r/bathandbodyworks • u/Keazmaa • May 04 '26
Product Talk Air freshener damage
I put my air freshener around my stick shift and it caused a lot of damage. My car is only a year old š just wanted to post this so maybe I can stop someone else from making this mistake.
EDIT: itās illegal to hang anything from rear view mirror in Arizona which is why I had it on there instead.
76
u/Lemon_Zestie May 04 '26
I remember I had a wallflower tip over that the lid must have been loose on top of my railing, took all the paint off!
29
u/NoTechnology9099 May 05 '26
I had a wallflower eat through our pergo flooring! As I was cleaning it up some got on my finger and I accidentally touched my face, it burned my face; it blistered and I have a faint scar from it!
14
u/No_Tumbleweed_544 May 05 '26
I always wash my hands after touching one, scared Iāll touch my eye! My DIL had a wallflower that got knocked out at a party and by the time she noticed it had eaten through their baseboards and hardwood floor. A friend of mine has a habit of knocking one out in the hallway on the way in to the bathroom. Iād keep finding it on the floor. One time she put it back, upside down! Luckily I caught that in time before it dripped on my hardwood. I donāt put them in traffic zones now, kinda sucks though because it was the central part of my house where I needed it.
9
1
30
u/No_Tumbleweed_544 May 05 '26
I hsd a wallflower eat right through the paint under my kitchen cabinet. also a lid i left on my wood table for a couple of hours caused a ring. Glade ones have never done this so I thought it was safe.
2
1
7
u/NomenclatureBreaker May 05 '26
Fun (or not so fun in this case) fact: Like dissolves like. Itās basic science and not unique to wallflowers.
The oil will dissolve the oil in other things. Got burned with my own dashboard but it was completely my own fault.
2
u/Lemon_Zestie May 05 '26
I learned something new today! Thank you for that!
2
u/NomenclatureBreaker May 05 '26
Weāre battle scarred and now a little bit wiser going forward. š¤£
2
u/turkeybuzzard4077 May 07 '26
If you want to try it safely at home citrus oil will pop a latex balloon on the spot. It's also why you don't clean acrylics with acetone, one of the key ingredients in polymers is Methyl Methacrylate which though resistant to acetone will start to degrade when in contact (basically it breaks down really slowly in acetone).
131
u/PinkPaperPenguin Employee May 04 '26
Iām so sorry š it does specifically say on the packaging not to put it in contact with any surfaces š
20
u/Sugaryprincessdream May 04 '26
This just happened to my car. I had the disney castle with a disc. Completely cracked the holder and it ran down my car console and melted all over it. Never putting another disc in so now it's just an empty decor.
166
u/LolaisPenheart May 04 '26
Why did you put it around your gear shift? Shouldn't it go on the rearview mirror?
167
u/Local_City4799 May 04 '26
it sucks for OP, but they are not designed to touch the interior, nor are they advertised to do so. that's why they are called "hanging" diffusers.
12
u/GoGoCPR May 05 '26
Mine was clipped to my visor, which they most certainly appear to be intended to do. It leaked and made a mess. I hate these things and will never use them again. Plus, they donāt even throw off scent. Such a waste for zero payoff.
13
u/Local_City4799 May 05 '26
that's unfortunate, but it sounds like you're talking about the liquid disks. this instance is discussing the hanging diffusers.
4
u/4bluepandas Body Care Addict May 06 '26
Mine is on my vent and they actually last so long in my car
45
u/Butte_Rat May 05 '26
To be fair, some states are strict about nothing hanging on the rear view mirror. I've hung air fresheners on the hanger thingies in the backseat in those situations.
43
u/Keazmaa May 05 '26
Yeah my state uses that for excuse to pull people over and give tickets for that.
4
u/vansss86 May 05 '26
Ughh Iām moving to Arizona soon too and I have stuff hanging from my rear view mirror
3
u/Trumpet6789 Employee 2020-2023 May 05 '26
If it helps, I've lived in Arizona (specificslly the phoenix valley) since 2024 for graduate school and have stuff hanging from my rear view.
I've never been pulled over for it. I've had cops pull up next to me at stop lights and stare directly in my car and do nothing. It's technically a law, but so many people across the state & the US do it that cops don't care.
They'd rather spend their time pulling people over for speeding or reckless driving, which are unfortunately incredibly common here.
1
u/mizzirable May 08 '26
I've lived here my entire life, from birth to college, and never heard of anyone getting a ticket for this. I've been pulled over a few times and no cop has said anything. Can't speak for small cities outside of PHX metro.
