Embarrassing problem! Need advice

[Serena1977]

So embarrassed so I'm asking anonymously.

Me and dh's bedroom smells of BO and has done for a few months. We shower/bath everyday and wash everything at 60 degrees once a week. I have the windows open all day. I have cleaned the whole room extremely thoroughly and clean regularly anyway. I have had the curtains dry cleaned, replaced the duvets and pillows and bed spread. Sometimes it seems a bit less then it's back.

Nowhere else in the house smells, we don't, the kids rooms don't. My last idea is the mattress but I can't afford to replace it and it's not that old and super comfy.

Any advice greatly welcomed!

I was thinking weed too as it smells strongly of sweat to me.

I don’t think you’ve said if you share a wall? If so, and the smell is coming and going neighbours have to be prime suspects. Don’t underestimate how strong smells coming through can be.

We have really strong cooking smells coming through from next door every day now. Never had it before, so not sure what’s changed, but it’s a revoltingly pungent sausagy smell. I’m just glad I don’t share their bathroom...

Literally sniff everything and you will find it

Yep weed smells like BO to me

It's always my slippers if our room smells!

I've got one of those clear carpet protector mats in my home office and that stinks of BO - I hate it because it seems like I've got BO. Husband can't smell it though - smells really strong to me.

I keep taking it out into the garden and hosing it down hoping that eventually it will go! Research suggests it could take 6 months for the chemicals to die down!

Are you sure it’s not the leather headboard

You learn something new every day - I'm off to sniff my IKEA wardrobe

Do you have sex?

If it is your mattress that smells, or your carpet, I recommend this spray. I got one from Amazon after poor rescue cat started peeing on the doormat, then the floor where it had bee, and wouldn't stop, because whatever I cleaned it with, it still stank of pee!

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B087RSDDX8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8

Do you wash your pillows or use washable pillow protectors? My partner’s pillow smells rank after a week if the pillow protector isn’t washed and he’s not a smelly person, must just have a very sweaty head at night.

I think it's you or your husband's body odour. If you're clean and don't smell, your surroundings wouldn't smell of it. Maybe try showering more regularly.

It could be that something has died in the walls or under the floor, but that wouldn't last more than a few weeks tops.

Is all your bedding 100% cotton? Nothing like synthetic bedding, mattress toppers or anything like that? It suggests excessive sweating at night. Also sleep with the windows open?

Have you considered inviting a priest around? It could be some kind of entity you need to have removed.

Any chance something milk based has spilt somewhere and you’ve missed it?

I'm amazed at the amount of fishy light bulbs and BO furniture!! I've never heard of either but it's definitely something to watch out for. Who knew!!

Any chance something milk based has spilt somewhere and you’ve missed it?
Good idea

Don't make the mistake of looking for just one cause. It could be a number of things reacting together.

Don't discount that there could be a randy ghost in your house that spaffs every evening up the doors of your IKEA wardrobe, for example, with the light on.

It’s not just light fittings. Check your plugs and sockets to make sure they aren’t getting hot and smelling of fish.

I agree with a previous poster regarding the leather headboard. On several occasions I’ve been sniffing round the house looking for the source of what I can only describe as a sweaty, bummy smell and each time it turned out to be leather items: a pair of babouche slippers, a basket with a leather handles & the worst offender; a handbag that had been cleaned with some kind of wax that must have oxidised and was emanating an awful stink of armpit.

Poltergeist...

This wins thread of the day - fascinating and now we all want to know what it is! Our room sometimes smells of boy and that’s because dh has a pile of clothes for washing by his bed like a teen!

It could be the pillows or duvets which are easy to replace if after washing the smell hasn't gone.
Mattresses absorb dust plus dust mites. Take it outside and kick it a few times with something flat to let the dust out.
If you have a desktop in your bedroom that also accumulates dust and it smells.

Right, lots of excellent questions and ideas. Tomorrow is going to be sorting it day.

No IKEA furniture, yes we do have sex but not as much as in our youth!

Will double check the headboard. Will check every article of clothing.

Only other person that's been in pre covid is my mum who can also smell it but assures us it's not us because we dont smell in another room.

Have a thin mattress topper which has been washed at 60 and line dried last week on a windy day. Dont dry clothes on the radiator but do have towels drying between weekly washes.

No other rooms smell. Room is above living room on front of house in a regular 3 bed semi. No weed.
Share a wall with next door neighbour, young family, their bedroom too as it's the biggest.

Its definitely bo rather than fish, urine etc

Will buy shake and vac and bicarbonate tomorrow and will cover the room.

Its cost a fortunate to try and find the issue, we've decorated, cleaned everything, replaced the duvet pillows, dry cleaned the curtains, even changed the lampshade!

There are so many helpful replies on this thread.

Are any of them useful at all OP?