Help! Awful Smell

[GrossedOutted]

There's a really awful smell in our bedroom, which I can only smell when I am lying down in bed...

It sort of smells like rotting flesh / used tampon / sanitary pad but I cannot find anything...

Making me ill (and crazy) does anyone have any ideas please to what it may be?

[cushioncovers]

Can you move the bed out of your room for a few days and see if it's the room or the bed.

[GrossedOutted]

Get rid of your partner and see if you can still smell it

Been working on this for months!!! Although smell is only the last few days. Generally concerned he may have deliberately contaminated something as part of his reluctance to split up.

[CheeryAlmond]

If the smell has only come about the past few days and you've never smelt it before (paired with stbex not wanting to split) it does sound as though he's done something vindictive.

[StiltonVanDeKamp]

What's under the bed?

Old bit of food rotting in a handbag?

Do you have pets that could have left a present somewhere?

[GrossedOutted]

We have storage bed - no food in the drawers.

We do have a puppy but i literally cannot see anything, anywhere!!

[SlopesOff]

If you can only smell it when laying down, try moving about at the same level to see if you smell it in one spot or if it is generally at that level.

If you have a headboard have you checked it? Behind it?

[MJMG2015]

Have you looked between the mattress & the base?

I'd strip the bed & air the mattress even
If it doesn't seem 'off'.

Do you have children?

Get them onto it, their sense of smell is much better!

Good luck!

[GrossedOutted]

No headboard,

He has kids - don't think its anything to do with them.

Where could he have contaminated something??

Will strip bed and mattress again to look below.

[CheeryAlmond]

If you can, get some baking soda and sprinkle it over your mattress and headboard. It's a fantastic deodorant.

Could puppy have wee'd up side of the bed?

[Timeforabiscuit]

Have you got cavity walls? We have had fledgling birds wedge themselves between terraced houses by falling between the eaves in the roof, as well as rats nest and memorably a bees nest (complete with honey comb, and then mice).

[CheeryAlmond]

When you strip the bed, give everything a really good sniff.

My puppy's anal glands leaked and, although I couldn't see anything, the smell was horrendous. Fishy, old, used sanitary towel type odour.

[Herdwick]

Do you ever drink tea/ coffee in bed and perhaps have spilt some on the mattress or carpet? Spilt milk absolutely honks after a few days.

[SummerHouse]

Do you have any potted plants in the room. We had one that we tipped dregs of tea / coffee in and it went rancid. Took weeks to identify the source.

[TheRealJeanLouise]

Does your (ex)DP know a break up is imminent? I’m thinking he’s done a revenge thing and put prawns in the curtains etc....

[Flaunch]

Can you smell it when laying down elsewhere?

I’m thinking sinus’s too.

[CurseryKinkajoo]

Are there any plug sockets near your bed?! My airing cupboard started to smell, I did the whole leaking toilet/shower etc hunt. Rewatched all the contents then had the vague recollection of dodgy sockets smelling fishy. I’ve hopefully attached a photo of the shower switch that was the cause of the stink...

[CurseryKinkajoo]

*rewashed not rewatched!

[cheesemongery]

Can't work out how to quote on phone but I'm going something electrical... Brothers bedroom had a horrid fishy smell growing up... Similar to things already mentioned - turned out to be the light socket.

[RonaCor]

If you're about to split up, check the hem of your curtains for prawns. Can you still smell it when you lie on the floor? Can you smell it without him there? You may be heating something nasty when you lie on the mattress. 🤮

[GingerFigs]

Lie on the floor instead of the bed and see if you can still smell it?? A hard to trace smell is so frustrating!!!!

[FizzyPink]

If you flip the mattress and lay down can you still smell it?

[RelaisBlu]

Generally concerned he may have deliberately contaminated something as part of his reluctance to split up

How does he behave when you mention the problem to him?

[chocolate26]

Do you open window/windows regularly in your bedroom? Any mould or condensation anywhere? Very strange!

[ImFree2doasiwant]

Dead mouse in your bed? May have burrowed in so where and died, although you'd be able to smell it standing up I'd imagine.

[averylongtimeago]

We had this in our house in France a few years ago. Went back after a couple of months to spend new year there.
Made the bed up, all normal no smell.
After two nights it was dreadful- I accused DH of either farting or not washing- by night 3 it was so bad I got up and threw all the bedding off and it was only when I pulled the mattress topper off I spotted the hole - one of these (lérot I think) was there, by now very dead, smelly and flat.
Turned out our mattress wasn't a good place to hibernate!