Laundry service started next door - wife allergic to chemicals

[tropo]

Two months ago a Thai lady started a laundry service in the adjacent townhouse. We didn't want to jump to conclusions at first, but it has become painfully clear that my wife has an allergic reaction to the perfume they use in the laundry.

If we leave the front door open the perfume causes my wife to sneeze, a blocked and runny nose, dizziness and a headache. She'll have symptoms all evening.

The laundry lady makes her own fabric conditioner and detergent.

We've been living here for nearly 3 years and have had to put up with the construction of a condo building next door for the past 18 months, which is nearing completion. Due to the noise we usually have the doors closed all day, but today I had them open all afternoon and I noticed the immediate and strong reaction my wife had to the laundry smell when she came downstairs. We were looking forward to open doors and fresh air once the building construction had finished.... but now everything has changed.

What to do? Is moving our only option?

Edited October 30, 2013 by tropo

[bangkokstick]

Enjoy living in a house or townhouse :-)

Yes, just move to a comfortable condo where in case of problem the management always find a solution for you...

[tropo]

Enjoy living in a house or townhouse :-)

Yes, just move to a comfortable condo where in case of problem the management always find a solution for you...

Point taken, but if I do move I'll have to find another house. It would be hard to move from a 200 m2 house to a small box. A large condo would be out of my price range. I need at least 2 bedrooms.

[davethailand]

Look at anti allergy meds?

[lemoncake]

Moving or telfast 60mg for 120 baht/box or generic for 90 baht.

[UncleJ]

A real dilemma.

You could mention the problem to the laundry but since this is Thailand, it could start an ugly war or worse.

There is a good reason Thai's don't complain.

The usual answer is MOVE.

I hate that, but it's the only way.

[guzzi850m2]

Find a nice Moo Baan on the dark side but the low price ones can also have shops/laundry inside the moo baan so you will have to look around first and find a nice village.

A condo is also not an option for my famliy so we have a house.

[Beardog]

Tropo I feel for you & your wife. That really does suck as you never can tell about who is going to move next door to you in Thailand & there are not really any laws to prevent anyone from using harsh chemical right next door to you. The lady is most likely using a plant named Shampoo a purple flower. My girl has made soap out of it. While it is not usually a problem to someone allergic to scents it is still a big problem. I think moving may be the only answer on this one.

[tropo]

Look at anti allergy meds?

Seriously? Absolutely not! We'll move before I start feeding her more drugs. She already uses some anti-allergy medicine on occasion for some food allergies and even now she's taking cold medication to clear her nose when it gets bad.

Edited October 31, 2013 by tropo

[tropo]

Tropo I feel for you & your wife. That really does suck as you never can tell about who is going to move next door to you in Thailand & there are not really any laws to prevent anyone from using harsh chemical right next door to you. The lady is most likely using a plant named Shampoo a purple flower. My girl has made soap out of it. While it is not usually a problem to someone allergic to scents it is still a big problem. I think moving may be the only answer on this one.

Moving is the only answer I can think of right now. The longer you expose yourself to an allergen the worse the reaction will become. She has had trouble with certain scents we've bought from the supermarket... and also cheap market perfume. She also gets food allergies, so her body is fragile.

[UncleJ]

Short of moving or possibly starting a war, you can keep the door shut?

[transam]

Tropo I feel for you & your wife. That really does suck as you never can tell about who is going to move next door to you in Thailand & there are not really any laws to prevent anyone from using harsh chemical right next door to you. The lady is most likely using a plant named Shampoo a purple flower. My girl has made soap out of it. While it is not usually a problem to someone allergic to scents it is still a big problem. I think moving may be the only answer on this one.

Moving is the only answer I can think of right now. The longer you expose yourself to an allergen the worse the reaction will become. She has had trouble with certain scents we've bought from the supermarket... and also cheap market perfume. She also gets food allergies, so her body is fragile.

My Mrs is the same, gets a reaction to virtually anything. To solve it you must move away from folk, BUT, then grass cutting can cause stuff. No simple answer.

[tropo]

Short of moving or possibly starting a war, you can keep the door shut?

That's what we do now. I've been doing this for over a year (keeping it shut till about 6pm) because of the construction noise.

[UncleJ]

Maybe there is a way to alter the ventilation coming from the laundry?

[Basil B]

Look at anti allergy meds?

anti-histamines, but best get a doctors advice (and script), if not ask a pharmacist.

I get the same reaction normally from the vapor when drying clothes if I use to much detergent.

[Basil B]

Look at anti allergy meds?

Seriously? Absolutely not! We'll move before I start feeding her more drugs. She already uses some anti-allergy medicine on occasion for some food allergies and even now she's taking cold medication to clear her nose when it gets bad.

