Welcome to Ban Suavitel dot com

Hello and welcome to Ban Suavitel dot com, a web site dedicated to preserving the health of everyone affected by this obnoxious fabric softener known as "Suavitel".

Suavitel originated in Mexico and was brought to the U.S. by the Colgate/Palmolive company a few years ago. I recently became aware of this product after a neighbor moved into the house next door to mine and began using this product excessively. Soon after they moved in, I was exposed to the stench of Suavitel which made my stomach turn, producing nausea which eventually caused me to throw up. What's even more frustrating is that there seems to be little or nothing I can do to stop it from invading my home. Even with all of my windows and doors closed, this nasty product finds a way into my house through the floor boards, the attic, and any other small spaces that exist in all homes.

What is particularly offensive about Suavitel is that it appears to not break down and disperse into the atmosphere the way most fabric softener gases do (which may explain why Suavitel is the cheapest of the fabric softeners). It basically forms a cloud of gas that hovers over the ground invading the senses of anyone who happens to be in its path. I checked the exhaust of my neighbor's dryer by putting my hand over the outside vent briefly. When I removed my hand, the smell stuck to my hand and would not come off without soap and water. Imagine what this stuff does to the clothes that are swimming in it. I checked my own laundry exhaust to see if there were any problems with it, but no sticky trace of any product was found coming from my dryer. I've been living in this house for over 13 years and I've never had any problem with any neighbor using a fabric softener -- until now. Unfortunately, attempts at getting my neighbor to stop using Suavitel have failed so now I am appealing to the world to help me put a stop to this nasty product.

So strong was this smell, that I soon became aware of it on the clothes of others who have used this product -- I could smell it on their clothes up to 15 feet away! I've also been driving along on roadways which appear to be nowhere near any laundromat or apartment complex and have been overtaken by this noxious smell -- it's very recognizeable once you've been exposed to it, and it's nasty.

I eventually called the Colgate/Palmolive company and complained to them about the ill effects that Suavitel was having on me and my central nervous system. They informed me that they have no intention of reformulating the product or doing anything else which would provide me with relief. I began to consider selling my house and moving.

It was then that I decided that a class action law suit was an even better idea.

I began research on this topic and discovered some startling information about products which use "fragrances". I was astounded to discover that the fragrance industry is "self-regulated" and that a chemical like paradichlorobenzene (a common ingredient in pesticides which must be listed among its ingredients) can freely be used as a fragrance component in an "air freshener" without it having to be listed on the product itself (that's why you often see the word "fragrance" listed among a product's ingredients -- while the ingredients of the fragrance itself are not listed). The same goes for chloroform and several other toxic chemicals. Fragrances are a large component of fabric softeners and particularly so in the case of Suavitel.

I began to find others who were suffering from the same conditions that I was and realized that I was not alone. I am now calling upon anyone who has been exposed to Suavitel to join me in this law suit. Together, we can get this product banned and avoid the needless suffering that I and others continue to experience.

To start with, please file a complaint with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and be sure to mention the effects that this product has had on you. Personally, I've had upset stomach and nausea that led to me throwing up. I get headaches that don't respond to 3 aspirins. I lose my ability to concentrate. I get nervous shakes and my face gets itchy. A mild skin condition has increased its severity since my initial exposure to Suavitel. And oddly enough, two of my neighbor's young children were recently hospitalized with unusual disorders whose source wasn't explained. Because of my disgust with their use of Suavitel, I have very little communication with them now, but I feel it is highly probable that they too are being affected by Suavitel and don't even know it.

Central Nervous System disorders are high on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's list of response issues so be sure to mention things like dizziness, shakes, upset stomach, inability to concentrate, untreatable headaches etc. when referring to Suavitel if you have experienced these symptoms. After filing a complaint, they will send you a follow-up letter containing a copy of your initial complaint and ask you to verify it -- be sure to send it back to them so that they know you are serious about the effects that this nasty product has on normal people.

