Old person Smell

Gilly, some of my pensioner students, one in particular, seemed to think it was quite OK to fart loudly in class. We even had a staff chat about it.

I said 'Well, she does have hearing aids - so maybe she doesn't know she does it?' My manager said 'For God's sake, has she lost all feeling too? She must feel it!' A colleague said 'Old people are like that, they don't care!'

I hope I don't get to the 'don't care' stage!

Gilly1952 thanks for reminding me about Patchouli. I like that smell and it is quite strong and would mingle nicely with nonenal ...perfect ,I will now smell aging hippy and be happy!

Loobyloo12 - glad you approved of my post! Yes, ageing hippie is a good way to go! This has been a great thread - interesting, worrying but also quite amusing! Now it’s time for my annual bath (only joking).

This is not a hygiene thing.
It is chemical changes in the body.
It starts at about 40, BlueSky apparently increasing with age.

Obviously only some of us notice it.
It is NOT body odour as we know it though.
It is an entirely different smell and quite distinct.

I have noticed this odd smell since being young but only since I read about it here have I bothered to look it up.
Now I understand what it is and where it comes from.

Gilly1952 - Now it’s time for my annual bath
....hope that's in Tea or Malbec!!
?

I work with lots of elderly people and can honestly say none of them smell of anything.
But I was in my local Sainsburys and a elderly chap walked passed me and he reeked of urine and I actually wanted to be sick.
I see him regularly and avoid him like the plague.

The truth of the matter is that all people smell, but what we smell of changes over the years.

I notice sometimes when I wee that I smell of "old lady". It is the smell I encounteredif I went to the toilet right after my grandma when I was a child.

I find it is worse if I have eaten certain foods - more meat than usual or certain spices.

I find I can minimise the smell by washing with a cloth and cold water between my legs even if I have only weed.

Part of the musty smell of old people is due to all the things already mentioned about airing the house properly, washing and washing clothes frequently, but I don't know if we can entirely avoid it.

I know if I'm nervous about something , my sweat smells different to hard worked sweat ! They say that animals can smell fear , and I remember a programme in which a lady could smell Parkinsons .
The body is fascinating .

I'm not denying the existence of nonenal, but I don't think it would make you smell if you have a daily bath or a good shower.

Perhaps very old people, say 99 plus, just don't bath so often. Can't blame them really.

I think this sounds a great excuse to all but ourselves some very luxurious bodywash and perfume.
My mother is 87, aunt is 82, mil 80, none of them smell.

Grandtante, maybe you have bacterial vaginosis. Only remedy for that is washing with just water.

Some of these responses are great for my diet - I feel quite sick now, no lunch for me. Too much information some ladies Yuk.

I mean washing down there with plain water. Can't deny ourselves Nice smelly stuffeverywhere else.

I've just realised - I go to an 'Old Ladies' group twice a week and haven't noticed any smells at all. I'm 83.
Maybe our sense of smell declines after 70+.
Passing wind - I do have that problem, if I've been sitting on my recliner then get up. Probably due to weakening of the anal muscles.

I forgot to mention I drink green tea daily.......maybe that is why I can't smell it on anyone else? ......

Of course the old people back in the day did not have washing machines.....
huge difference, we can all manage clean clothes.

Yes. I am plagued with that. So embarrassing. But I think mine have got quieter these days. Something to do with muscles sagging.

Last post was to Fennel

The older generation often had great pride in a spotless wash. I can’t remember the old people smell at home and my granny was in her nineties. She only ever used L’Occitane soap! My grandfather was also extremely fastidious, clean shirts etc every day, I also, as a child, slept with one or other of my aunts, when on holiday, and loved it, they smelt so fresh, always, of clean nighties and soap. In fact I was thinking about them the other day, before I saw this thread, and hoping I smelt as fresh as they did.

Although interesting, I find this thread depressing.

All I can say is that I haven't smelt that musty old person smell for many decades and as I go about my life, I meet very few people who do smell unpleasant or have a distinctive odour - of any age -

When I think of my Mother in her elderly years I think of the smell of detol as she was a careful housekeeper and my MIL smells of some similar cleaner, when I leave her house even my hair smells of it so I must wash t on my return and I have to air my clothes out.

Slightly off topic my DH reckons classic perfume like Chanel no 5, which I love, it's an old ladies' scent!

I've just googled Nonenol and all it came up with was a chemical ingredient of some perfumes that smelt of cucumber!

Saggy bottom muscles and flatulence, nice. How does that work in a Pilates class please?

As a child I went to visit a great Aunt with my mother. I was only 7 and asked what the smell was. My mother was furious with me for asking in front of Great Aunt but after she told me often old people smell just before death. I have recognised the same smell in a few homes of elderly but only usually a few weeks before they die when they are very ill. I believe their body gives off different hormones. I smelt it at my Grans shortly before she died form cancer and another elderly family friend too. They both died of cancer so I wonder if that was what I smelt. I do know some dogs can be trained to smell cancer.