This was the big drama that unfolded in the office last week. So classic. These are actual, real-life e-mails that I will reproduce for you here, although the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

~~~

From: Jennifer K.
To: All
Subject: SMELL IN LADIES RESTROOM ON FIFTH FLOOR.

For the past week, I have noticed a STRONG odor in our ladies room – it reminds me of Lysol disinfectant. It is so strong, that it makes me nauseous while in the restroom. I called the office downstairs (that takes care of our building), and they said that they do not use Lysol, and nothing new or different has been used to clean our restroom.

My big question is: is anyone using their own personal Lysol – or something similar – to spray our restroom?? If you are, then PLEASE don’t spray anymore of “it” in our restroom. I am not the only one who detests this new smell. Several other ladies have voiced a complaint about the new, Lysol-like smell.

Jennifer

~~~

From: Lauren A.
To: All
Subject: Lysol?

Who took the Lysol out of the bathroom?

Lauren

~~~

From: Lisa S.
To: Lauren A.
Subject: RE: Lysol?

Jennifer has it but don’t tell her I told you. She sent an email yesterday about the odor and how its bad for Mandy and the baby. Just FYI.

Lisa

~~~

From: Lauren A.
To: Lisa S.
Subject: RE: Lysol?

The Lysol was not in there yesterday. I bought it from Walgreens this morning and placed it in there. I would really appreciate her returning it to me or the bathroom.

P.S. Thanks for letting me know.

Lauren A.

~~~

From: Lisa S.
To: Lauren A.
Subject: RE: Lysol?

I know it wasn’t in there yesterday. She sent the email asking that no one Please don’t spray it anymore due to the smell. She is trying to put this off on Mandy and Mandy feels bad about it. Please take this up with Caroline [office manager], cause I don’t want to get accused of starting something. I just wanted to let you know where it was. ok….

Lisa S.

~~~

From: Jennifer K.
To: Lauren A.
Subject: RE: Lysol?

I have confiscated the Lysol from our Ladies Room. The fumes from cleaners like this are toxic to breathe, and I have been worried about Mandy who is pregnant breathing these fumes, which could harm her unborn child. This is no laughing matter! The strong fumes have been making me and several other ladies nauseous, including Mandy. Whoever owns this large can of Lysol is welcome to come get it from my office, and I will ask PLEASE to limit the use of this toxic-smelling chemical, and PLEASE don’t use it in our Ladies Room in the future.

Jennifer

~~~

From: Lauren A.
To: Jennifer K.
Subject: RE: Lysol?

We have gone through 3 pregnancies over the past 1/5 years, not including Mandy, and it’s never been a problem. The unsanitary part of it is when someone takes a poop and you have to smell the bad odor, or they leave feces & blood residue on the toilet seats. I think getting a bacteria infection from unsanitary conditions is far more fatal than using a sanitizer. Not only that, but the flu has been spreading around the office as well.I appreciate where you are coming from, but what you have been smelling over the past couple of days was the perfume that was left on the counter, which has been thrown out.

The Lysol was purchased by me this morning. I, as well as many other in the office, am not interested in smelling stinky poop or dealing with unsanitary conditions and will continue to use a sanitizer when needed, unless Caroline states otherwise.

No hard feelings, but I think it was wrong for you to simply remove the Lysol when so many others rely on using it.

Lauren A.

~~~

The end result of the scandal is yet to be seen…