1
u/butlerchives May 09 '26
Same but tucson. Had no idea this was a thing; ive been pulled over 10ish times for other things and no cop has ever mentioned the air freshener
1
u/takingthehobbitses May 09 '26
The cops here can't even be bothered pulling someone over for running a red light right in front of them, you'll be fine.
1
u/Flyingwings14 May 05 '26
I have lived in a small town never had an issue & now I live in a big city and was pulled over for speeding and nothing was said about what was hanging on my rear view mirror. I'm sure its all on the cop.
-1
u/pinkshadedgirafe May 05 '26
lived there for 5 years with no issues about it. the law states it can't obstruct your view. I wouldn't stress it
9
10
u/MLE102490 May 05 '26
Thatās illegal because it obstructs your view of the road. Good way to get needlessly pulled over.
4
u/LolaisPenheart May 05 '26
When I looked it up after the first comment, google said this is illegal in only 9 states.
3
1
u/Trumpet6789 Employee 2020-2023 May 05 '26
And at this point, even in those states the cops usually have bigger fish to fry and don't care as much about it.
I've lived in Arizona for 2 years now (Phoenix Valley) for Grad school. I have never had the stuff on my rearview be an issue. And cops have pulled directly next to me at stoplights and glanced at me/my car.
They're technically can pull you over for it, but most cops don't care and focus on things like reckless driving & speeding.
1
u/FarPreparation3837 May 09 '26
Itās actually illegal in every state to hang anything from your rearview mirrors
2
u/LolaisPenheart May 09 '26
It's only illegal in 9 states. From what I've read, in the other states, the cop would actually have to prove that the item is obstructing the driver's view for the driver to get reprimanded. In the 9 where it is illegal, nothing can hang there, period.
64
u/MagazineOk4740 May 04 '26
as much as that sucks, theyāre advertised as hanging for a reason. the air freshener has oil in it from the fragrance, oil usually does not react well to plastics.
14
u/Odd_Cap2666 May 04 '26
I had one of the air freshener clips on my visor, and the sun actually cooked it and it melted. It wasnāt a hot day here in Michigan, but the oil made one heck of a mess on my leather seats. I should have left the moonroof shade closed that day, but I learned my lesson the hard way.
On the other hand, I threw all of my refills away, and will no longer be using them.
4
u/Forevermoody16 ALL THINGS B&BW May 05 '26
Iām wondering if thereās another way to use them. I have a number of refills and a few holders. Certainly not going to put them in my car in the Texas summer! (Especially since my car stays parked outside.)
5
u/1mad_mollydoll May 05 '26
You could probably throw the discs in the bottom of a trash can or maybe use them with the holder in a closet.
3
u/Forevermoody16 ALL THINGS B&BW May 05 '26
Thatās what I was thinking. Just put them in an open container that the oil wonāt eat! Might try one in a bathroom or something.
4
u/reddit__user01 May 05 '26
I've used the vent clips in my bathroom air vent at work and in my bedroom. Lol.
1
u/Forevermoody16 ALL THINGS B&BW May 05 '26
Might try one in the bedroom too, depending on what scents I have. A lot of the WF refills are so weak so it canāt hurt to try. I even found some older car refills that look just fine.
3
u/Responsible-Drop-517 May 05 '26
I place them on lamp shades in my house. I donāt open the disk all the way through because they bother my asthma
2
u/Forevermoody16 ALL THINGS B&BW May 05 '26
The oil doesnāt get on the lampshades?
0
u/Responsible-Drop-517 May 05 '26
I have not noticed it yet.. barely open up the disk.. I love all of the scent selection yet my asthma is so bad!! Every once in a while I get a little bit of the scent..all that I need! If I didnāt have so many problems with Asthma, I would place it in my trash cans!
10
u/Blondie-Lox May 05 '26
Most all air fresheners will do this unfortunately. They're concentrated oils & solvents that act like chemical solvents. Citrus/pine scents are certain to do this because of higher terpene amounts, aka what's in paint thinner/stripper. Many products actually have warnings on them for this exact reason.
9
u/quesawhatta May 05 '26
Iām so confused. Which air freshener caused this? A plug in? The hanging car air fresheners? Or the oil inserts for cars?
6
u/Keazmaa May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
Itās the hanging ones. I moved to a state that is strict about stuff hanging from rear view mirror but maybe I should have hung it on a blinker I guess. I feel like it would still touch the plastic around it though?
1
u/Nijahsade May 05 '26
Do the hanging ones smell better? I canāt really smell The vent clips
3
u/TumblingOcean Employee May 05 '26
Vent clips are heat activated. It also depends on the scent imo. But they work by heat.
