Why people smell bad

@teatimenow

soz you’re on your own there
most people would prefer deodorant smell over BO

Yep. Washing and drying clothes uses a lot of power, as does heating a house. Damp, unheated houses start to smell.

I agree with this, but as per my earlier post, the culprits are often people who could afford it, but think they are helping the environment.

I also think cheap fast fashion is to blame - all those man made plasticy fibres just cling onto smells

I'm pretty sure it's washing clothes at 30 degrees so the BO gets ingrained... plus cheaper clothes are more likely to be synthetic which seems to hold the sweat way more than cotton etc. I used to be a bit stinky sometimes as a teen living at home with a really rubbish washing machine, a mum obsessed with saving water/electric and cheap clothes, despite washing daily. I know it's terrible for the environment etc but since moving into my flat with communal washing machines with a 60 degree setting I have never had any issues

Oddly enough, I think well meaning middle class people are often the ones misled as they want perceive themselves as green.

There's definitely a competitive under-washing thing among certain sections of the chattering classes (from which I was raised so I know that of which I speak).

I have some friends who make a point of washing very sparingly supposedly for environmental reasons and not using deodorants or antiperspirants. And claiming that "natural" body smells are not offensive as long as people wash regularly. But then don't bother washing that regularly. Ho hum.

That's quite different from people with problematically poor hygiene due to low income/depression/chronic illness though. That's more the "great unwashed" small of poorly washed and poorly dried clothes.

When I worked in a college with young people who had various SEND. Some didn’t regularly wash due to sensory overload of water in their skin

there are also people in this country who literally can’t pay their water bill or have to severally limit their water usage.

just think.

God yes. I recently joined a club to do with my hobby and two of them stink so badly I've had to stop going because it's unbearable. They smell of sweat and unwashed bottoms. Then I have to work in a room with no windows at work with someone with such horrible breath I almost fainted. I had to complain to her manager and after that she didn't have bad breath any more. It was clearly laziness. Couldn't be bothered to clean her teeth in the morning.

I'd go and plunge myself into a freezing river rather than stink quite honestly.

I've noticed it more this year. Even I smell different but I can't work out why.

It's amazing what floats a weirdo's boat.

My brother in law stinks and I believe he's aware of it and strangely proud of it. He has a manual job and doesn't change his clothes terribly often. He wears more than 1 pair of socks in his work boots and I think they stay on a long time too. He also smokes, so it's BO, stale smoke and dirty clothes. His wife laughs about how bad he smells. She is better but I don't think her personal hygiene is what I would consider a normal level. I sniff their kids occasionally as I'd hate for them to be bullied, but I think grandparents get them in the bath fairly regularly and their clothes are changed much more frequently than parents' are.
I think a large portion of the problem is changing/washing clothes regularly

@SummerDawn2000 there are water social tariffs for low income people. Also you cannot get disconnected for water debt so people should just crack on and use the ater they need. The much bigger issue would be affording the gas or electricity to heat the water.

Last year DC university student caught covid for the third time. His sense of smell taste disappeared. He would get his girlfriend to check that he didn't whiff.

Last winter when we were slammed with high energy bills posters were trying to dry clothes indoors without heating, they all moaned about a musty smell after a couple of days attempting to dry clothing. I monitored our energy use re two showers a day. It cost 60p for all hot water plus the standard charge of 40p so £1 a day.

OH insists all his clothes are washed at 60c because he's a busy person in a physical sense.

But people can have a strip wash everyday.

If they're using less power then they are helping the environment.

As for cleaning products cheap bleach for the loo and washing up liquid takes care of the rest

I've noticed that it's getting harder and harder to buy bio washing powder that actually works. I always used to use Persil bio powder but then my clothes started to smell, so I added in Dettol laundry disinfectant. Then Persil got so bad that I was rewashing clothing so I've switched to Ariel Powder and am adding extra enzyme powder and the Dettol disinfectant. Clothes no longer smell.

Ingredients in shower gels, shampoos and other products have become harsher and they're using cheaper stuff in them which is causing people skin irritation and allergies. Lots of people that I know are complaining about this. I'm on a daily antihistamine now so I can use antiperspirant again.

I think people may be cutting down on washing their clothing and perhaps showering due to the cost of electricity.

BO is pretty hard not to smell on yourself, but apparently many people have been left with anosmia (think that's the name of it) after a bout of Covid. I tested + for Omicron and the only symptom was a burning sore nose and a reduced sense of smell, which I think is still affecting me actually. Though I do, I hasten to add, still bathe and use deodorant and perfume.

Dad used to complaining his parents smelt slightly - it was their sense of smell declining and washing hanging around to dry rather than using driers - though they had the money it was fear of cost.

Now my DP are the same vaguely off smell - my DMum washes and dries regularly - does put drier on and line dries - and they wash everyday and they have the house heated quite high due to Dad's health - so I've no clue what causes it .

I was in a supermarket recently and overheard some posh students talking. They smelled unwashed.

I guess they don't prioritise it.

Even as a depressed teenage goth I showered before going in public.

Yes that's called nonenal odour - it can occur in old people and is a chemical reaction on the skin. An odd smell, and I suppose the difficulties some old people have with bathing/ showering etc in an unsuitable bathroom mean it isn't washed away often.

DH smells. As do his parents and siblings. I think it's genetic as DH is a fastidious washer, his personal hygiene is excellent and he changes his clothes daily, they're washed well etc. We don't know what it is. I don't smell, our kids don't smell, our house doesn't smell. Just DH.

The thing is that you can wash without using heaps of water and expensive products. Get a bucket of warm water and soap - job done. I have done this so many times when I didn’t have a bathroom or working boiler for weeks at a time.

I've noticed that it's getting harder and harder to buy bio washing powder that actually works. I always used to use Persil bio powder but then my clothes started to smell, so I added in Dettol laundry disinfectant. Then Persil got so bad that I was rewashing clothing so I've switched to Ariel Powder and am adding extra enzyme powder and the Dettol disinfectant. Clothes no longer smell.

Due to eczema we have to use no bio but I get told on here that even low temp washes should mean clothes smell clean - well sometimes the teen stuff come out still smelling which is apparently impossible - and gets put on again at a hotter wash.

So perhaps poorer washing powder and lower temp washes and more cheap synthetic clothing is having an effect.

Its usually depression op. I hate all this stuff about can't afford to wash. Its BS. But people can be depressed about their financial circumstamces and stop taking care of themselves as a result.