I have problems with books that smell of smoke and perfume.  Always looking for other people with bookshelves that are unscented.  Have a couple of unscented buddies, would like more.  Nothing is worse than getting a WL book and realizing that it is going to be sitting in baking soda in the sun for a month before I can read it. 

And don't even think of telling me about using a fabric dryer sheet.  Once that is done to a book, I'll never be able to read it.

I totally agree with you.  We are non-smokers and take good care of our books. 

I hate smelly anythingn not just books.  My books are free of odors, however, I have pets so there could be a stray hair or 2 on the books.  If not allergic to animals check out my bookshleve and see if there is anything you like. 

Same here Emily. I can't stand cigarette smoke, mold or perfume smells. Someone once put a dryer sheet in a box and I gagged and coughed for an hour and had to take it all out of the house.

So maybe we should turn this forum into a place to show off unscented bookshelves?  I'd love to be able to browse for unscented books.  And I'm always willing to tell folks if books smell like perfume or smoke. 

Emily,

I totally agree with you. I am allergic to smoke so I have a condition on the books that I receive that says "will not accept books that come from a smoking home." This may have cost me a few wish list books, but better safe than sorry. I have received books that smell so bad that they were thrown away. YUK!!

Anyway, guess you can tell my books are smoke free. I have cats, but they are not really readers, so no problem there!!! LOL

Take care. Happy, healthy breathing to you!

Debi

Hi  I hate smelly books too.  How does everyone get rid of the smells?

Laura

I personally put them in a black shoe box of baking soda and leave it in the sun.  Heat and baking soda.  Or just get rid of them if they smell like dryer sheets.  I have a RC about smoke and incense.  But I try and leave my RC very short and simple.  There are some folks who say no to any book that has a RC.  

I also check bookshelves of my unscented buddies and the folks who post here.  Starting off unscented is great. 

I had a very perfumed mailperson.  Luckily, they changed the routes.  Our new guy is wonderful.  My mailbox is outside so I can toss scented catalogs before they come inside.

I also cannot deal with smoke or perfume smells.  I've had to take books back to the library without even reading them because they reeked of perfume so badly that I ended up with a pounding headache after opening the book.

My Librarian will try and look for another copy of a book if it is too perfumed.  (All the libraries in our county are linked.) 

Thanks for the tips, I have a collection of SF magazines and some of them smell like mildew.  Once it gets warmer I will try putting them outside in the sun in baking soda.

I also can't stand the smell of smoke or perfume.

  I once had a boss who had this habit of spraying herself with perfume immediately after lunch.  Her office was two rooms down from mine and the odor would permeate the entire hallway and waiting room.  It was so bad that when I became pregnant it was giving me headaches!  I finally went to Human Resources and explained my problem.  Well...I was hoping that it would be taken seriously  and discreetly, instead it was not.  They told her there was a complaint made about her "smell".  This translated to her as "I should put more perfume on more often".  That is exaclty what she did!  She then told us during a staff meeting that one of us made a complaint and she wanted to know who it was!  I just sat there looking around acting just as surprised as the next person.  The funny thing is, another woman actually had the nerve to speak up and say that the perfume she wore was just a tad too strong and maybe it would be better if she didn't put so much on.  After that my supervisor had it out for this poor coworker thinking she was the one who made the initial complaint!  Long story short, the perfume problem continued and I ended up not returning there after my maternity leave.

So I too can not take smells of any kind.  Good or bad. 

Hi there,

I come from a smoke-free, fragrance-free household, so requests for my books are safe.

I have 2 cats in the house, and 3 roommates, but other than that my house is stink-free.  The books are kept far from the kitty litter and food supplies. :)  One of my roommates is on PBS too and she got a stinky book a few weeks back.  I've been lucky enough that nothing has been noticeable so far.

I consider my books smell-free.  No one in my household smokes.  There is no litter box.  I do not wear perfume or use scented air fresheners,oils, etc. in my home.  I'm not a fragrance-phobe nor do I have allergies. I just never got into fragrance products.  I do have a dog.  She prefers to be outside a lot and when she is in she does not read my books.  However I cannot gaurentee there won't be a stray dog hair somewhere.

The majority of books on my PBS bookshelf have only been owned by me, so I can vouch for them.  But some of my books I picked up at a used bookstore, thrift store or library sale, so I do not know their entire history, but they smell fine to me.

The majority of books on my bookshelf have only been owned by me, so I can vouch for them.  But some of my books have come from PBS.  I don't know their entire history, but they smell fine to me.  I have a RC saying that I prefer books from a non smoking enviroment.

Most of my books are mysteries with a few romance, thrillers and vamps thrown in for the fun of it.

I am a "fragrance-phobe".  My home is free of any scented products, smokes, or pesticides.  I sniff books before buying at the UBS.

I'm currently reading mainly paranormals and SF.  But there are also romances on my bookshelf. 

No one in my household smokes, and I'm sensitive about "smells," too. I do have two cats, but they are generally not around my books. I can't guarantee that you won't find a hair occasionally, so if you are very allergic. . .  My teenage daughter is a perfume lover, and I can't stand it; she keeps her room closed but so far won't part with her books, so I'm not offering smelly ones. I have a little bit of everything. I'll read anything that's not nailed down. I even read for a living (I'm an editor).

Time to post and bump this up. 

I am interested in making buddies with unperfumed folks who read romances and paranormals.  No smokers and no scented hand lotion, please.  Promise to post WL unscented books to you first. 

I just received another perfumed romance that will be in exile in the baking soda for a while.  This rarely happens with my SF novels.  And my favorite bookstore has only a tiny romance section. 

I have some romances on my bookshelf. I just recently purged my collection. I only have a couple paranormals left. Two went out yesterday. I have a smoke free home. I rarely wear perfume - only when going out and not to sit and read. I could not stand even my own perfume on my books!

I am sensitive to smells too. I have relegated books to a plastic bag full of baking soda for a couple weeks before reading them to get rid of smoke smell. Thanks for the sunshine tip - that part I had not tried with the baking soda. Before I thought of the baking soda I had tried setting them on the balcony in the sun and wind. I will try the combination next time.

I, too, hate it when I open a package and get overpowered by a smoke smell, especially when it was a much wished for book that I want to jump in reading right away. We are a completely non-smoking home, though we do have a dog, but he doesn't really read much...

I have a deal going on in the bazaar right now, if you want to take a look. I have lots of books on health, cooking, etc.. It's a very eclectic shelf.

Here's a link:

http://www.paperbackswap.com/forum/topic.php?t=163146

Thanks for looking! Rita. :0)

My books are from a smoke and pet free home and i would like my books I request to be smoke fee also. Pets are okay. Haven't gotten any bad smell or other from a pet yet. I know if you buy a car that was owned by a smoker you can cut a lemon in 4 quarters and set in in the car for a week or until the lemon shirks up before removing it will take the smoke smell out so I wonder if you but your books in a plastic container with a tight lid with a lemon cut up and set it in the sun will that work? HUMMM I'm going to try it the next time I get a stinky book. If you get around trying it before me let me know if it works.

Lambchop