Sorry did not see this post before posting, I suffer the same, a lot of things can cause allergies, I would strongly recommend seeing a doctor maybe a change of medication may help.

another issue if the laundry is using dryers maybe you could get them to vent away from your property.

Edited October 31, 2013 by Basil B

[malcyx]

Any of you talk to laundry lady ?

first thing I would do rather than moan for your wife .. just saying .

The problem may be effecting others or your future neighbours..

Don't presume (or take advice from people on here who don't know you or the laundry lady . ) that the laundry lady is not going to listen , she might ..

Some people are so racist against thais , unbelievanle..

Perhaps she may dilute her washing product and still get good results..

she will also save money (happy laundry lady, happy wife )..

Don't move cause others are afraid to talk and listen to thais..

hope you get this solved..

[Marcel1]

true, just talk and ask that is even here the way people solve problems. If you love your house and don't want to move it is the most simple thing to do. you not have to start complaining or make a war but just a simple conversation how your wife and her are going to solve it

[monkeycountry]

There is a government department that can and will close down businesses who are not allowed to operate in certain areas and/or buildings.

As an example they once shut down one of my neighbours who built an industrial size freezer in his standard semi detached shophouse to run a food supply business. The freezer cooled everything around it down, causing condensation on the walls and floors of the neighbouring houses.

The mentioned government department was called and they came straight away, looked at the problem and decided that you cannot have an industrial size freezer in a residential area, or a shophouse (I do not know the exact criteria).

The freezer was turned off for good, and eventually removed. No court case necessary.

When that same neighbour later built his freezer in another house in the same area, he had an outdoor generator running 24/7 connected to his new freezer. This caused a noise problem, and again the department was called. They came, and told him to remove the generator which he did.

Similarly, it could be illegal to run a laundry from a residence. I assume they have big machinery, chemical spills and what not, which might be illegal? Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to call. Unfortunately I neither have the name nor number, but at least the department exists, and should be possible to find.

Edited October 31, 2013 by monkeycountry

[tropo]

Look at anti allergy meds?

Seriously? Absolutely not! We'll move before I start feeding her more drugs. She already uses some anti-allergy medicine on occasion for some food allergies and even now she's taking cold medication to clear her nose when it gets bad.

Sorry did not see this post before posting, I suffer the same, a lot of things can cause allergies, I would strongly recommend seeing a doctor maybe a change of medication may help.

another issue if the laundry is using dryers maybe you could get them to vent away from your property.

My wife normally manages her life without allergy medication. Sometimes she will react to a food and need to take some, but there's no way I would condone taking medication to allow a person to stay in contact with known allergens. Like eating food you know you're allergic too and taking drugs to help you through.

Take drugs so we can stay in a 20,000 per month rental? I like the place, but not that much. If it was caused by unavoidable seasonal pollen - yes, that would be ok.

It's not a drier causing the problems. They haven't used that for several days.

Edited October 31, 2013 by tropo

[tropo]

true, just talk and ask that is even here the way people solve problems. If you love your house and don't want to move it is the most simple thing to do. you not have to start complaining or make a war but just a simple conversation how your wife and her are going to solve it

Yes, we will talk. As it happens, she's a really nice lady who works very hard for a living. We get on well, but I feel that if she cannot use the chemicals she uses she won't be able to continue business. She makes up all her own products to save money. Perhaps she will consider using different chemicals.

I will let my very concerned (foreign) landlord do the talking though. As tenants of nearly 3 years he certainly doesn't want us to leave and he's not exactly happy about having a laundry next door.

Edited October 31, 2013 by tropo

[tropo]

Any of you talk to laundry lady ?

first thing I would do rather than moan for your wife .. just saying .

The problem may be effecting others or your future neighbours..

Don't presume (or take advice from people on here who don't know you or the laundry lady . ) that the laundry lady is not going to listen , she might ..

Some people are so racist against thais , unbelievanle..

Perhaps she may dilute her washing product and still get good results..

she will also save money (happy laundry lady, happy wife )..

Don't move cause others are afraid to talk and listen to thais..

hope you get this solved..

As I mentioned in the post above, we will talk at some stage. We have a good relationship. We haven't talked about this yet because I wanted to be 100% certain that she is allergic to the chemicals.

[tropo]

Maybe there is a way to alter the ventilation coming from the laundry?

Yes, I've been thinking about this... but these townhouses have a very narrow front of 5m, so it could be difficult to send the air away from our front.

[tropo]

There is a government department that can and will close down businesses who are not allowed to operate in certain areas and/or buildings.

As an example they once shut down one of my neighbours who built an industrial size freezer in his standard semi detached shophouse to run a food supply business. The freezer cooled everything around it down, causing condensation on the walls and floors of the neighbouring houses.

