Being Fragrance-Free at MAPLE

Our community has several allergies and sensitivities, including dust, mold, certain foods, and also synthetic fragrance; these allergies are debilitating. If you attend our events, or visit MAPLE, we need your help to ensure our community’s safety. Please be fragrance-free when visiting MAPLE, and at all MAPLE events. Thanks in advance for your co-operation!

At our events, or before arrival as a guest:

• Avoid wearing any items with synthetic fragrance at our events, or packing products with fragrance for use during your stay - see below.
• If you use detergent or dryer sheets with synthetic fragrance, you will need to eliminate the traces of fragrance from your clothes - see below.
• If you attend our events or visit our Monastic Academy regularly, do not purchase, use, or wear products with synthetic fragrance.

As a guest, after arrival at the Monastic Academy:

• A member of MAPLE will inspect your personal hygiene and cosmetics products shortly after you arrive to ensure that they do not have fragrances.
• If you have traces of fragrance on your clothes, we may ask you to move away from community members with sensitivities, and we may ask you to wash your clothes again (we can help with this).

What are the ingredients and products I need to avoid?

Synthetic fragrance can be found in:

• personal hygiene products, including, but not limited to, soaps, shampoo, and body wash
• cosmetic products like perfume and cologne
• cleaning/laundry products like detergent and dryer sheets
• clothes that have interacted with any of these products

My clothes have traces of synthetic fragrance on them from my personal hygiene, cosmetics, or cleaning products. How do I remove those traces before my visit?

Baking soda and the sun both work to reduce or eliminate the presence of fragrance.

• Wash your clothes with water and a handful of baking soda, and then dry them without dryer sheets or fabric softener. Make sure not to use too much baking soda, as it will clump up and stick to clothing. A handful is good. Smell after washing - you may need to do this multiple times.
• Expose your clothes to sunlight by hanging them out on a clothesline. The longer they hang, the better.

Note that washers and dryers, like your clothes, will carry traces of the synthetic fragrance; try to find and use a washer/dryer that has not been affected by synthetic fragrance, or, if that is unavailable before your stay, make sure to expose your clothes to sunlight for as long as possible. You may also need to use the MAPLE washer/dryer after your arrival.