whole FO thing along with bottle sniffing. I hope this goes away soon so I can make a different carpet freshner and try again.

[gloworm]

I had a rose fragrance oil,my husband had an immediate reaction to. Got a headache and this throat would start to feel tight. Couldn't be near the stuff. Maybe you are allergic.

Glo

[beau's mama]

First, that house is gonna be AWESOME! Really uniquely beautiful!

You have to have some sort of good ventilation...running a ceiling or regular fan(s)...even when using the carpet freshener. Maybe w/ the doors open while running the fans will help :undecided

I do a lot of FO "sniffing" LOL, but when I'm soaping & inhaling them for longer periods, I run the ceiling fan, where a mask (a simple one), and run an overhead vent...my own OCD overly cautious issues!

Candlesprite is right about the filter-type masks. I remember seeing them somewhere...when I figure it out, I'll send you a link

I've never really been made physically ill from FO's...just mentally distressed when ever I smell something like "Gag" Champa :tongue2: or a really bad too perfumy scent.

I hope you can get this worked out so you don't get sick...you seem to be enjoying yourself so much...I'd hate to see this get in your way.

Sharon

[candlesprite7]

http://www.uline.com/Group_230.asp?searchedkeywords=respirator

Uline has some respirators, they have a few different designs. I cant say they will be comfortable to wear but they may keep you from getting more headaches and breathing in the powders.

[broadzilla]

beau's mama,

I was so upset cause I have sooo many things I want to try. Ideas are swimming around in my head like crazy. I'm starting to see signs go up in other towns for fairs and such, not that I'd do one, but I am going to check them out and see what they have. Mostly I'd like to make stuff for my own skin and to make stuff that my grand daughters Daisy troop can sell to make money for their troop. Like dipped bears, stuff like that for them.

I picture myself making my house smell good with stuff I made, my skin feeling soft with stuff I made, maybe a soothing bath with stuff I made and my Grand daughter telling me her troop now gets to go to such and such place because they sold all the bears. *lol*

I am having fun though.

[broadzilla]

Thanks candlesprite7!

I'm ordering some right now!! I was just telling someone else that I deal with disgusting smells all night long at work and can't believe that THIS is bothering me! *lol* I go back to work to work tomorrow night, I'll have to ask the medical dept. we have connected to our work if there is anything else I can do. They think it's funny when I come in, I tend to ask the DUMBEST questions. So I'll make their night again for the week. *lol*

[MissMary]

That may be nuts, but what about a tabletop humidifier? Would that help combat the strength in a poor ventilated area? It always seems to reduce the smoke smell my house can get....

*scratches head*

[broadzilla]

I'll ask the medical dept that as well. Just in the last 3 hours I finally have stopped tasting whatever it was. Maybe that meatloaf I made did the trick. *lol* Or these Girl Scout peanut butter cookies? *lol*

[Wendy Shoofitz]

Where did you buy these awful FO's that stink so bad?

Second, never put that stuff on your carpet. Any carpet dealer or carpet cleaner will tell you that. It settles to the bottom and eats away at the padding and carpet.

[debscent]

FOs can give you a headache & make you sick to your stomach. I did not believe my old boyfriend, initially, but just coming into my house with a few candles going would make him ill. He can wear cologne, etc., but the concentration of the scent made him ill--we don't date anymore. LOL! And, he never saw my candle work room. I'm sorry this is a problem for you, FOs are the best part of this endeavor, IMO.

[Hope]

Lowe's, Home Depot, or whatever home improvement store near you should have some as well. May cost a little more online, but shipping cost may make it comparable.

[Juggy]

You can get some good disposable masks at Ace Hardward, Home Depot etc., or if you have friend that works in the hospital, you can use surgical masks.

[broadzilla]

They don't smell bad at all, in fact they smelled great, but I think I know what I did now. I OD'd on FO. First I opened up all the bottles and took deep sniffs at them. It was making me queasy after the first few bottles, but I wanted to smell them all. I was inhaling them and shouldn't have been. Then immediately right after, I made some carpet freshner using one of them and immediately sprinkling some on my carpet. THEN I made another bag with a different scent for work. When I made these carpet freshners, I had them in ziplock bags and inhaled them deeply to smell them before I used one of them. This was all my own fault, and they smelled so wonderful, I just over did it not knowing what I was actually doing.

By the way, my neighbor down the road owns his own carpet cleaning business and has for years. He said it's fine to use this on my carpet and he wished everyone that used carpet freshner would use something like what I made instead of the Carpet Fresh they buy in the store because of all the extra chemicals. He said it would be a problem if people dumped a gallon a day on their carpet, but to sprinkle it every so often and vacuum it up doesn't hurt any traffic carpet he's seen.

Anyways, I have masks coming and I go to work tonight where there is a medical dept., and I'll be stopping in and getting all my answers.

Thank you everyone! I'm just going to have to not be so excited to smell everything that I inhale it! *lol*

[TexasBrat]

The last time fragrances made me sick like that was when I was pregnant. lol I'm sure you are not but one of those is making you sick. I have one fo that turns my stomach and I threw it away the other day, it was coconut lime verbena from MMS. :lipsrseal I had it closed and I kept wiping the bottle but the scent never went away....it was just super strong.

[broadzilla]

PREGNANT??!!!! NOOOOOO!!!! *lol* I'm a grandma, so I HOPE NOT!!! *lol* God, I REALLY hope not....I'm still waiting for menopause to strike me though! OMG...pregnant....nawwww....I couldn't be.....

[TexasBrat]

lol...I don't think you are pregnant either..lol.

[KukiKat]

:laugh2: :laugh2:

That would be a surprise!

[wickedwanda]

broadzilla, i know the sick feeling very well, my first scents was a peach and mulberry twist....the first time i made candles the mulberry made me dizzy, queasy and man did i puke...i am talking alot..i had to keep turning the melter down and running to the bathroom, i opened windows and turned fans on..finally finished the candles..well a few days later the peach did the same thing....i did find out that if i eat before working with those two, it was better...no other scent has effected me the way those did....i used the scents up..gave away the candles...and i wont ever buy them again..