The mentioned government department was called and they came straight away, looked at the problem and decided that you cannot have an industrial size freezer in a residential area, or a shophouse (I do not know the exact criteria).

The freezer was turned off for good, and eventually removed. No court case necessary.

When that same neighbour later built his freezer in another house in the same area, he had an outdoor generator running 24/7 connected to his new freezer. This caused a noise problem, and again the department was called. They came, and told him to remove the generator which he did.

Similarly, it could be illegal to run a laundry from a residence. I assume they have big machinery, chemical spills and what not, which might be illegal? Anyway, it wouldn't hurt to call. Unfortunately I neither have the name nor number, but at least the department exists, and should be possible to find.

My landlord has been considering this option. Actually she's using 3 domestic type washing machines and one dryer. She's draining the water directly into the dirt in the basement under the house and causing pools of water to accumulate.... another concern.

[darrendsd]

Forget all the posters who are talking about you moving, what is wrong with these people? First sign of a problem and they seem unable to have a friendly polite chat with a Thai

As you have said you get on well with the lady so wait until your wife is having a really bad reaction and then both go together to talk to the Laundry woman who will be able to see for herself that your wife is suffering

If that does not work then go to the Tessaban, they have a department to deal with these sort of things,(Dept of Environmental Health or similar wording) however if they do take action then that could cause friction as she will obviously know who has told them

A friendly chat can work wonders here, something some posters here seem unaware of

[transam]

Forget all the posters who are talking about you moving, what is wrong with these people? First sign of a problem and they seem unable to have a friendly polite chat with a Thai

As you have said you get on well with the lady so wait until your wife is having a really bad reaction and then both go together to talk to the Laundry woman who will be able to see for herself that your wife is suffering

If that does not work then go to the Tessaban, they have a department to deal with these sort of things,(Dept of Environmental Health or similar wording) however if they do take action then that could cause friction as she will obviously know who has told them

A friendly chat can work wonders here, something some posters here seem unaware of

But, some of us know that tea money can go against one. Think about it.

[darrendsd]

Forget all the posters who are talking about you moving, what is wrong with these people? First sign of a problem and they seem unable to have a friendly polite chat with a Thai

As you have said you get on well with the lady so wait until your wife is having a really bad reaction and then both go together to talk to the Laundry woman who will be able to see for herself that your wife is suffering

If that does not work then go to the Tessaban, they have a department to deal with these sort of things,(Dept of Environmental Health or similar wording) however if they do take action then that could cause friction as she will obviously know who has told them

A friendly chat can work wonders here, something some posters here seem unaware of

But, some of us know that tea money can go against one. Think about it.

I don't understand why Tea money would be involved here?

[transam]

Forget all the posters who are talking about you moving, what is wrong with these people? First sign of a problem and they seem unable to have a friendly polite chat with a Thai

As you have said you get on well with the lady so wait until your wife is having a really bad reaction and then both go together to talk to the Laundry woman who will be able to see for herself that your wife is suffering

If that does not work then go to the Tessaban, they have a department to deal with these sort of things,(Dept of Environmental Health or similar wording) however if they do take action then that could cause friction as she will obviously know who has told them

A friendly chat can work wonders here, something some posters here seem unaware of

But, some of us know that tea money can go against one. Think about it.

I don't understand why Tea money would be involved here?

, you haven't been here long eh.

[darrendsd]

Forget all the posters who are talking about you moving, what is wrong with these people? First sign of a problem and they seem unable to have a friendly polite chat with a Thai

As you have said you get on well with the lady so wait until your wife is having a really bad reaction and then both go together to talk to the Laundry woman who will be able to see for herself that your wife is suffering

If that does not work then go to the Tessaban, they have a department to deal with these sort of things,(Dept of Environmental Health or similar wording) however if they do take action then that could cause friction as she will obviously know who has told them

A friendly chat can work wonders here, something some posters here seem unaware of

But, some of us know that tea money can go against one. Think about it.

I don't understand why Tea money would be involved here?

, you haven't been here long eh.

Actually yes I have but nevermind about that

If you're talking about Tea money being paid to the Tessaban to resolve the problem well I don't know how Pattaya works but here in Hua Hin I have had occasion to visit the Tessaban 3 times to resolve problems and not once has Tea money been asked for or even been hinted at

[threelegcowboy]

I always think out of the box so tell me why you cant do this; go into the laundry business. Undercut her business so that the customers go to you instead of your neighbor. Use a mild soap you can live with but dont try to make money. Your going to out last your neighbor.

Then after your neighbor goes out of business be creative. Maybe go into business with her and all you control is the soap etc.