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AIBU?

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Original poster

What is this smell

32 replies

SomethingSmells · 02/05/2023 22:03

I noticed a smell in an upstairs bedroom yesterday when we’d been out for the day and the house had been empty. My partner had been putting the children to bed in the room and when I came upstairs it smelt so bad that I told him to go and have a shower as I thought it was him! It’s a really strong sweet BO smell. I aired the house this morning and the smell appeared to disappear, however we’ve just got home after being out all afternoon/evening and the smell is back.

does anyone know what it could be? The room is clean and tidy, and I’ve hunted around for stinky clothes/shoes/nappies/food items/dishes and I can’t find anything

OP posts:
PieMashLiquor · 02/05/2023 22:06

A dead mouse? Kids left a cheese sarnie somewhere?

Bimbom · 02/05/2023 22:07

Pasty poltergeist

PieMashLiquor · 02/05/2023 22:07

Only because I may or may not have once wedged a cheese sandwich down the side of my mattress and forgot about it

ArcaneWireless · 02/05/2023 22:07

Mouse. Deceased.

NeatCompactSleeper · 02/05/2023 22:11

Light bulb?

I bought a new bedroom lamp once and the whole room smelled like rancid prawns for ages.

Original poster
SomethingSmells · 02/05/2023 22:11

Thank you for the suggestions. It’s definitely not a cheese sandwich. It does seem to be coming from the wardrobe area (but not the inside of the wardrobe) so I’ll go and look for a dead mouse

OP posts:
broadbeanquiche · 02/05/2023 22:13

Dead mouse

TitoMojito · 02/05/2023 22:14

PieMashLiquor · 02/05/2023 22:07

Only because I may or may not have once wedged a cheese sandwich down the side of my mattress and forgot about it

Okay but why though? You can't just leave us with no context hahaha

Original poster
SomethingSmells · 02/05/2023 22:32

Definitely no dead mouse. (Thank god!)

I have discovered some damp carpet. Could that be the cause? I have no idea where it’s come from as we’ve been out all weekend

OP posts:
TheSpottedZebra · 02/05/2023 22:33

Weed?
Your husbands, or your children's if teens?

Whatkindofuckeryisthis · 02/05/2023 22:33

SomethingSmells · 02/05/2023 22:32

Definitely no dead mouse. (Thank god!)

I have discovered some damp carpet. Could that be the cause? I have no idea where it’s come from as we’ve been out all weekend

Cat piss?!

TheSpottedZebra · 02/05/2023 22:34

Sorry, partner not husband

WinterCarlisle · 02/05/2023 22:35

Have you got any cut daffodils or lilies in the house? I think they can sometimes give off a weird smell

IamSuperTired · 02/05/2023 22:35

My husband smells like this sometimes :) or his clothes do. It's horrid. It seems to come in little phases. Smell not been around for about 6 months now, but I know it'll be back at some point. It makes me feel v ill. But yes, it's a sweet sweaty smell and I hate it. I've never mentioned it to him (well, I've tried subtle comments ... ) and have yet to figure out what causes it! But I have definitely pin pointed that he is the culprit!

MattTebbuttsDenimShirt · 02/05/2023 22:37

NeatCompactSleeper · 02/05/2023 22:11

Light bulb?

I bought a new bedroom lamp once and the whole room smelled like rancid prawns for ages.

This. If a light fitting goes dodgy, it smells like fish, plastic fish. Rotting fish.

MattTebbuttsDenimShirt · 02/05/2023 22:39

SomethingSmells · 02/05/2023 22:32

Definitely no dead mouse. (Thank god!)

I have discovered some damp carpet. Could that be the cause? I have no idea where it’s come from as we’ve been out all weekend

Is there a cat flap? A Tom decided to mark his territory in my house 😡 but I'd assume you'd know as cat piss stinks!

Original poster
SomethingSmells · 02/05/2023 22:40

No Cat (unless a sneaky one has decided to move in and I’ve not noticed yet)

No Weed (children are preschoolers and I’m like a bloodhound with my nose so would have recognised that straight away)

I don’t think it’s the lights. I’ve had a dodgy light before that smelt and it’s different to that.

I’ve also let DP off the hook now as he’s been at work all day so definitely couldn’t have caused it.

I’m leaning towards the damp carpet being the source….

now to solve the mystery of how/why it’s damp!

OP posts:
HerodAntipasti · 02/05/2023 22:47

Is there a bison hiding in the wardrobe?

Ericabro · 02/05/2023 22:48

if you have a water tank in the loft it could be overflowing or a pipe for water to come out of on the outside wall maybe look up at the celing x

Original poster
SomethingSmells · 02/05/2023 22:49

No bison. I did spot a creature that resembled Mr Tumnus but he didn’t smell so I left him be

OP posts:
Original poster
SomethingSmells · 02/05/2023 22:50

Ericabro · 02/05/2023 22:48

if you have a water tank in the loft it could be overflowing or a pipe for water to come out of on the outside wall maybe look up at the celing x

That’s a quite likely source. The tank is in the loft above the bedroom.

OP posts:
Thepooroldwolfisdead · 02/05/2023 22:51

It will be something plastic and old. A washing basket, a light fitting, a plastic storage basket etc. For some reason certain plastics smell like BO when they get old. I thought for ages that it was the washing and then I realised it was actually the basket itself. Sniff your way around the room and eventually you will track it down.

Leicestershiremum · 02/05/2023 22:51

SomethingSmells · 02/05/2023 22:32

Definitely no dead mouse. (Thank god!)

I have discovered some damp carpet. Could that be the cause? I have no idea where it’s come from as we’ve been out all weekend

How old is the house? Might be damp against the wall behind the wardrobe due to lack of ventilation, which can be worse in an older house and it could seep into the carpet. Or could it be a leaking pipe under the floor boards?

Stardust75 · 02/05/2023 22:51

Could one of your children had a sleep walking pee somewhere? I had a similar mystery smell incident when my son was a toddler, found a toy truck with rancid wee in the room......lovely!

CC4712 · 02/05/2023 22:52

Could 1 of the toddlers urinated on the carpet?