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View Full Version : A Warning about "Plug in" air freshners...




Ptolly-Totts
12-02-2005, 04:13 PM
Hi girls,

I received the email (below) from a friend, thought I would share it with you all... I know the facts are true as my daughter who is a librarian was informed by a fire warden from the fire department about this very issue when he visited her library..

FIRE DANGER:

This is one of those emails that if you don't send it, rest assured someone on your list will suffer for not reading it.

The original message was written by a lady whose brother and his wife learned a hard lesson this past week. Their house burned down; nothing was left but ashes. They have good insurance so the home and most of the contents will be replaced. That is the good news.

However, they were sick when they found out the cause of the fire. They never suspected what the Insurance Investigator told them.

The Insurance Investigator sifted through the ashes of the house for several hours. He determined the cause of the fire and traced it to the master bathroom. He asked the woman what she had plugged in the bathroom. She said the normal things: curling iron, blow dryer.

The Insurance Investigator said, "No, neither of those two appliances would have caused this fire." The Investigator then asked if she had a plug-in air freshener in the bathroom outlet. The woman said, "Yes. I have a Glade Plug-In in the bathroom outlet." The Investigator raised his eyebrows and said, "Aha."

He said that was the cause of the fire and that he has seen more house fires started with the plug-in type room air fresheners than anything else.

He said that the plastic the air fresheners are made from is a VERY THIN plastic and that it completely disintegrates at high temperatures.

He also said that in every case there was nothing left except the prongs in the wall outlet to prove that it even existed.

When the Investigator looked in the wall plug, and the two prongs left from the plug-in were still in there. The woman had one of the plug-ins that had a small night light built into it. She said she had noticed that the light would sometimes dim and then go out. She would walk back into the bathroom a few hours later and the light would be back on again. The Investigator said that the unit was getting too hot, and would dim and go out rather than just blow the light bulb. Once it cooled down it would come back on. That is one of the warning signs of the air fresheners with a night light.

The Investigator said he would never have any type of plug-in fragrance device, even the ones without the night light, anywhere in his house. He has seen too many homes that have burnt down due to them.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK.

NOT ONLY COULD IT SAVE SOMEONE'S HOME, BUT IT COULD SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE.




Leigh
12-02-2005, 05:41 PM
That is scary isn't it!

I have not long bought a new plug in. We never leave it plugged in tho. I may stick it on for a little while, if someone is coming, or the cats have been giving the clean litter tray a work out. Then take it out and put it away, I find them way to strong to have on all the time.

emmcee
13-02-2005, 10:27 AM
I've never used the plug ins because the smell gives me a headache - I don;t think will now - thanks for the warning!

It's not an urban myth is it?

Ptolly-Totts
13-02-2005, 02:17 PM
Hi Gail; no this is a genuine warning, my daughter was informed of this very issue by a fire warden that visited her work premises a few months back and she in turn warned me. I received the relative email from a friend a few days ago, it refreshed my memory on this matter, thought it would be a good idea to bring it up here on the forums.

A couple of years ago, I was given one to try and I found the smell too overpowering and it did give me a headache too...

emmcee
13-02-2005, 02:34 PM
Thanks Ptolly Totts - I just thought I'd ask. I wonder what the manufacturers are doing about it?

Suzieq
13-02-2005, 06:46 PM
Hi

I don't use them either as they give me headaches but it's not a myth.

Husband has occasion with his job to talk to the Fire Brigade investigators and the question of plug ins are asked quite often.

smartiesgal
06-03-2005, 10:30 PM
wow

thats pretty scary

i dont use then personally, but i have several friends who swaer by them

thanks for the tip... il be passing this news on for sure

Mervb
12-03-2005, 09:03 PM
I've actually experienced it - or something similar - we were watching TV one night and the household power blew. We traced it to the plugin the implement had shorted out and the plastic had melted.

I threw the power cord and plugin out - thought it had been a faulty socket - :IE:

suburbs
21-03-2005, 11:42 PM
I like others here don't buy these products for similar reasons. I won't even have oil burners or candles here. My concerns has always been safety, in saying that I think the major makers do everything within their power to sell safety 'plug-ins'.

I did however find this reference to 'plug-ins' that might help -

http://www.snopes.com/toxins/glade.asp

Here is another link you might find interesting.

http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/pluginfire.html

Ptolly-Totts
22-03-2005, 09:27 AM
Thanks suburbs, those links were very interesting.

ritzmoon
24-03-2005, 06:14 PM
Id read some where about plug ins causing houses to burn down. As soon as I read this I threw mine away.

Ptolly-Totts
20-04-2005, 08:33 AM
Just had to add; I was researching safety gates in Choice Magazine at the library yesterday, came across an article on this very subject (May 2004), they said it was an "urban myth", however they would not recommend leaving any such items on 24/7 only when needed.

However if this warning is but an "urban myth; it does puzzle me that the Fire Warden from the fire department advised my daughter some were fire risks. Oh well I don't like the overpowering smell they emit anyway....

suburbs
27-04-2005, 12:35 AM
Well I think the 'Fire Warden' may not have done his research properly. The 'urban myth' has been around for some time now....so maybe your daughter should contact the 'fire warden' & set him straight.

If it was my product that was involved I would be looking for someone to take to court...... :)