Why people smell bad

Hormonal, stress, food, medical reasons. Sometimes while I am in the shower and have washed my armpits a few times they still stink of BO and deodorant does not sort it out

Yes. And constantly washing clothes at low temperatures means your washing machine also isn't being cleaned.

I had this problem a couple of years ago. My clothes were coming out not smelling particularly fresh and even if I could smell the detergent, within a few hrs of normal wear, the armpits of some clothes smelt sweaty. And I'm not a particularly sweaty person.

I got an engineer out who said there was nothing wrong the machine but that because I was washing everything at 30 degrees, the clothes weren't able to be cleaned properly and the machine wasn't heating up enough to kill bacteria inside the machine, and it often smelt musty. So I was trying to wash clothes in a dirty machine.

I now wash my clothes at higher temps but also use one of those washing machine cleaner products that you put on an empty but very hot wash once a month and it's sorted it out.

I don't think that's a full answer to how some people actually reek, as I never did, but I think it plays a part.

I came on here to say exactly the same. I don't think a cold wash really does the job.

I do clothes at 40 and bedding / towels at 60.

I agree that menopause makes you smell odd. For a few years.

HRT is a solution, but if you use the gel (the safest) it is 98% alcohol. I often smell of alcohol (or worry about it)

The PP who mentioned change of smell when she had undiagnosed cancer (so glad you are ok) I think animals detect when someone has cancer through smell sometimes.

I am just getting divorced after an horrifically abusive marriage.
There were days (while I was recovering) when a shower simply was out the question. Mind you, so was leaving the house. Someone else wrote a very good thread a month ago: you go into survival mode. Exposing yourself in a shower is simply too much to risk. It was fascinating and made me feel so much better.

Would they have access to a sink? And enough electricity to boil a kettle? No need to put the water on for an hour if you can boil some water enough for various changes of sink water to wash everyone in a strip wash with a bar of soap. Granted hair washing is harder if you have long hair.

Laundry liquid/pods can make the washing machine smell bad. My machine no longer smells now that I've stopped using the pods. I was doing a separate machine wash with special stuff too, but the smell still remained.

I think Sainsbury’s might have a policy employing people with mild learning disabilities. There are at least 3 in my local and one man who seems ND who has very bad body odour. I imagine he doesn’t wash himself or his clothes enough. The reason I notice is he cos he loves to chat to people and has no idea about personal space

I suspect the environment concern is an excuse to be honest.

I believe it.

I feel guilty about driving and prefer to take public transport amongst other things. Can totally see someone showering once a week due to climate anxiety and not realising they smell.

I use the tube often for work.. these are adults working in London, the city, canary wharf etc.. and ugh.. many smell, and bad breath, like they haven't brushed their teeth.. glammed up males and females, great styles but.. yea.. people are rank

It’s normal to wash with completely cold water in Oz and in Japan where I live; there isn’t more body odor in either country, seriously.

I think the increased body odor issue is more likely to do with washing clothes less often and leaving laundry loads to pile up for longer in the basket before doing a wash (which keeps BO smells trapped and makes them harder to get out), cheap plasticky fibers in so many clothes, and the increased numbers of overweight people.

I think sometimes it's a mix at times

It’s normal to wash with completely cold water in Oz and in Japan where I live; there isn’t more body odor in either country, seriously.

They have detergents made for that. You don't get the same result with our basic stuff on old wash

@user1477391263 yep friend from NZ washes in cold water though she said they have a special powder she hasn't been able to get over here.

<lighthearted> was his name Baldrick?

In my experience it's usually more to do with clothing than body odour. If you live in a damp house your clothes may well smell and htere's not much you can do about it. If you can't heat your house it's quite likely to get damp and musty, in our climate.

I noticed it too.
But it was men in their late teens / early twenties , it was as if no one ever told them about personal hygiene.
I had to leave a shop as the assistant smelled of BO.
Not good for business if customers leave and don't buy anything.

There are people who think it’s natural not to wash. I have a friend who says things like ‘you don’t need to wash every day, your body cleans itself and washing is bad for your skin’ and he also says ‘you don’t need to use shower gel, water is enough to get off any dirt’ and ‘hair doesn’t need to be cleaned’ etc. consequently he smells.

I have also been camping with friends for long weekends and noticed that most of them don’t wash the whole time, even though there’s a shower block. Im not sure they all brush their teeth at night either. They say ‘I’m camping there’s no need’ like different rules apply. I’d understand if there aren’t facilities but there are.

I think some people just find washing a hassle and will make excuses to just not do it.

Yeah I guess

It's absolutely ridiculous that people are giving up necessary basics like washing to "save the environment" hrn people telling us to do so are jetting about in private jets and have consumption of anything higher than 20 average people.
I am really not happy with the climate emergency handling. The easiest targets get bullied about small stuff by elite who are actually the issue

there are various reasons why people smell bad. Lack of money, low self esteem, poor mental health, maybe they don't realise they smell, family problems, work problems, can't face getting out of bed or getting a shower. Please be kind people - try and put yourself into one of those categories if you are not already in one. Not everyone can afford even the cheapest deoderant soap powder etc. nor do they have the motivation to look up natural remedies. My son has just left a house riddled with damp and he has a 5 month old baby - the land lord did a good job of covering it up but the place stank of mould and so did their clothes despite washing them.

Just please don't judge and be kind 😍

Maybe it was you OP. 😬

100%.

Of course there were problems with the smell of smoke and how that was invading all non-smokers clothes and hair. Which was unacceptable.

But having lived through the smoking ban I definitely noticed the over-riding smell in a lot of pubs then was piss, BO and chemical urinal blocks/air fresheners.

It certainly wasn't the 'clean fresh air' that was being sold as a result of the ban 😂.

If there is one thing worse than being stuck indoors with someone with poor hygiene, it's being stuck indoors with someone with poor hygiene and someone else blathered in perfume.

Bar of soap is very cheap and armpits/hair can be washed in sink. There's no excuse

I think some men are proud of smelling. It's another way to invade space. I've noticed that a bit in my gym. Some kind of performative masculinity nonsense. I was also in a cafe recently where a big butch very wealthy looking man with fancy gadgets and attitude absolutely stank the room out.

The worst for me is clothes that have dried slowly in a poorly ventilated room where people smoke and also cook food. I'm friendly with a couple like that and tbh I think they're nose blind after years of smoking. They reek.

There's cultural differences too. I was on a train with a group of young French men not long ago and they all smelled like their willies and last night's dinner. I remember finding French guys smelly when I lived in Paris, and that was 15 years ago.