Teenage boy smell

[Rainingagaininseattle]

I'm currently temporarily sleeping in my teenage son's bedroom (long story). It has a body odour smell. I've washed bedding, duvet, dressing gown etc. Kept window open for the last month, checkec for dirty clothes (found some under the bed), got rid of 6 dirty mugs and mopped the floor but there's still a whiff.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't like the chemical smell of air fresheners so wondering if there are any natural solutions?

I doubt it's the curtains, am wondering about the mattress...

Yep, my son’s room is the same, has been for years

It resolves itself eventually.

Do you have any suggestions to get rid of the smell? Short of painting the room?!

I teach secondary kids. The teenage boy smell is real. Hormones ........
Grim

Least you are prob immune to allsorts now. Prob even Covid!

My son's Ikea wardrobes were the problem in his room. They had some mould on the back and when I took them apart some mould around the frame. No smell since I binned them. I did also paint his room.

I would definitely keep looking to Tey identify what is causing it.

Tons of bicarb on the soft furnishings (mattress, carpet, pillows) - leave it for a few hours all day then vacuum it off.

Ewww glad I've got daughters!

socks? Feet? Shoes?

the worst

Mine smelt like a mixture of wet dog, mud and something rotting. We don't have a dog and his room was perfectly clean.
It faded by the time he was 20ish.
I think it's testosterone.

How old is he OP? My DS was as his smelliest at around age 12. Two years later and it's a lot better than it was.

It seems to be DD(12)'s turn now.

OMG I nearly started a thread on this the other day! If you have one of those material mattress cover, wash that or replace with clean one if you have two. See if there is a dressing gown lurking that's trying to get out of the door too. Open all the windows as soon as you get the chance and keep them open for a few hours. All that did the trick for both of mine.
Is there maybe something languishing behind the mattress? Try pulling out the bed.
If all else fails, peel off all of the wallpaper and repaint... (just kidding on that last one)
I empathise, its like nothing else is it...?

I know someone recommended bicarb but IMHO its a pita to get up again but a lot of people seem to swear by bicarb so whatever works for you.

One word - testosterone. I had three teenage sons at the same time. Jeez, the stinky fug when the three of them and a bunch of their pals were hanging out in a room together. Thank god they are grown up now and it's gone.

Sorry op,just re read your post and see you've done all of those things (tired like everyone else through lack of sleep due to heat!)

Might actually have absorbed into the mattress though?

I'm thinking the mattress. Burn it.

Is your son still IN the room?

Yeah, it's the mattress.

If you can afford to replace it, get it outside in the sunshine. Get some air and sunlight on it.

What's the base of his bed? A divan?

My DS is away at uni most of the time and it usually takes me from one uni holiday to the next to get rid of the smell & I thought I had done it this time until the room got hot the other day. I've washed the mattress cover, the duvet & the pillows so I think it must be the carpet or the walls! His brother's was never as bad.

Try Triple Dry deodorant. There is no BO smell with that. Amazing stuff

I think I'm going to try flipping the mattress and if that fails washing the curtains.

There is also a removable sofa cover I can wash.

It's not feet. It's faint but ever present BO

Shake n vac all over the mattress then dettol fabric spray
new pillows and duvet and bedding - asda has very cheap options
Windows open 6am - bedtime
dettol fabric spray the curtains