Can you smell but not be aware of it?

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. 😂😂

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

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!

🌷

I laughed! 😂😂😂

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

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!

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!)

Just sent for the soap. Thankyou.

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.

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.

eddiecat78

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

Chanel No 5 or Jo Malone, more like!

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.

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!!😬

Not sure whether I do or don’t but definitely going to buy the soap

It’s likely that nothing is going on Tennisnan and that you don’t smell at all. You’ve put together a couple of things and interpreted them as evidence that you smell, and convinced yourself that this is the case, but it ain’t necessarily so.

I don’t agree that there’s an ‘old person smell’ most smells come from poor hygiene both body and hair, and from clothes I have an 87 year old friend and she smells perfectly fragrant I used to work in an old peoples home and the smells came mostly from poor toilet hygiene when we got them up and washed and dressed in the morning they were fine as the day wore on with a drip here or there they became less fragrant

Redhead56

eddiecat78 Really what era are you from?

Probably the same as you! I was attempting to be humerous. I obviously failed

Everybody smells, Different smells for different ages.
Just one thought, do you floss your teeth every day? As we age gums recede, bits of food get stuck and they can stink! I read about one study that said older people smell less, and more pleasant. I would be brave and ask your son - good luck! Let us know what happens, I'm sure you smell lovely!

If we're sleeping at my son's house I make sure I open the window as I'm aware of the 'old people' smell. However, I believe my teenage grandsons' bedrooms can be pretty whiffy too!

Thanks ladies. I have just purchased the soap.
I am 71 and swim every morning but still in the morning when I wake I think I can detect the dreaded OLS (old lady smell) so will try using this.

eddiecat78 Really what era are you from?

Some people fart a lot in their sleep. That could result in a smelly bedroom in the morning that would be much more noticeable to others than the person in question.
Sorry, just saying it's a other possibility! 😁

Im so grateful for all the comments. Im going to order the soap today. I am very stressed when I babysit and was extremely stressed at the time of the breath holding hug so I believe this might well be the cause of any pong as I can rule out all other suggested causes. Thank you all again, Ive learned a lot.

I find some people dont wash jumpers often enough and then they dont dry them properly - they often smell fousty to me. I only wear clothes like tshirts blouses underwear etc once before washing them. They may not be dirty admittedly but i dont want to smell “old”. I wash my hair every day as i cant stand smelly hair. Towels tea towels too need to be washed and dried properly. My sense of smell is very strong pity my eyesight and hearing arent.