Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
It is infuriating me! (warning: rant in progress)
If you don't know what I am talking about, that is probably because you are normal and don't have a sensitivity to smells/MCS.
This stupid HD thing that hooks up to our TV that records shows.....is a huge massive dinosaur machine. When it's on, it makes the cabinet it's in super hot, like the entire cabinet gets hot to the touch, and it makes the whole room literally smell.
We have a "fake" fireplace in the same room that I started turning on, and that's what I figured was off-gassing. Nope, it's this stupid box from the cable company! This stupid box is filling my whole room with a chemical-smell.
I don't want to even KNOW what exactly these chemicals are. I'm sure they'll be showing up in my breastmilk in the coming years. One more thing for my future children to look forward to.
My husband is like, "open the cabinet door." I'm like, so the smell can spill out of the cabinet, into the room even more? GRRRRRRR....get rid of this stupid box. I hate technology. All it does is pollute my air. I hate flame retardants. I hate machines that use so much power they get hot. I feel like it's poisoning my air. I can't even enjoy being in this room with this thing plugged in.
I just want to throw it off the balcony, and vaccum my carpet in a haz-mat suit. Anyone sensitive to smells....can you relate to my frustration? Funny how it just takes one little thing to contaminate a whole room and make a person's day miserable.
Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
If you can't relate and this sounds crazy to you, be happy, you don't have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
I was so proud of my little safe cocoon here....now I feel like my whole place is contaminated by the evil cable box. Grrrrr.....evil cable box. Go back to the cable company where you belong.
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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Carol in PA
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 5338
posted
I think you mentioned that you were moving soon. So I guess this cable box will go back to the company?
You could put it outdoors for a couple weeks, and let the wind blow through it.
Carol
Posts: 6947 | From Lancaster, PA | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Just wanted to let you you I understand, this mcs is no fun. Hard for others to understand that I can actually taste their perfume in the air, and that it makes me feel physically sick. Not to mention new carpets, furniture, stores(plastics), smoke,car exhaust(can taste that too).
It's hard to plan on an outing when you don't know what chemicals you'll be exposed to. But in your own home, that's definately(sp?) no good.
Take care, diana
Posts: 857 | From northern california | Registered: Dec 2009
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
when i got a new laptop once i couldn't use it while if offgassed
i read to buy an aloe plant-a small one-but put it in a big pot near the source of fumes and it would absorb them.
it did.
it was 2-3 inches when i got it and 4 feet very soon after.
i think it hurried along the off gassing of the laptop. maybe that will help
i might be moving and had planned to make the new place the "healthy house" but it is really hard and complicated to do that...even those light bulbs that save you money give off mercury.
so many things pollute in so many ways
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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Get this...the very item that was supposed to HELP my chemical sensitivities, off gassed for 2 WEEKS! We picked up my air purifier, and when I got it home and turned it on, it blew out air that smelled like what you would imagine the warehouse it was manufactured in smelled like.
What we did, was we plugged it in and ran it next to the open sliding glass door, so the cool, clean air could hit it, and at the same time it could blow it's nasty off gassing outside instead of at me.
You live in an apartment, right? So you don't have a garage? Do you have a balcony? I was wondering if you could run the thing outside for like 24 hours, to see if it could get some of that stuff out of its system and maybe the cool air hitting it would clear things up a bit.
This is the reason I haven't been able to leave the house for 8 months. Around Christmas, we tried one more time to take me out to a clothing store, but I didn't last. I kept saying "I can't breathe, I can't breathe"...but everyone around me was like "Nothing smells, it smells normal in here". I guess "normal" people don't understand that any new product, especially clothes, off-gas.
It makes the world a scary, frustrating place! I hope you get your safe haven back soon.
Posts: 710 | From West Coast | Registered: May 2008
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Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
Thanks for the sympathy, all! I was just soooo upset last night.
I am in a new state now, so this cable box is here to stay.
I think we are going to try some of those strategies....airing it out, etc. We do have a balcony.
And I'm going to put a plant by it too. I have used that technique with other off-gassing things, and it does work. Thank you!
I will often leave the TV on all day on "mute" so I don't feel alone here, but I think turning it off periodically will help it cool down, and I'll start doing that too.
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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posted
I used to do that too, with the tv, hoos! I know I'm not supposed to because of EMFs, but when you're alone and you feel like death, it's nice to feel like someone is there...even if it is just Paula Deen on mute. lol.
What I've done instead when tv wasn't really an option, I've plugged my laptop into the wall and used www.hulu.com and played episodes of things, like episodes of "The View" or something. If I'm on the computer, I split the screen/shrink the windows so what I'm doing fits next to the hulu.com window, or if I'm doing something else I just leave my laptop up with it running.
Hope you get all settled in and used to your new set up soon <3
Posts: 710 | From West Coast | Registered: May 2008
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