in thinking that there is no real reason for most people to SMELL is there?

[HugoFirst]

unless have run a marathon etc.
WASH yourselves and please wash your clothes you stinkers

Oh I knew a guy at uni who had the 'pants airing system'.
He had 7 pairs, and each day when he took them off hung them up, and then figured 7 days later they were clean again

Mind you, I once said to him, Tom, how come your hair's still wet (after the 30 min walk to our house). It wasn't wet, it was greasy and unwashed.

YANBU.

However, I am a very clean person, shower in the mornings before I go to work and in the evenings after my workout . Never really sweat a lot or smell, BUT when I have my time of the month I can do everything (Change clothes twice a day, use deodorant every hour - still I have stains under my arms and smell a bit.)

i use my last day's knickers to wash my bits

Rubbing organisms that breed in the crevices and cracks of even the cleanest bum and fanny all over you, every day. Lovely.

That's worse than the woman who never washed her knickers in the washing machine

Netto you're making me shiver at the thought! Brrrrrr!

Oh I cannot abide greasy hair.

That's why I need daily showers, as well as strip washes being disgusting, I need to wash my hair.

'Lots of students compete to be smelly and disgusting. When I was a student I didn't change my sheets for a whole year - they didn't smell.'

Not to you they didn't.

Boak.

Yuk at greasy hairnand even more yukkiness at yesterday's knickers

Finally here is a thread that actually made me vomit up my dinner. Yes, really.
Body smell should be against the law.

Am at such an ignorant and unpleasant OP. As has been pointed out, there are quite a lot of reasons why some people have body odour even if they wash frequently.

As for this ridiculous hysteria about anyone who doesn't shower every day being filthy and stinking.... god get a life! I used to hate the smell of other people when I commuted, but I accept that some people are just naturally sweaty and will start sweating as soon as they get out of the shower. You can't deodorise your whole body, ffs.

I have a bath every other day, and wash every other day. I don't really sweat, but if I do, then I have a bath! I think the same hysteria about 'germs' and dirt that makes people keep their houses spotlessly and obsessively clean, is now extended to the body, so that it's not acceptable for a person to bear the scent of anything except chemicals. I think it's a bit ridiculous tbh.

expat I missed the sheets thing first time around sheets that have had drunken shagging students sleeping in for a year have to smell rank [boak]

Hear hear ILoveYouToo.

People can smell/have bad breath for a number of reasons that the person can't do anything about it. For example, bad breath tends to be caused by either poor dental hygiene or medical problems - most commonly lung illnesses. I know this because I have had problems with very bad breath caused by a hereditary lung disorder. Unfortunately, when I have bad breath, there is nothing I can do about it.

As well as medical reasons, some people get sweaty and smelly very quickly. Briefly I went out with a man who would have a shower, lots of deoderant and clean clothes - by the afternoon he would smell of sweat. To avoid this he would have to shower and probably change some clothes every 2 or 3 hours. This just isn't possible most of the time.

Sadly many elderly people who are struggling to look after themselves, very depressed people, people with learning difficulties not getting enough support, may all smell.

I agree it can be horrible being near someone who really smells. But don't assume as you seem to be that they just can't be bothered. May be the case sometimes, but there are also lots of other reasons.

People smelling of cigarettes is one of the most unpleasant, stale smells there is. I don't think they are aware they are going around smelling like that. I'm sure all smokers don't smell strongly either, so there must be some way of stopping it clinging to you so badly. There was a man in the supermarket tonight and I couldn't bear to go near him, so strong was the smell of cigarettes off him.

Some people seem to smell really badly with cigarettes. I have been with people where 2 go outside to have a cigarette. Although they both come back smelling of cigarettes, 1 of them can be much worse than the other. I don't know if it is the type of cigarette people smoke or their own physiology that can make some people smell worse than others when they smoke.

I have always found when people give up smoking, they can't believe how bad smokers smell and ask if they smelt like that - I always say yes.

I do try not to judge people reeking of BO, as I always assume there is an underlying problem, be it physical or mental.

I couldn't function without at least one shower a day, though.

Re the strip-washing- reminded me of a prim elderly nun telling us:
"Girls! If you haven't access to a bath or shower, fill the sink. Wash up as far as possible, then down as far as possible And if possible, give possible a little wash as well!"

We get people at work who come in and absolutely stink of BO, fags AND drink. It's so disgusting. I would rather wash in freezing cold water than not at all.

Also there is no excuse for greasy hair. EVER. Seeing unwashed hair makes me feel ill. :(

Oh I can't stand the fucking prissiness of mumsnet over flannels and the like. How the hell do you think your parents washed in the 50s/60s/70s? A daily bath or shower was not the norm then. I wish I could be bothered to strip wash instead of having my daily 20 minute shower. My skin would be in a lot better condition and I'd be out of the house quicker. Showering has made me lazy.

Agree that cigarette smokers are the stinkiest of all.

Agree. Smokers have no idea how vile they smell.

I am lol'ing at the person who actually vomits at the smell of an unwashed body!!!!

This morning I rolled out of bed and into my clothes. Have a ton of stuff to do day and thus have foregone a bath in order to get a head start. I am not in work today, so can justify a holiday from hygiene.

I don't wash my hair every day either 'cos it's so dry and curly that it would break off if I washed it more than 2/3 times a week.

I must really stink 'cos I never notice how people smell TBH.

Will lookout on school run this am for hoardes of people vomiting as I pass them.

I'm not fan of hugely smelly people, but try to remember that poverty is often a factor too. Those of us who are lucky enough to have automatic washing machines, dryers, gardens with washing lines, whatever, find it easy and pleasant to wear head-to-toe clean clothes over our lovely showered bodies every day without a thought for what it costs. But when I stand in the PO queue I sometimes feel like the only clean person in town.

"Also there is no excuse for greasy hair. EVER."

I wash my hair every single day. It is very very fine. Sometimes by the end of the day my hair looks greasy. This is especially the case on very hot days and if I am by the sea.

When I went wild camping and couldn't wash my hair for 2 days, it looked as if I hadn't washed it for weeks.

YusMilady - Sorry I don't accept the pverty argument. Having a washing machine, tumble dryer and shower with lots of hot water makes keeping clean easier; but it is perfectly possible to keep clean with hand washed clothes and strip washes if money is tight.

I quite like the natural smell of someone's body . Fresh sweat, I mean, not stale. Surely there is every biological evolutionary reason to be attracted by it? Oh, and I can't stand the smell of air fresheners and pungent deodorant. Yuk, yuk, yuk.