Honking of body odour!

I remember someone on here posting something similar and eventually it turned out to be to do with her laundry. Maybe wash everything you own at 50/60 if you can. Dry really thoroughly. Vinegar through the system to clear it out. Super hot cycle with nothing in to fully clean the machine . Might be worth giving it a go. And see if you can search for that thread. I don’t know how sorry!

Goosephobic

I wouldn't say I've noticed it more, per-se. But your post did remind me of a couple I've seen at least twice in my local shop. Both pretty well dressed, I'd guess mid-50s, but both have a "take your breath away" level of BO. Like, gasp and cover your face levels. I can't fathom how they wouldn't be aware.

That being said, I noticed my own body odour changed massively after my second round of Covid in summer 2023. I went from someone who never really needed to use deodorants, so suddenly being aware that I absolutely STANK. The only thing that really helped was Mitchums mens deodorant. Womens, or any other brand, didn't really do the job.
It was bad for about 6 months, and then gradually faded off. I'm now back to only using deodorant when I know I'm going to have a particularly physically busy day.

Yes so many stinky people but it’s not really changed, certain skin types give off more odour and are less likely to wear deodorant or antiperspirant so I just try to avoid them. When I worked at a school those that stank were strategically placed near windows and away from those with sensitive noses. Often if the parents stink the kids do too.

I rub the armpits of clothing with warm water and sunlight soap before putting in the washing machine.
I’m a fan of Nancy Birtwhistle but her remedy took longer and is, imo, not as effective as sunlight soap.

Also try using soap on your armpits and rinse properly before drying.

Wonder if many people stop shaving/waxing their armpits in autumn? Body hair traps odour-causing bacteria, makes antiperspirant less effective.

Agree that washing on low temp results in smelly stale clothes. They smell fine until you warm up! I always use bio detergent now, put dettol laundry in softener drawer and wash most stuff on 40 or higher. Cotton usually washes well on higher temps and can be tumble dried on hot. Even bamboo rayon washes fine on 40.

Perhaps more people own dogs now. My colleagues used to come to work smelling of pets, visible dog hair on their clothes. One had house rabbits too. Rabbit smell in a hot office is similar to old sweat! Awful.

I think there's an element of laziness in autumn too. We cover up more, it's harder to shower on dark cold mornings. People in their 20s seem less motivated to keep clean and tidy than previous generations. I grew up having a morning bath or shower, clean clothes, teeth brushed, hair blow-dried before work. I'm amazed by the number of young people who start a work day with wet hair and say they had no time to get ready. Everyone my age seems to manage this, despite kids to get ready too. It was drilled into us to make time for basic hygiene in morning.

Those solid crystal deodorant sticks work really well on my men. They don't smell of anything, but seem to get rid of pongy armpit smells.
My theory about part of this issue is laundry detergent. I think modern liquids and powders are so strong smelling but don't seem to clean very well. I switched to own brand bio powder and the difference is noticeable. Granted, my laundry doesn't smell of passion flower and sandalwood, but it does smell faintly of "soap" and is fresh.

miraDry
MiraDry works by delivering precisely controlled electromagnetic energy to the underarm area, eliminating the underarm sweat glands.

This treatment is expensive but worth it. It is very effective for strong smelling sweat.

As someone else said, the worst are men and boys. There are ways to combat it, women tend to be socially aware and try when its a medical issue.
I have a bit more sympathy for those vigorously exercising, after my martial arts class some will smell badly, but I would expect those effected to wash, and put clean shirts on afterwards. I suspect one or two just chuck a t shirt on without washing and head off to work afterwards.
I work with a 22yr old who admits to not washing his clothes or bathing/ showering, because he can't be bothered and his smell is our problem not his. You can tell where he has been in the store! Entitled skank.

The weather is crazy lately. It was really hot yesterday and sticky. Many people ride bikes to work or walk.
But I rarely get the scent of BO around here and I take a fair bit of public transport. I get it hyper concentrated when it happens, yuck. But I do not find it to be a spread issue.

You mean geesist.

Persimmon soap helps with strong BO on pits and bits.

I second the dettol laundry sanitizer. I use the sensitive one and it’s got rid of stinky pits in clothing.

The glycolic acid someone mentioned up thread can help too. Also some people have Botox in the underarms but I think this is perhaps for excess sweating vs a specific smell. Anyway, definitely look into it and consider going to the doctor too, you deserve to not have to worry about this!

They also tend to eat spicy food which I think can make people stink.

I've noticed it a bit too on the tube, really overweight people smelling really badly. I dont think clothes are washed properly as some have commented too. Dettol antibacterial laundry liquid is a good buy and helps with stinky socks, sports clothes etc.

You are being racist to geese.

I haven't looked into this, to be honest. I did know onion can cause strong smells, and I do eat a lot of cheese and onion crisps, but I also have very strong sensory issues and fears surrounding trying new food so it's really hard to get out of eating them because they're a safe food 😅 but I do appreciate your comment and I will definitely look into what you said!

To be fair I probably would let my leg hang off without going to the doctor 😅

I only wear a clothing item once. It's only my armpits that smell and genuinely any type of fabric I've tried doesn't help 😔 I will try going back to the doctor, I just always get dismissed

I love the word honking!!!

Greatest sympathy for your situation but you are definitely not helping yourself at this point! Wrapping yourself up in man made fibres is the exact opposite of what you should be doing!

I have no idea what your budget is like but ideally you need 2x Light cotton nightwear, 2x cotton tops for daytime wear (in a loose fit style) 2x cotton joggers/leggings to go with the tops and as much cotton underwear as you need to keep changing frequently. Swap 'cotton' for any natural fabric you prefer! You need to be on a wash one, wear one rota (so if you can afford 3 off each even better!). Before you wear anything new take a long hot shower and use a strong deodorant.
Only wear each item of clothing ONCE before washing, you can buy specific laundry disinfectant but I use the Aldi lemon/grapefruit disinfectant that is about 90p a bottle, I use a rather generous glug as we have dogs so I like to try and keep on top of the germs!
Lastly dry clothes/towels/bedding thoroughly, away from food smells if possible (bathrooms are good for drying, set up an airer in the bath and open the window! ).
Lastly, go to the doctor. You know you have a problem and I assume you wouldn't walk around with your leg hanging off without seeking treatment. This is no different.

Lots of urban spaces now reek of weed. Maybe this is what you are smelling? It smells like skunk

Glycolic acid. Apply it to your underarms, let dry then apply your usual antiperspirant. It helps to kill off the BO bacteria. I use The Ordinary glycolic acid. You can apply with your fingers or cotton wool but I prefer putting it in a little travel spray bottle and using that. Makes it really easy to apply.

Soak your tops in Napisan before washing to help get rid of any smells.

Are Botox injections for excessive sweating an option?

@70sMuuMuu Your partner is probably one of the lucky genetic freaks who don’t have the gene for BO. They exist. My dad doesn’t have the gene either. Unfortunately I didn’t inherit this.

Might get told off for being non pc but big cities often have more diverse populations, people of south asia/Indian subcontinent heritage often don't use deodorant. I think perhaps you become attuned to different odours so its what you're used to. My mam will wear very strong perfume a lot, she barely notices it now, her brain just ignores it, whereas i notice how strong her perfume is.

I don’t really smell BO that much, I do smell that gross, unwashed body/hair/scalp/bed smell. And morning breath.

Its genuinely like some people have rolled out of bed and gone to work without washing body or clothes and brushing their teeth