To hate the smell of silk

[HeavyPlantCrossing]

Inspired by the thread where some people think rapeseed oil smells of fish, does anyone else hate the smell of silk?

I can’t stand it - I can’t wear silk clothes, gag when I walk past the cushion department in John Lewis, and hate going to homes with silk cushion covers.

Everyone I’ve mentioned it to says that silk doesn’t smell. Is this a thing or just me?!

I can’t say I’ve ever noticed wool having a smell so I must be fine with it. To me, silk smells a cross between sickly sweet and damp.

That’s interesting how it smells different to different people. (Now wondering if all things smell different to different people - how would we know if I say I like the smell of bread, and you say you like the smell of bread, that what we both smell isn’t different…)

It’s the same as “how do I know that the green you see is the same as the green I see?”, isn’t it. Fascinating and weird.

True. Humans are weird creatures.

Now I need to find me some silk to sniff! Where should I look?

Any cushion section in a supermarket or homeware store. Or a sofa shop.

Or silk scarves in a clothes shop.

I doubt they would have silk in Primark and supermarket homeware sections, this is why I asked if you meant satin?

They really do, it stinks.

I taught Textile science for years and never noticed a smell. We used to have cocoons and raw silk fibres. No smell.

The smell is probably the dyes.

Anf it’s not made from poo! It’s made from the stuff they spin their cocoons from, it comes out of their heads not their bums.

And it’s used for satin. duchess silk and slipper satin. It’s not used for polyester.

I had no idea about this. I can’t smell silk at all. I’ve got loads of silk clothes - all bought from charity shops - and I can’t smell a thing.

Supermarket homeware sections don’t do silk homeware.

Fake flowers are not silk.

I’ve never seen 100% silk shirts in Primark

Real silk has no smell.

I really don’t think they do, OP.

Raw silk, the much heavier fabric, definitely has a strong smell to me. Fine silk that’s been washed a few times doesn’t.

Had a lovely silk, oatmeal jumper in the 1990s. Lovely apart from the smell of wet dog.

I'm the same, can't stand the smell of silk.

My Dad worked in the textile industry and he was always coming home smelling of it which is probably why I'm so sensitive to it now.

I think maybe you need to be one of those supersmeller people to smell it?

It doesn’t smell to me. Hearing is my over sensitive thing.

Ah I see, do they use different dyes for silk than other fabric? Do they dye it before using it to fill pillows too, because those also smell the same? I think it might be one of those things not everyone can smell because when I’ve mentioned it to others e.g. when standing by some silk curtains recently, they couldn’t smell it at all.

I used to wear silk shirts back in the 90s and now you've reminded me they did have a particular smell. It didn't bother me and I am quite smell averse so it's interesting you can't abide it. I bought a white silk pillowcase a while ago and I don't think it smells at all, so maybe it is something to do with the die.

There is definitely a particular smell, even if not everyone can smell it. I don't mind it, but the smell of wet wool makes me gag.

Wool definitely has a smell. I've never noticed silk. Maybe it's like asparagus pee. I never noticed that until MN informed me it was a thing.

Yes, they use different dyes according to the fibre and they definitely dye pillows before stuffing them. Usually at the yarn or fabric stage.

Its the dyes that smell with silk not the fibres. I’ve just sniffed some mulberry fibres l have that haven’t been dyed and they don’t smell.

Wool does smell when wet though.

I definitely can smell asparagus pee. I wonder if smelling silk and smelling asparagus pee are linked…

Actually l’ve just remembered cheap silk can have a smell. It’s seritin which is the gum which binds the cocoon together. It’s usually boiled to remove the smell, but cheap silk doesn’t remove it all,

I doubt that, as most (not all) can smell asparagus and that doesn't seem to be the case with silk.