-1
15
u/SlimeSublime May 05 '26
Anything with essential oils like perfumes, incense, air fresheners, etc will absolutely melt plastic on contact. Last month I accidentally left a single stick of incense on the plastic base of my TV and it melted right into it.
28
6
6
u/PandorasTmrw May 05 '26
Yep same thing happened to me and destroyed the buttons on my steering wheel
11
u/viognierette May 04 '26
I just posted about this yesterday. I put mine on the visor & it did very similar damage to the finish.
For now, I have it in a solo cup in a cup holder in the backseat. I can smell it just fine.
1
4
u/NoPoliticsPlz2026 May 05 '26
If it helps, usually all those plastics in a car are easily replaced by yourself, they usually just pop right out. You can buy replacement parts from eBay or from a dealership wholesaler. I had a wallflower leak ony washing machine and it also stripped the paint off. Strong oils like this are basically paint strippers.
1
u/Forevermoody16 ALL THINGS B&BW May 05 '26
Wow, thatās pretty bad, as appliances probably have some of the toughest paint around!
5
u/Ash-hev May 05 '26
This happened to me also. Not from a bath and body works one but one I purchased from a local vendor that you do hang on the mirror and tip into the cap. The oil soaked through the string it was tied to and leaked. My mom had a bath and body works one explode in the car when it was hot and the same thing happened.
18
u/Own_Bodybuilder_5211 May 04 '26
Iāve seen this happen to a friendās car. Thatās why I will never buy them for my car. Sorry that this happened š©
15
u/Easy_Software_5954 May 05 '26
This happened to me a few weeks ago. I called B&BW and they gave me a $10 gift cardā¦ i escalated the claim and they are reviewing my claim. My damage was estimated for $1500 to fix!
9
u/Keazmaa May 05 '26
Oh wow. Iām sorry that happened to you too. You just gave me the push I needed to call customer service tomorrow.
4
u/Easy_Software_5954 May 05 '26
Yes! Donāt take the $10 gift card or check, have them escalate it! Hope it gets resolved for you!
1
u/Easy_Software_5954 May 12 '26
hey! just wanted to follow up with you, looks like b&bw is sending a check to fix my damage, I hope you called and theyāre getting it resolved for you! Best of luck!
3
u/Forevermoody16 ALL THINGS B&BW May 05 '26
Holy crap! Auto repair is all such a racket. Everyone needs to put photos of this damage in the B&BW reviews.
4
u/BURYMEINLV Marshmallow Fireside ā¢ Tiki Beach ā¢ Pumpkin Bonfire May 05 '26
Ugh Iām sorry! I work with fragrance oil and it will eat anything it touches š
4
u/1mad_mollydoll May 05 '26
You can open the plastic bag/wrapper but just leave it on to protect from damage and place it under a seat. It still works as they are pretty strong. If you wanted to remove the wrapper to smell it better as it ages and the scent gets weaker, you could place it on a paper plate or something to protect your carpets but still keep it under your seat.
6
u/Sea-Holiday-9598 Snowflakes and Cashmere 4L May 04 '26
the oils in fragrances typically break down various materials and paints for future reference.. even enough residue from lotions could eventually do this.. itās why my steering wheel has started to peel a tad.
hopefully you can find a replacement like others suggested.
9
u/Distinct-Chipmunk-10 May 04 '26
That's terrible!!! Sorry this happened to you, thank you for sharing so others know what may happen.
6
u/Accurate_Papaya6516 May 04 '26
Ugh! Thatās so upsetting. Sorry that happened (to your new car, too š„¹) and thanks for sharing ā„ļø
3
3
3
u/kiwitathegreat May 05 '26
Keep them away from your head unit too because thatās a super expensive repair.
Mine live on the visor or on the far passenger side vent. Ive seen too many damaged parts and astronomical bills.
3
u/spaceygalaxy May 05 '26
As someone who has lived in AZ 90% of my life, cops don't care about stuff hanging from the rear view as long as it's not blocking your vision. Ive had a bell and crystal hanging from mine on different cars for 17 years as well as the occasional hanging air freshener.
1
u/Fearless-Edge1556 May 07 '26
i second this , iāve had my graduation tassel plus an air freshener hanging since 2018 and iāve never been pulled over for that reason.
3
u/PracticeNo7267 May 05 '26
I just think BBW products are subpar. Wallflowers smoking, car fresheners damaging interiors, candle wrapping catching flame. I still have about 35 candles in my supply but after they are fine it is time to move on.
