Help! My whole house smells of teenage boys.

Know this smell OP 🥲. With mine, stripping off the bed sprinkling bicarb all over the mattress, leaving for a couple of hours and then hoovering it all off seems to clear the worst of the fug.

In my experience it definitely is correct. Shower gels are rubbish - we use bars of soap and feel (and smell!) clean.

We have 2 boys and agree with most people’s advice - they showered 2 x day - before school and after exercise- most importantly for me was to wash clothes every day as I think that stops the stench settling into the clothes as something that sits for days waiting to be washed could retain some of the smell even after washing and yes - bedding weekly and wash actual duvets ( not weekly but more that we wash ours!) for us shoes/ football boots were the worst and these occasionally had to be left outside to air out

Wow-I have lived with brothers, male university housemates, boyfriends and sons and haven't ever found this.

If they still smell when they get out of the shower, that's the issue-give them bar soap (Nesti Danti) and proper anti-perspirant. How often do they wash their towels?

Do they think they smell? Do you think they are washing properly?

I’m following this with interest and will try some of the ideas- DS has been away for a week, I’ve stripped his bed and let the mattress air for a few days, window has been open 24/7 this week, I’ve dusted and hoovered his room and it’s better, but the smell is still there. I think a new mattress might be needed this autumn. (With a good mattress protector I can bung in a hot wash).

Op the soap instead of gel isn’t correct.

Neither of mine have smelled that bad, but I understand that some boys do - like some women get through the menopause with minimal problems and others are floored by it.

The Ordinary glycolic acid on their armpits before applying antiperspirant. It helps to kill off BO bacteria. Put it in a travel sized spray bottle for easy application. A few sprays under arm, let dry for a minute or so, then antiperspirant. Witchhazel is another option.

Scalp brush for each in the shower to really get their scalps and hair clean. Love mine, and teen DD’s hair smells much better since she started using one. They’re the silicone brushes with thick nubby bristles.

Definitely bar soap (not Dove) for showering.

Realising that growing up in the 70s my whole family used the one bar of soap (at a time, not forever!) and I’m wondering how that would go down. X3 bars of soap for x3 teenagers?

I didn’t manage to convert my step teenagers to soap but they definitely wouldn’t have countenanced soap that had been in contact with someone else’s body!

I have three sons and at no time have I ever smelled them or had our house smell so I'm not sure what's going on at yours. Throw open your windows for a start it sounds very unpleasant

L’Oreal Thermic resist antiperspirant is what the men in this house use, OP. Tall orange cans, often reduced in Tesco. And Simple shower gel or Simple soap, never Lynx.

Am trying to find a gentle form of words to persuade MIL not to give Lynx gift sets at Christmas - which go straight in the charity bags.

I soaked DS1’s uni bedding in a bucket overnight with white vinegar and bicarbonate before washing and line drying on a sunny breezy day. Not perfect afterwards, but much better.

I have 2 boys, both now in their 20s. DS2's room has always stunk. When he came home after uni he moved bedrooms (he's now left home) and both rooms still smell, particularly when the weather gets warm. One of them he's not been in for about 3 years. I think I might have to change the mattresses &/or carpet. DS1 never smelt at all

DS1 around 8/9 started smelling off even after having a bath.

DH couldn’t smell it and I brought it up with the health nurse for his school and she said it was normsl.

My parents immediately did smell it though when they visited when DD1 was born and my mother said my sister was the same at his age.

I added drops of rosemary to his bath and use scented oil on his skin afterwards and it helps with the smell.

He loves being outside which helps a bit. The room he shares with his brother though… I’m often having to follow my nose on where odors are coming from and unfortunately a lot of artificial smells give me headaches including body sprays.

If I won the lottery, I’d buy a home where I’d have my own wing.

I have boys and use this essential oil anti bacterial air freshener. It’s £20 but really works and is natural, and strong so you only need a bit. Seems to “clean” the air.

I leave my older son’s window open all the time (just a bit) and definitely wash clothes asap.

he doesn’t smell, but the room
can get musty

Pure Essence

Definitely DEFINATELY bar soap for the shower instead of shower gel. Mitchum roll on. Helps me tolerate my ds room better

Sure Maximum Protection or Mitchum (you can definitely get the Sure in a ‘manly’ container which might be more acceptable to them, not sure about Mitchum)

I remember John Bishop doing a routine about teen boy stink (he has three sons). Seems very common.

I swear by sassy scents room sprays they are the only ones that really linger but aren’t overpowering.

If they wear lynx, make sure it’s the anti perspirant rather than just the deodorant. It grates me that my ds gets about 12 cans of the deodorant for Xmas from well meaning family members, and it doesn’t help the smell!

Yep its the pheromones that will be getting to you.
May I suggest oder eaters insoles or spray for their shoes and trainers.
Mitcham is a good bo basher. But a good quality soap (not shower gel) for washing pits and bits is a good idea they can rewash after with shower gel if they want but definitely need real soap first

For me, the best way of getting a nice smelling house is to open the windows - all day, everyday where possible.

No dirty or damp laundry lying around - it smells musty and infiltrates the entire house.

Nice scented candles or wax melts to burn - we just get the cheap ones from Home Bargains. They smell lovely and one block lasts all day.

Vacuuming daily and cleaning hard surfaces so that smells don’t get too ingrained.

Blankets on sofas etc. which are rotated and washed once a week to try and protect the actual fabric of the sofa.

About twice a year I’ll properly clean the carpets and fabric sofas as well.

You have my sympathy. I spent a year as a student being the only girl living in a shared house with three boys.

I vividly remember coming down from my attic bedroom every morning and passing through the windowless first floor landing, from where all their bedrooms led. It stunk! A weird, musky boy smell eminated from their rooms and just hung in the air. They weren't even particularly untidy or unwashed as students go.

I'm pleased to say that I'm still friends with all of them and none of them or their houses smell these days.

Just wondering if they are hanging up wet towels which aren’t drying properly and then reusing them? Sniff the towels!

That is unfortunate.