Can you smell but not be aware of it?

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

I have lost my sense of smell and taste. I hope I don't smell too bad but I hope my daughter would tell me.

I lost my sense of smell several years ago. I have asked my husband to tell me if I ever smell bad.

...and that is something else to worry about now...I have just ordered some of that Japanese soap from Amazon. (I hope I don't smell, it is precautionary...)

Seriously though, I have noticed that my oh smells different from the way he used to...I did wonder if it was due to his recent diagnosis of leukaemia (blood cancer) which was causing it. But I did also assume that he just needed a bath...

My Mum used to smell of Steradent! I loathed it but never mentioned it.

I live in retirement flats with communal areas. I haven't noticed any particular smell apart from one chap who has occasional personal hygiene moments, and one woman who wears such strong perfume that you can smell it in a corridor she's walked along five minutes earlier.

Some flats smell pretty foisty but some people seem to be allergic to fresh air. Me, I have a gale blowing through mine daily, so perhaps I'm ok. Or nose blind. Or not old enough yet (68). 🌼

I am really sensitive to old lady smell. I rarely notice it on men, so for me I think it’s either stale perfume or talc combined with not bathing or showering enough. My son, when he’s with me, can’t smell it. Luckily for me! He’s an adult with ASD so will probably live with me until I pop my clogs. However I can’t smell it when people fart, unless it’s really, really bad. He can. I find it quite interesting.

I'm going with the possibility you might be using a scent (or scented soap, or even a detergent or fabric freshener) they dislike.

These can be 'throw windows open' triggers for me.

But really, the only way to be sure is to ask.

I think it’s mould 😂

I think that many of us now cook with garlic and that can be a strong smell for others to notice. I also very occasionally notice a dog owners’ smell (sorry - I know that this is not a popular thing to say and it’s rare that I would smell it). Smoking is the obvious smell to notice.

lemsip

I have worked with very elderly people and have not found any with the 'old person smell' some talk of. the people I've worked with were able to wash/shower themselves so I presume the 'old person smell' is people who cannot wash due to health reasons..

I've worked with elderly people too, but ones who had thorough washing everyday from staff.
There was often a smell in their rooms in the morning, different smells with different people.
I always thought it was a combination of their breath & skin and the windows being kept closed.
I didn't notice those smells when working with them during the day, tho.

Out of the mouth of babes - my 3 year old granddaughter recently said to me, Nanna your breath smells! I was horrified I can’t smell anything and I clean and floss daily, regularly see dentist and hygienist.
I have had problems in the past from using mouthwashes so only tend to use salt water when needed so hoping that helps.Also I have had a cold and blocked sinuses recently so this may be the cause.
The thing is if you have a problem and no one tells you - you can’t do anything about it if you don’t realise. So maybe asking is the only answer.

The majority of my friends qualify as 'old'. Non of them, or their homes have an unpleasant smell.
My sense of smell is still intact as I pick up a bad smell if there's one around.
However, hormone changes can be responsible for unpleasant body odour. Years ago a long standing friend took a high powered job. He worked away during the week, spending weekends at home. We would see him most weekends. After a few weeks I noticed the most unpleasant smell emanating from his body. I had to take a deep breath before hugging him. I didn't say anything to him, as I thought his wife was the appropriate person to talk to him. I put the smell down to stress and hormone change. Eventually the smell disappeared. I guess the stress eased and hormones returned to normal. Just wondering if OP could be suffering from stress?

Eeuuuww! I’ve never noticed any smells around the people I know. When we went to the UK we noticed it on the trains, buses and underground so much so that we didn’t want to go on them. I don’t think they had aircon when we went, probably that was the reason.

Cressy is absolutely right .
It is embarrassing .
But normal .

Apparently , drinking lots of green tea helps and so does soap containing pomegranate or persimmon .

Actually , the pong slowly begins after age 40 !

I visit some of my father's old friends and I have gagged as they stink - they smell greasy like an unwashed woolly jumper .

I'm completely neurotic about smelling :
my mother caused it by constantly telling me that I had period breath as a teenager .
So it's teeth scrubbing and flossing plus Listerine before going out .
I also bathe daily at least twice , shave under arms plus vary my deodorant and apply a lot of scent all over .

Even so last week , I had to try on an alteration and was mortified by my highly unpleasant armpit smell .

I think that my son and his partner both smell unpleasant .
They don't bathe daily . And neither is their house clean .
She admits to loving the stale smell of bodies !

I wonder why you don't keep a window open at night? I find all bedrooms smell musty if they are not aired.. my son sleeps with his windows closed which I couldn't do, even in winter..

I think this is the soap mentioned www.amazon.co.uk/Japanese-Kakishibu-Antibacterial-Prevents-Perspiration/dp/B075NDLBYR?tag=gransnetforum-21

I have worked with very elderly people and have not found any with the 'old person smell' some talk of. the people I've worked with were able to wash/shower themselves so I presume the 'old person smell' is people who cannot wash due to health reasons..

Why not just ask them? If things like this can't be mentioned between mother and son, what can?

as your son opens the windows in the room you will be using I think he is just airing it for your use

Ask your son straight do I have bad breath or some other problem. Tell him you do notice he opens windows etc when you are around and would like to know why. It’s your son not a stranger what’s wrong with asking questions.
Both my son and daughter were brought up to be direct they wouldn’t hesitate to tell me of a problem. Equally I would put them straight if something needed pointing out to them you are never too old to be told.

That odour is a definite, called old people odour. There are odours all through life, sweet smell of new baby, teenage boy hormones, different ovulating hormones to increase the population, then as my dd (medic) says the scent of decaying cells as we age. It is a fact, eyes deteriorate, olfactory sense deteriorates and old people odour would be determined first by those younger who still have the acute senses

That special soap from japan is available in the uk

I would definitely ask saying you are concerned in case you do as we don’t smell our own scent do we.
Personally I’ve grown concerned as I age because I always remember an old person’s smell from certain relatives but more so their homes than they themselves to begin with, as cleaning while carried out by a cleaner could not have been the same as regular/daily bits of cleaning.

OP hasn’t said but do you use a deodorant or antiperspirant every day? Some older people think that showering is enough but I doubt it is.

That's interesting. OH and I have separate rooms as he snores and I sleep badly. I've noticed a musty smell in his room although he's very clean and bed linen is changed very regularly. I don't notice any body odour but he does have an office space in there. I wonder if he thinks my room smells? I don't think we do notice our own smells.

Could it be a body lotion or moisturiser? Scents are such a personal thing and what is gorgeous to one person is horrible to another. But perhaps it's true that just asking one of your sons if you can will hopefully solve it for you