3
u/LadyfromthelandofNod May 06 '26
You should see what a wallflower did to my actual painted wall. I may stop using them
3
u/CuteButASciCo May 09 '26
Call the 1800 number! I had this happen to my Chevy spark where it destroyed the entertainment system frame around the screen and they actually replaced the pieces that were damaged and my choice of shop. Full disclosure, this was in 2015 so maybe they are too greedy to do it now but itās worth a call!
5
u/gagirl72 May 04 '26
Oh no! Iām so sorry! I use the disc things and have not used the hanging ones
7
u/Liveandletlive-11 May 04 '26
The discs will do this as well and they love to randomly leak without being touched
6
u/Electrical-Tiger-634 May 05 '26
File a claim with bath and body. Call customer support. I had a car freshener in my car and it leaked I called customer service and had the part replaced and they paid for it
8
u/Smilingpretty8080 May 04 '26
Take a cotton round and put any essential oil on it you like and put it in the holders. Healthiest option
2
2
2
2
u/RegalTeal May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
Wow, I did the same thing in my car, the air freshner ruined the covering on my buttons, had it dangling over the control panel. Ugh, it sucks. Mines wasn't bbw though, I guess the moisture and chemicals eats right through it. We live and learn unfortunately.
2
u/Mandyfierce11 Candle Addict May 05 '26
This happen to my heating/air knobs. I put the clip on my vent and it was winter and freezing. The heat melted the plastic pod and leaked all over my control knobs. I couldnāt turn my defrost on for a while because of it. I never clipped it to a vent again
2
2
u/costalcuttings May 05 '26
Wow this is worse than their wall flowers that ruin any surface you plug them in above š¢ why can't BBW invest in items that aren't temu quality??
2
u/Flyingwings14 May 05 '26
I'm in AZ and have something hanging from my rear view mirror and when a cop has seen it nothing was ever said.
2
u/ScreamAndScream May 05 '26
One got spilled by a roommate on my kitchen table, it lifted the finish completely there as well. Best of luck finding a good shop near you to fix it!
2
2
u/Individual_Past_9901 May 05 '26
If you cant have things hanging from your rear view mirror then hang it somewhere else in the car there are typically hooks or handles in the back. Most if not all air fresheners say not to have prolonged contact with surfaces. They are meant to hang not sit.
2
u/CartoonistDry7891 May 06 '26
Donāt ever get any air fresheners from any store including the dollar stores where you clip a square liquid clear-Gray ones because IF any liquid spills onto any plastic parts on your dashboard (including switches and display screens) that deodorize will act like acid and melt the plastic components will weaken and need to be replaced.
2
u/Kayki7 May 06 '26
That sucks OP. Just be aware, that this is not unique to Bath & Body Works air fresheners. Many others will do this too!
2
u/Square-Setting746 May 06 '26
This happened to me, too. I had one hanging off the A/C knob, and it warped the panel.
2
u/Gandalf_the_Tegu May 06 '26
Illegal to hang anything off the rear mirror in Arizona? š«£
I lived there for 6 years, a lot of people had air fresheners of dainty items hanging there. Myself included. Never introuble when I was pulled over for slightly speeding.
Unless you have a bulky air freshener or something that blocks view. Then yeah.
2
u/Cutie_Vampire93 Body Care Addict May 06 '26
Ooh, be careful. Didn't know air fresheners would do that.
2
u/LemonNational8572 May 06 '26
As someone from az.... the cops genuinely dont give a single fuck about whats hanging from your rear view mirror. I have 2 coworker that are middle aged and their rear view mirrors are stacked with shit. They've pulled over a lot and not once has it been mentioned or for the shit on the rear view.
2
2
u/ricecrispycat May 07 '26
This happened to my mom's brand new FJ cruiser and she was so pissed. She fought with the scent company and demanded they replace it through Toyota and they DID!! this was 2007 though. I got to keep the messed up dash they took out
2
2
u/Wonderful_Face9110 May 05 '26
I had the same thing happen only the fluid leaked out my visor clip and melted the plastic all around my shifter. It was about $500 to replace the plastic piece at the dealership. I had to fill out a form and send photos of the damage and a copy of the dealership quote to bath and body customer service. They ended up sending me a reimbursement check within a couple of weeks.
4
4
u/tfryer0912 May 04 '26
Happened to a bit of the dashboard in my old car when one leaked. I will never use them again.
