Smells, be they perfume or odors and smoke are an experience that your nervous system, already on edge and overstimulated from the migraine condition, may perceive as an unwelcome stimulant. If your sense of smell is overly sensitive, anything that causes it to react will be unpleasant, good or bad.
The bathroom:
– While cleaning, I would ensure there is good cross-ventilation – so that you don’t smell any cleaning product or bleach any longer than you need to.
– Always make sure there is no mold in the grout around the base of the commode, bathtub, or shower curtain.
– I would not keep any potpourri container anywhere. Nor any cakes of toilet freshener. Try pouring a capful of bleach in the toilet tank and keep the ventilation system in the bathroom working to get rid of the bleach smell at night – when you are less likely to be exposed to the smell.
– Toiletries – there are plenty of soaps, shampoos, creams, gels and sprays on the market that are free of perfumes. At least until you get your migraine condition under better control, these products will be your new best friends!
Laundry room:
– It’s not only a good idea to keep the lint catcher in your dryer free of fiber (dust!), but it also helps eliminate a fire hazard.
– There are cleaning products and detergents that smell less than others.
– You can also minimize perfume by running loads of laundry through a second wash cycle, without any detergent.
Your kitchen:
– Follow the practice of professional kitchens – label containers with due dates so no food or drink item stays there longer than necessary – causing smell.
– The only suggestions I could make about minimizing cooking aromas are:
– Try cooking ahead of time, so you are exposed less often to smells. Eat more raw salads – not only are they good to keep your gut healthy, but they lighten the load on your digestive tract for those to whom a certain diet is a trigger.
– Ventilate your kitchen very well during prep time.
– Set the dishwasher to work at night – any smell or humidity will occur when you are in another room.
– Treasure a partner or family member who enjoys cooking – so you can be in another part of the house during that time!
– Find a willing grownup to teach children age-appropriate cooking techniques – again – you are out of the kitchen and bonus! It fosters children’s sense of pride and independence to develop such a skill.
– Carry out the trash at least once a day. Leave an empty trash bag inside the kitchen at night.
Living room:
– I have a friend whose husband smokes cigars in the living room. When he isn’t lighting up, you could not tell a smoker lives there – there is a powerful air freshener apparatus in a corner of the living room which is astonishingly efficient.
– Hardwood or tile floors rather than wall-to-wall carpets (see “Bedroom”).
Workshop, garage:
– If you spend time in the workshop, make sure you keep the area well ventilated. It not only exposes you to fewer smells, but it’s healthier for you overall.
– Keep cleaning tools and products away from inside the house. Dry mops in the sunlight. Sunlight acts as an odorless bleach. So does moonlight, by the way. Every little bit helps…
Patio and backyard:
– Which way does the wind blow? Test it to be sure before firing up the BBQ. You don’t want the wind to blow cooking aromas and smoke into your house or toward your patio table.
– Consider planting a dense hedge around the property. It will filter the air and keep dust from the street away from your yard.
At Work:
– Wear as much protective equipment as your job description requires.
– If it’s an indoor work environment, consider a smaller air freshener or fan to disperse and minimize smells.
Outdoors:
– Spend as much time surrounded by nature where there is clean, oxygenated air to breathe in.
– Try to spend meditation time in a natural setting – the natural smells, if experienced in that setting, will help “train” your system to accept smells while your nerves are at their calmest. It will strengthen your immune system and condition you to be able to tolerate natural smells and hopefully, this training will carry you through your other environments.
