Why can I smell ashtrays?

[Helenahandkart]

My living room smells like ashtrays/cigarettes. Specifically my end of the sofa. None of my family smoke. We live in a semi detached house and the wall with the sofa on it adjoins next door, but they don’t smoke either. We haven’t had any visitors for several weeks, and anyway they haven’t smoked in the house.

When I say the sofa smells, it isn’t the sofa itself. The cushions don’t smell but when I sit there I can smell ashtrays. I’ve taken the sofa apart, cleaned under it, gone round the room madly sniffing everything. WHERE IS IT COMING FROM?!

I was starting to think I was having a stroke or something, but I can only smell it in that one area. No one else can smell it. If I go outside it doesn’t smell so it’s not coming into the house from outside.

It’s not my clothes, or hair, or the cats, or air fresheners, or candles . Please help. It’s driving me mad.

Ugh I had this during and for months after covid, I now have intermittent phantom smells and some smells smell very different and overpowering.

Covid.

I even bought smoke alarm for my bedroom because I was convinced I could smell smoke. This has gone on for months.

Go to the doctor and tell them because sometimes smelling smoke can be sign of brain tumour or neurological condition. It's probably still very unlikely but if there is no other explanation then you should get checked out.

I was going stay this. Well worth checking.

I’m taking onboard the comments about covid or neurological reasons or migraines BUT surely it wouldn’t be limited to just one small area of the house if that was the case?

It’s been going on for a couple of weeks now.

Check shoe grooves for cigarette butts!

Is this where you sit with a cuppa, Op? I ask because when I had Covid I noticed that coffee smelt a bit like smoke to me. (Top notes of certain smells didn't register so the smell itself was different. Lemon smelt like vinegar. Milk smelt like vomit etc etc.)

Seriously, are you me? 🤣 I did too and they’ve never come back properly, and I had a heavy cold a little while ago.

One of three things stands out to me:

• Covid, as already done to death on here!
• Electrical appliance burning out; or
• in my case - rotting mouse under the sofa (thanks cat!)

I have no advice but can sympathise. I often smell smoke/ashtray where I sit in the living room, nowhere else, just there
We have lived here over 25 years, sofa over 20 years old, nothing new and no-one else notices it!

I used to get this, for me it was a sign that I had a migraine coming. And yes, only in one area of the house. It smelt like it was coming through the wall from next door, and I know she wasn't a smoker!

is there a party wall e.g. are you in a terraced or semi detached house and could it be the neighbour next door?

also are you suffering from anxiety and stress at all?

You’ve said no appliances but is there a ceiling light fixture? A crumbling fixture can smell terrible. Also rats in ceiling / walls etc.

In our case, the smell of smoke was drifting through from next door where there was no skirting. We got it sealed when we had work done on both areas and it stopped. If it's an old terrace or semi that can be the case. I thought I was going mad, shutting the bathroom window as I thought it was coming from the neighbours back garden and waking up in the night and smelling smoke in the bathroom, until I worked out it was coming in under the bath!

You haven’t started buying bunches of daffodils now they’re out have you? They always smell of burning to me.

One room upstairs in my house had this in the cupboard. Used to come and go, sometimes it was strong and then it wasn't. We assumed it was maybe the old carpet in there but once we got our roof replaced and attic insulated the smell stopped. Assuming it was some form of damp wood or insulation in the cupboard ceiling. Could something be damp in the area or surrounding walls? Wood that has been wet can appear dry but stink.

Also anything that has been delivered recently - we’ve had Amazon parcels that reek.

Have a check around the area for mould.

Its a common symptom of a sinus infection

Since I had I Covid a few years ago I can smell rotten food. Just on and off. Grim.

Interesting. I get a lot of migraines. I was ruling out medical causes because it only happens in one area, but it’s exactly as you describe. I feel like it must be coming through the wall.

When you say it only happens when you sit in that one seat, are you sure? Have you tried sitting in another seat for the whole night and seeing if it comes? Does it only happen at certain times of the day? X

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Definitely this!

I get this periodically after - sorry to say! - having had Covid twice. But it didn’t happen during my Covid infection, it seems to be a long Covid thing?

The first time was months after and was so strong, it made my eyes water. It was fresh cigarette smoke smell though and only in my front room. I was convinced someone was smoking outside my front window, or my neighbours were, and only I could smell it. No one else can. I’ve asked all my neighbours and none of them smoke.

It’s extremely strong - makes my eyes water and gives me a headache. Happens for a few weeks every few months. I looked it up and olfactory hallucinations after Covid seems the most likely answer for me.

Covid doesn't make you smell ashtrays in one specific part of the house