Old person Smell

I don't remember my grandmothers smelling any different from the rest of the family and my mum, who died at 73 really never got old enough. Now I'm 79, and this thread has made me feel self-conscious. At the moment, I smell of Vicks as I woke up coughing last night and anointed myself lavishly.

I have a friend who buys a lot of charity shop clothes and she definitely has a slight whiff of old clothes about her even though I know she is scrupulously clean. Funnily enough I even heard her own DGD comment about it a while ago.

You'd think that once the clothes were washed they'd lose the smell but they don't.

Soaps with persimmon extract are the cure apparently - discovered by the Japanese (most seem to be made in Japan or Korea). Only persimmon cuts through the deposit on the skin and removes the smell - and yes, it seems to start from about 40, as we age and our hormones change.

Apparently it's chemical, so sounds like it unavoidable if you happen to live that long. Something else to look forward to then.

DH is a volunteer driver who takes older people (mainly ladies) out for day trips. All of them seem to wear vast amounts of perfume but no two wears the same. Imagine the smell on a minibus with all the windows closed because they feel the cold and don't like draughts. It's worse than being in a class full of Lynx wearing 14 year olds lol.

I'm sure it's often other things that transfer their smell to us. I knew a man who spent most days in a library full of musty old Victorian books and he spelt very strongly of them. Probably didn't wash his clothes as much as he should. I also knew a young man whose mother was constantly cooking roast dinners and he stunk of roast dinner! It was even on his coat hanging in the hall. Cooking, tobacco etc. transfers to our hair and clothes so don't forget room smells.

Apparently medication seeps through the skin and hair and onto furnishings. It can actually damage fabrics. I think in the same way illness, or the medication given for it, causes odours too. Keep healthy!

Is this a ploy to part us from all the pension money we are supposed to have?

Young women are told to 'deodorise' using Femfresh or similar, we are supposed to rid our clothing of bacteria, and squirt freshener on soft furnishings in case we've gone 'nosebleed', and now import persimmon soap in case we smell of old age. It all makes money for the producers of the products we are told we need.

I'm not convinced that if there is no underlying problem (eg incontinence or lack of hygiene) that older people should smell. Yes, there are 'dated' products, such as talc and bath cubes that might have associations with older people, and scents such as lavender have long had an 'old lady' connotation, but a generic 'old person' smell?

I agree that there is a smell in charity shops that is difficult to pin down - musty is the best I can do, but I suspect that that is because a lot of donations will have been in garages or lofts before they find their way to the shops. Do more older people shop in charity shops than younger ones? If so, that could explain some of it, as I agree that the smell doesn't wash out.

It's in a lot of charity shop books, too. My mum works in a charity shop, and is always passing books on to me, whether I want them or not . A lot of them do smell, in a way that library books, or ones bought in specialist 'old book' shops don't, which is why I wonder about the storage thing.

I've enjoyed reading this thread, but, oh dear, it's another thing for me to worry about.

I am amazed at how few of us here are conscious of this smell. It's very different to the neglect/musty smells of unkempt homes. I have smelt this time and again on older people including those I know to have meticulous habits. Now, thanks to Gransnet, for the first time I've discovered that it's called Nonenol-2 and it starts in our 40s.

I have now found several academic studies about it. It can't be washed away in the usual manner as it's only broken down by the action of tannins. That is why persimmon soaps are recommended as they have a high tannin content.

If you google nonenol soap loads of options come up! Who would have thought it!

Alternatively, we might just need to bathe in a juicy Malbec or Nebbiolo...
That would no doubt sort us out...
?

You know what.......I know I stink and I don't care! I stink of dog, it's on my clothes, on the furniture, in our bed and no amount of washing, airing, cleaning is going to change the fact.

Anyone coming in has to like it or lump it, I will pop a clean towel on their chair so that they don't go home stuck to dog hair, and I warn them, but our dog is our family, and as such just as important as us.

I think it's hormonal. Not a lot you can do except air out house and car, bathe daily and wash clothes. I'd take care of teeth because gum disease is a thing...

I wonder if the persimmons will work from the inside out. They are in season here and I am eating lots of them so maybe that will help.

Alternatively, we might just need to bathe in a juicy Malbec or Nebbiolo...

I was wondering about a quick sluice down in a tub of cold tea but the above sounds much more appealing!

Interesting idea Daisyboots - wondering if there any studies regarding ingesting tannins?

Ha ha Scribbles ... why didn't I think of tea??? ?

Is there any connection to the fact that it is reputed to be Japanese who 'invented' air fresheners and such? Western Europeans are reported to smell like pork to Japanese noses. I have noticed though that when I pick up a t shirt or top which I have worn the day before, it has a strange smell. Not sweat, or body odour, I shower daily, wash clothes regularily, wear only natural fibres etc., but sometimes there is a smell, almost like old food/roast meat, which is extremely odd as this is a vegetarian household. Maybe it is my old ladyness seeping into my clothing........I had wondered if it was perfume getting stale on my clothing but it isn't that kind of smell. Now something else for me to worry about.

After listening to the stories my son has been telling me about his months volunteering in a large well known charity shop I am not surprised that they have a musty smell. He was responsible for taking in donations and some of the filthy rubbish people took in was unbelievable. People took in perfectly good clothes but they hadnt been washed first.

Oh no Daisyboots - just read this:

There’s apparently two major kinds of persimmon.... the fuyu Japanese variety that you can eat right away... and the hachiya (which) is considered astringent because of high levels of tannin and needs to ripen first to get rid of the bitterness.

Are you eating the right one anyway?

I think the old people smell could be due to there not being a lot of coming and going in a house. Lack of external door openings letting in fresh air and unable to soen and close. windows. Not necessarily items not being clean.

Oh dear I am stuffed...I am 76 and still caring for my 21 year old son and 14 year old daughter (adopted I hasten to add) Both are disabled and wearing pads. Is it me or them that smell? Hopefully my home smells sweet, no one has complained yet.☺

That made me chuckle inishowen Tue 07-Jan-20 10:00:41
It's usually the dog that gets blamed.
I think the worst thing is the smell of wet dog in someones house.
I can't say that I've ever smelt old people.
I have smelled elderly people's clothes when I've been on the bus. There used to be a gentleman that must have been in his 90's a few years ago, bent over and very smart looking but oh, the reek of his coat!
Having said though there was a man on the bus in front of me once, I guess middle aged who I don't think had seen soap and water for months. I felt sick and was glad when I got off.
Don't worry ladies, I've been in plenty of elderly ladies homes and no odours at all.

Maybe we are genetically predisposed to dislike the smell of frailty?

I think sometimes it just old fashioned scents... like perfumes that only the older generations wear... i really hate those perfumes that smell powdery, my MIL wears one and she smokes so unfortunately that has become the smell of old people to me haha. I don’t smell old people in the street and i haven't got any grandparents so thats really the extent of my experience..

Im sure you smell lovely OP xx

I have a bath or shower every night, always used deodorant, change my clothes daily, never put anything I've worn back in the wardrobe. I love soap that smells of lavender, and put individual bars in cotton bags in my clothes drawers. So hopefully I smell...of lavender!