What’s this smell?!

[jendifer]

I live with two friends and we are bubbled with my boyfriend. I’ve just come back from him and my house smells. What could it be?!

It smells like cheap candles - especially tea lights. I’ve walked around and can’t find any, although it is stronger in the dining room. It’s a bit of a dusty smell, similar to old electric bar heaters. We don’t have them.

There are two bouquets of flowers - one hyacinths and one tulips. Neither of them smell that strongly like this.

The cleaner hasn’t been so I don’t think it’s a product smell and it isn’t laundry. Any ideas what it could be?

Have you asked your flat mates?

Hyacinths have a very strong smell which I cant stand. Changes in smell can be covid too you know, not just complete loss of smell. Any other syptoms?

Could be something electrical left on stand by check sockets . Sometimes smells can come through walls nextdoor if gaps or through flòoring if your above. someone.

They’re asleep, and it doesn’t seem like a hyachinthy smell, more dusty. I’m on the third floor and the flowers are on the bottom floor but it’s as strong up here.

I’ve got no symptoms and everything else has smelt and tasted fine.

Maybe they had candles in there earlier but put them back in their rooms?

Have you any plug in smelly things?
Like airwick.

Yep it’s an electrical smell, or the burning of dust maybe. I’ve turned off lamps and nothing unusual is plugged in.

Mouldy towel or old trainers?

No airwick.

I’d be surprised if the candle smell had lasted this long - they both go to their rooms at 8ish which means the candles would have been blown out for at least three hours when I smelt it. We have candles a lot and I haven’t noticed it lingering this long.

Oh this is driving me mad, I can’t sleep because of the smell!

No really hot plugs in any sockets?

I'd go and wake them up

• better that, than a fire.

Cannabis... hyacinths can smell like cannabis as well

Are you a bit pissed? A mixture of wine and hyacinth?

I’ve checked all the plug sockets and there is nothing untoward. We’re in a terrace but it doesn’t seem stronger at one or the other side of the wall.
No smelly towels, shoes etc and I’m not drunk or stoned.

We’ve got really good smoke alarms but I also feel like if it was an overheated electrical device it would have gone off by now, I smelt it first about 11pm.