Can you smell but not be aware of it?

I know I smell of animals. I spend most of my time with them and despite regular showers, smells linger on your hair and clothing. I don't really mind. If people don't want to mix with me that's fine. Just to be on the safe side I've ordered some of that soap!!😬

I think that many of us now cook with garlic and that can be a strong smell for others to notice.

That's a good point.
At work, when I was young, we had a regular customer who I thought had terrible bad breath.
Years later I realised it could have been garlic, which I hadn't encountered at that time.

eddiecat78

I thought old ladies naturally smelt of lavender and lily of the valley

Chanel No 5 or Jo Malone, more like!

Tennisnan I'd ask the 'windows' son as he clearly wanted fresh air in for some reason.
It may be a standard thing they do with bedroom windows in their house.
The 'breath-holding' son may have done that as a nervous thing, not related to smell at all.
As long as you're doing everything sensible, don't worry.

One thing I have noticed is clothing that's been stored for a long while can have a stale smell, even if it was washed before putting it away.

Just sent for the soap. Thankyou.

You are right that different ages have different smells. I can remember our children when little coming into our bed in the morning and saying, "Your bed smells of grownups."

(I think I must be all right at the moment, I've got 20-year-old DGS staying for a couple of weeks and he gives me lots of hugs. But I could wish that he opened his window in the morning!)

We all tend to accustom ourselves to the smell of our homes and not notice it.

I don't mean dirty homes: every house or flat I have ever been in had a distinctive smell and my house does too, but I only
notice it, if I have been away for over a week. Then it smells of home when I get back.

Most of us will notice if our body odour changes, but not everyone does.

Some time after my mother's death I noticed that my father smelled musty. I traced the cause to a face flannel that had been used too long and not dried out completely between daily use in an unheated bathroom. Towels too can turn musty and transfer the smell to a person's body. So can clothes that have dried too slowly in the autumn or winter in unheated rooms.

Smokers don't notice the smell of tobacco clinging to them, and cat and dog owners don't notice the smell of their pets.

There is only one way to find out: ask your sons what makes them open your window when you visit.

Obviously, they smell something, but it might not be you, it might be that they are smelling an unused guest bedroom!

Fousty, foisty… not sure what that means but it sounds like it may smell.

Everyone launders their clothes, but not everyone does a great job of it. Trying to be economic… “let’s not use too much laundry soap”… or “I’m trying to watch my water bill”…

When you don’t PROPERLY RINSE your laundry that dirty water remains in your clothes. When you start wearing your body heat or (hot weather) brings out that musty, moldy smell. Your towels when you dry off have that unwashed moldy smell. It’s gross‼️

If that seems to be a problem, a simple solution: use Enough Laundry Soap to clean clothes AND a Second Rinse. Follow up with a Total and Complete Dry Cycle - or outdoors. Hopes this helps someone out there.
USA Gundy

I laughed! 😂😂😂

Hi Tennisnan, as others have suggested, do ask your sons why they are opening windows and or holding their breath.

It might be nothing to do with you, but if it is, you need to find about it and sort out the issue.

I’ve worried about smelling but don’t think I do. However, was horrified yesterday when I got home from a meeting to discover two large pieces of black pepper stuck between two teeth looking really unpleasant. Am hoping that no one else noticed, but I suspect they did!

🌷

And please will you come back here and let us all know why they are opening windows, etc?

If you smell, surely your son would open the window as you leave ie after your visit? The son holding his breath, may not have cleaned his teeth and didn’t want to breathe on you!

I suspect that they are worried that the room is too musty for you. I know I sometime open a window when I go into it with a guest, and not because I think that my guest smells but because I’m worried about the room!

Be honest, how many of us looked up the soap? (I did)
How many of us bought the soap? (I did)

LisaP

Be honest, how many of us looked up the soap? (I did)
How many of us bought the soap? (I did)

I googled it and look forward to some feedback on here. 😂😂

I worry a bit about these things too. The special Japanese soap which was mentioned contains Persimmon. I got some from Amazon. I never wear clothes from my wardrobe as they can smell musty. I put essential oils in my wardrobe. Citrus ones. Only wear freshly washed clothes using Persil non bio liquid. Nice scent. It may not be you! Ot could be that he is airing the room!

The special Japanese soap which was mentioned contains Persimmon. I got some from Amazon

Yes but what’s it like?

Yes, I bought the soap. I don't think I smell "old" but at 72 I may well do.......lol.

I must admit I am a fresh air fiend and I hate bad odors. . I open all my windows for at least half an hour every day.

My son did once did tell me my breath smelt one day, so now I am quite fanatical about my teeth cleaning regime although on that particular day I did have an upset tummy (IBS) so that could have been the culprit, rather than my teeth.

I used to have a front facing job dealing with the public. I always kept mints handy to ensure my breath was ok. Since my son mentioned my breath that time I started keeping either mints or chewing gum in my pocket or bag again, just to be on the safe side.

Heavy perfumes give me a headache now so i tend to stick with lighter unisex fragrances such as CK1 which don't seem to have the same staying power as my old Chanel No 5 or Mitsouko, both of which I used to love but which I can no longer wear. Shame.

I’ve ordered the soap, too!

I remember using public toilets after elderly ladies when I was a little girl and noticing a characteristic smell. Not toilet-related, but peculiar and slightly unpleasant. I must have mentioned it to my Mum and she said it was just because they were older.
I dread a little girl following on from me…

Smells can be very evocative can't they.

One of my earliest memories as a child was being allowed to have my afternoon nap in my grandmothers bed. Crisp white lace trimmed bed linen, made by my grandmother and scented with lavender.

Googled the soap and it seems any anti-bacterial soap could be effective.
Here’s an article about old-age smelling. Enlightening. 🤔😳 www.franklinpark.org/blog/old-people-smell#:~:text=The%20best%20way%20to%20minimize,acids%20and%20minimize%20their%20impact.

If you are concerned about the smell of your urine being offensive then peppermint capsules can sort that out. Your wee will smell minty, I found that out when I took Colpermin for my IBS. 😉

How long have you had your Chanel No5? After a couple of years, perfume will go stale and smell awful, but other people notice it more than you would. My husband used yo insist on wearing a bottle of after shave he’d had for over 4 years and it smelled awful, musky and stale. He insisted it was fine, but I had to throw it away in the end as I was worried for him! Would you still smell of perfume when you see your sons?

We had a new washing machine and after a while I realised the clean laundry wasn't very fresh.
I decided it was a combination of things: a bigger drum so it needed more detergent, an eco programme which I read doesn't actually get up to the temperature selected, and a short programme which I've realised is too short for a proper clean of everyday clothes.
I also remove the drawer every day and leave the door open so it can dry out and air.

DerbyshireLass

Smells can be very evocative can't they.

One of my earliest memories as a child was being allowed to have my afternoon nap in my grandmothers bed. Crisp white lace trimmed bed linen, made by my grandmother and scented with lavender.

My Grandma always smelled of Imperial Leather 🙂

A lady, speaking to Dr Johnson, said ' You smell'. He replied, ' No, Madam. I stink, you smell'.