Let me state that I don't generally have objections to fragrances or consider myself to be "environmentally sensitive" -- in fact, I love the scent of the roses in my garden, but their smell is contained to a relatively small space and has never been considered objectionable by anyone visiting my home. However, when my neighbors use Suavitel, visitors to my home invariably exclaim "What the heck is that SMELL?" (though often using more colorful words to describe the stench created by Suavitel), so I know that this issue is not about me. It's about Colgate/Palmolive, an irresponsible manufacturer of a fabric softener who actually includes among the listed directions for use of Suavitel "for extra softness in your clothes, use more Suavitel in your wash". What's more, Colgate/Palmolive thinks their customers are stupid and won't do the math to reveal that the quantities of Suavitel specified for use end up costing the customer a lot more money than competitive brands (which aren't made of crap). The bottom line is Suavitel is a nasty product that has no business being allowed in this country or any other one for that matter, regardless of how clueless Colgate/Palmolive thinks its citizens are.

As a citizen of this fare country of the United States, I have the right to breathe fresh, clean, unadulterated air. My neighbor's use of Suavitel denies me this basic right that we all share whenever their cloud of Suavitel gas surrounds my house. The people who use this product don't even realize the effects it is having on their own sense of smell -- as their senses become destroyed, they use more and more of this product to make up for the fact that they can't smell as well anymore. Made stronger and stronger every year, it is time to put an end to this arms race of fabric softeners. Please join me in the fight to shut down irresponsible makers of noxious products such as Suavitel. If you haven't experienced the smell of this product (and you may not know that you are smelling Suavitel until you identify the source of it -- once you smell it, you will never forget it) it's only a matter of time before you too will be affected. Additionally, depending on the detergent being used with it and the amount of Suavitel being used, the effects may vary in their severity. At the very least, I hope customers stop to realize the cost of using this product -- both to their senses and their pocket books.

I'd like to send out a special thanks to those who have expressed their support for this issue. It really is comforting to know that there are others who have experienced the same effects from this nasty product as I have.

At the same time, there are others who are truly clueless when it comes to human rights issues, so just to reinforce how important it is for us to remain vigilent in this fight against toxic fabric softeners, here are some e-mails I've received complaining about this web site:

Brandon Hall <wbrandonhall@yahoo.com> writes:

This is the craziest web site and claim I have ever seen. I use Suavitel and actually get compliments on the way my clothes smell all of the time.

What you have is called an "allergy" not a central nervous disorder caused by a fragrance. Maybe you have heard of those. People get sick from certain colognes all of the time because they have an allergic reaction to it.

Quit wasting your time on this thing and go get some allergy shots or something.

Thanks.

Too bad there isn't a shot for stupidity... How someone thinks I need a shot to live peacefully in my own home is beyond me... As for wasting time, who are these people who go to the Internet and do searches on "Fabric Softeners" anyway? I created this web site once and it sits here, doing its job, educating clueless morons like Mr. Hall with no additional effort on my part. Yet somehow, he has the extra time to write to me and "correct" my perspective on my right to breathe fresh air. Truly amazing. And, for what it's worth, when it comes to addressing a perfect stranger, most people won't confront someone to tell them that their clothes stink, they will just move away from them to avoid the stench (or use sarcasm to indicate that they really *don't* like the smell of their clothes).

Cariyaki@aol.com writes:

Get a life. I love Suavitel it's refreshing and uprising. What about all those nasty candle smells. I bet your the kind of person who walks your little rat dog and lets it shit in other peoples yards. put that in your pipe and smoke it. This better not get banned. I think you are a super sensitive freak. So what about perfumes that some people where. you can't ban everything.

Well, once again we have the rantings of someone who just doesn't get it. If I go somewhere that has burning candles that offend me, I can leave. The same thing for places where people wear perfume (though I must say I've never come across any perfumes that are anywhere near as obnoxious as Suavitel). However, when I am in my own home, I have the right to breathe fresh, clean, unadulterated air without obnoxious smells invading my space (I do own my home, you see). We all have the right to breathe fresh air. And to dismiss this as some sort of irrational behaviour on my part highlights the sad state of human rights that the next generation is realizing. You don't have the right to pollute the air I breathe when I am in my own home -- and I am amazed that there are such clueless people on this planet who don't understand that. But then, if everyone thought the same way, we probably wouldn't need the legal system to straighten out our "less-enlightened" citizens. It's not a crime to be uninformed, just sad. If you choose to write to me about your right to use this product, please be sure to include the reason why you feel you have the right to pollute the air I breathe in my own home.

A mailing list will soon be available that will allow you to join the class action law suit being prepared against Colgate/Palmolive. Please express your support for this issue by e-mailing help@BanSuavitel.com and check back regularly as this site is updated. This is only the beginning...