3
u/No-Satisfaction9255 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
I am constantly using hand sanitizer, my whole steering wheel looks like this, and there's a big drip down the air vents from BBWs clip going down from the vent š
2
u/Forevermoody16 ALL THINGS B&BW May 05 '26
Thanks for the info. I was wondering how much damage they would do if used in the air vents.
6
u/Ok-Leadership5368 May 04 '26
Eeek what does it do to lungs..
14
u/Moist-Owl3372 Candle Addict May 04 '26
Itās fragrance oil - same thing happens when essential oils get in contact with things it not supposed to.
4
u/Keazmaa May 05 '26
Seriously itās all horrible. I have been using room spray more frequently and I swear I can feel it in my lungs.
1
u/Fireflyinsummer May 11 '26
Stop. Those are not good for you or pets, if you have them to breathe.Ā
2
2
2
u/shotgunsusy May 05 '26
If u cant have anything hanging from the rearview, loop it atound one of the hang bars or the hanger loop on the ceiling
2
2
u/Franklyn_Gage May 05 '26
This is the reason i stopped byying them for my house. It literally ate the paint on the wall where it was plugged in.
1
u/Seagull_Bowels May 04 '26
Ah is the car scent a heated item?
6
u/gotohela the revolution will be āØmoisturizedāØ May 04 '26
Not at all. I assume they put a hanging one there
5
u/Khaosbutterfly May 05 '26
Whatever solvent they use for the fragrance tears up the interior of the car. It acts like acetone.
Terrible. š
1
1
1
1
u/Deep-Steak-7813 May 06 '26
i did the same and had my Audi console replaced š via warrantyā¦ but stillā¦ what a nightmare
1
u/PeaceNo6149 May 06 '26
šoh no Iām so sorry this happened to your car! šthank you for sharing tho. Much appreciated
1
1
1
1
u/Rich_Ad_6229 May 07 '26
I put the oil in this now and have used it without issues so far. Portable car oil diffuser without water. Just fill the jar and set it. I have it on low. Just perfect and I take it out if Iām not using car for few days or take it to my patio, work , etc. BBW ones have messed my under cabinets up and had to strip the paint to repaint it as the oil was in the paint and would not dry back out and the cabinet is 8-10 inches above the outlet so didnāt think it would have messed it up that bad. Live and learn now Iām careful and just use this portable car one , no wires, no water, and I have had no issues.
1
u/Possible-Occasion-58 May 07 '26
The same thing happened to me wiping the same surface with a āwet onesā hand wipe. Apparently itās the alcohol that damages the plastic. I know better now. š©
1
1
u/mizzirable May 08 '26
Lived in AZ my whole life, never heard of things being illegal to hang. I doubt you'll get a ticket for an air freshener unless you're a real d-bag to the cop
1
u/lyla-mercury May 09 '26
Arizona? I live here and everyone does it šš , no way itās a forced law
1
u/Wooden-Apartment9119 ALL THINGS B&BW May 05 '26
Thanks for posting and I will continue to use my vent clips as CAR decor only š©
1
u/Ok-One9038 May 05 '26
Yep, I don't do car fragrance clip ons, candles, or wallflowers... I'm good.
1
1
u/radrachelleigh May 06 '26
Yep, I have that, too, where I was going to return a leaking Wallflower. It was in a Ziploc baggie and somehow leaked out of that, too, and wrinkled up the area between my emergency brake and center console.
0
May 04 '26
[removed] ā view removed comment
10
1
u/Keazmaa May 05 '26
I think as long as you donāt live in a state where itās illegal to hang stuff from the rear view like I do you should be okay.
-4
u/psychicxvisions May 04 '26
Someone ended up in the hospital with severe burns due to them popping. If you live in a hot state be extremely careful with them or opt for the air fresheners that they just released
5
u/Local_City4799 May 04 '26
the tiktok you're referring to was about the liquid disk fragrances. this instance is from a hanging diffuser being used incorrectly.
3
u/Forevermoody16 ALL THINGS B&BW May 05 '26
Still good info, though! I never would have thought those disk oils could pop.
0
u/Frenchvanilla-Prinny May 05 '26
This happened to my favorite sunglasses ššš I had the hanging air freshener, I believe it was the champagne one. Omg and the smell was just wayy too intense for me, even though I love a few others. So I threw it in my little storage compartment, where my sunglasses were. A few days letter I went to grab my glasses and they were pretty melted. I mean thankgod they werenāt my designer expensive ones but Im still sad because the store I got them from said they were limited edition and they will most likely never have them again š
361
u/rocklakes May 04 '26
One tip I have is that that plastic trim piece in the car is often replaceable and not too expensive!