Smelly people

[thebottleismine]

I work in a shop and it's surprising how many extremely smelly people walk about. Now I dont mean people that have called in after the gym/run etc I'm talking really, really bad pissy unwashed clothes that absolutely reeeeeek of some kind of putrid smell, perhaps unwashed for an extremely long time. Now, Whilst I know everyone has different circumstances etc but I was really shocked to learn that one of the long term (smelly) shoppers actually has a very glamorous daughter and it stunned me to the core that she would let her dad out knowing he smelt so completely terrible.
Surly most people know that if you don't wash both yourself and your clothes you will eventually smell? Why someone would allow a friend or family to go out like this is extremely cruel in my opinion.

Allow? What do you suggest friends or family do, pin them down with a wire brush and Dettol?

Even when spoken to/made aware of the issue, some people don't have the capacity, capabilities or will to change how they live their lives, how would you know that the daughter of this man hasn't brought it up with him and he's chosen to not take action, or can't take action and doesn't want help or doesn't believe there's a problem still?
It's not a case of 'allowing' people to do something, or everyone ignoring the obvious problem and saying nothing, IME it's more likely that the issue has been raised when it gets to that point and the person has chosen not to act upon it - as they have every right to.

Maybe that's the point, and that's what I'm trying to ascertain - maybe people don't mind being smelly? I'd like to hope that if I had a gentle word with someone in my own family about their hygiene that it would encourage them to do something about it. I'm not trying to be rude, I just don't understand.

@Maverickess it's quite sad (and I mean that in a sincere way) that people can end up this way. I appreciate my post sounds nasty but I'm not meaning it in that way.

I'm dying of laughter

how do you know they haven’t had an ostomy leak? Sometimes we are unaware of small leaks, I am paranoid about smelling and judge people and posts like this don’t help.

They probably got use to smell, same way people who smoke often smell of smoke or people with cats/dogs/ often smell of their pet or someone that cooks might smell of chip fat/curry/fish the list goes on.

If they can't smell themselves ut won be easy to convince them. They might have menal health issues dd might be estranged she might not have wonderful hygiene herself (I've come across many women with makeup done to perfection that don't wash their hands after being in a cubicle in a public loo), basically a number of reasons. I think it's sad too but you will learn to take a deep breath in before you see them, smile politely and then great them as you would any customer. You can spray some airfreshener after they have gone.

*honestly no commas but you get the gist.

@thebottleismine

Different people have different priorities, maybe the daughter is glamorous and takes care of her appearance because of how her dad is, because she grew up with it and moved away from it because it bothered her.
I'd dare say some people genuinely don't care, because they've developed their lives that way, and it isn't that long ago (in living memory for many) that baths were a once a week thing, people often complain that someone in a care home only gets a bath once a week - what very few appreciate is that many people of that age grew up bathing once a week, wearing the same clothes and only changing underwear and without deodorant and a quick swipe under the armpits and private areas - and they don't see any reason to change because it's served them for a lifetime - it's what they want

Well for some reason this site posted a half finished pre edited message instead of what I wanted to say.
But you get the gist.

@Gilead I'm sure you don't smell, the very fact that you worry about this means you must take action. I'm referring to people that literally have stains over their clothes and wear them continuously. My post wasn't ment to upset you, honestly. I'm simply curious, that's all

Unfortunately my mum smells. She’s in her mid 80s and despite me giving her clean clothes , encouraging her to wash and wear deodorant and perfume she still smells. It’s upsetting as she was such a smart, beautiful woman . I guess some things come with ageing 😕

My dad absolutely stinks. He was in hospital over the weekend and didn't change his clothes once. Not even to go to bed. I told him if he had a shower, I would take his clothes home wash them and bring them back. But he point blank refused. I'm not happy about him going about like that, but at the same time I'm not sure what I else I can do. I certainly can't force him physically or otherwise into a bath.

My Father did before he went into a home. He was of the generation who had a bath once a week. He didn’t change his underwear much either. Couldn’t really be that bothered.

I also worked with someone who was truly horrible. He was married, had children but he stank of BO and generally smelly. In the end his Manager had to have a word but nothing much changed. Some people don’t care, don’t care what other people think etc. I have to shower every day but some especially older people dare I say just stay with what they know.

Sometimes it’s all set up for them, towels, hot water, soap etc but still they don’t.

All humans smell. Some more than others. The strength of the odour has little correlation to hygiene.

Most people who have got to the point where their clothes and bodies are filthy are suffering from serious depression. It's hard for them to do self care. They also tend to resist the attempts of well meaning family to help them.

My best friends elderly dad was like this. She put out clean clothes every day and persuaded him to shower every few days. But she could not physically wrestle a 6" man into clean clothes and couldn't very well burst into the bathroom to check that he was actually UNDER the running shower.
She had to gut his room when he finally went into care,the smell had got into everything, but she had done her best.

Over the years I have worked with people who insisted they do not need to shower often or use deodorant as they do not smell. I have no idea how they cannot tell how badly they smell.

Perhaps people just get used to being smelly.

How? That might be the only drying option.