PLEASE HELP! WE ARE THE SMELLY FAMILY! WHAT CAN I DO??

[debka]

My mum just said that my house, me, DH and DDs have a distinctive and not-entirely-pleasant smell. DD1 is 3 and my mum is worried that she will be The Smelly Girl in school :(

I am horrified at this. I had no idea.

DDs are small and I am a SAHM. I probably don't clean enough- probably a good going over once every 3 weeks a fortnight. Clothes all washed frequently. Girls bathed daily, I shower every other day.

DH, however, is another matter. He has a wash and cleans his teeth every day, but only showers about once a month, if that. Underwear changed daily, t-shirt probably twice a week. I don't notice him smelling, but apparently he does :( I will talk to him about it but I doubt he will do anything. If I get the house and linen etc in tip top sparkly condition will he infect it all with smelliness? :(

Please, any ideas, advice, encouragement very welcome.

I am so impressed that showers are up to 3 times a week. Well done - your husband must have noticed the difference you are making x

Just read this entire thread, and yes, it does inspire you to clean!

But honestly, Debka, in this day and age, ALL ADULTS should be showering or bathing EVERY DAY unless there is very good reason not too (ie illness, injury, contamination in water supply....)

If you don't, in all honesty, yes it is disgusting.

And yes , of course, that is why the house smells.

Well done for taking such positive actions. He needs shower and clean clothes every day. And so do you - why aren't you showering every day either by the way?

How can u live with a man who only showers once a month

innerstrength would you say that to my face? That I am disgusting because I only shower every other day?

I wouldn't let her get to you debka - I'd be uptight too if I was so pungent that skipping a shower one day made my entire house smell

Innerstrength... you say 'in this day and age*... Why? Do people get more dirty now than they did say... 80 years ago (when they bathed once a week)... I think not!

I shower every day, but I actually think every other day is perfectly acceptable for most people. If you're relatively sedentary and don't work somewhere where you can become totally filthy I think every other day is acceptable.

innerstrength - I most certainly wouldnt shower everyday as I would have terrible ezcema when I do, every other day for me (a good ole wash: face, fanny and bum!):

I don't shower ever day ATM but I will be when I start full time - I will be working a lot harder and therefore sweating more.

Oh and I tried the chefs candle - it's nice :)

Agree with airing house. I do air upstairs everyday, downstairs lessoften as the doors are opened more. Also burn yankee candles downstairs.

When i air bedrooms i open all the wardrobes. I can smell a clean room.

Good luck with dh, i would be cross with him.

You only truely know how your house smells when you go away for a while.

Blimey, Innerstrength. I find every other day is enough, unless I've been exercising. And people don't hold their noses in the office, or avoid sitting next to me on the bus!

ffs, the "oh my god he only showers once a month" shock horror thing has already been said, you'd know that if you did read the thread inner and annie

How are things Debka?

Hello, just skimmed the thread. Well done for your progress Debka.

I'm not a brilliant cleaner but one thing I have noticed has helped in our house is separate compost, so all food stuff goes into the compost bin which is emptied every other day or so, rather than festering in the bin which isn't emptied as often.

I know a little girl who comes from spotless home with very clean parents who - like all people I know - shower and wear clean clothes every day.

They give her a bath once a day, but only wash her hair once a week. And it stinks! I don't understand why they don't wash it every day. But if a clean little girl from a clean home can smell like that because of greasy, dirty hair then your family must smell.

Great that you've realised and can do something about it though...

Good luck!

Goodness, if I were to attempt to wash the kids' hair every day, there'd be war!! They hate it. I don't wash their hair every day. Why would they need it? They don't have the oils etc that adults or teenagers have.

Am I the only one who diesn't wash kids' hair on a daily basis?

I see you've posted the house is damp.

Get a dehumidifier, that should help and your washing dries quicker too.

No, I don't either. And as they've got older we often skip the daily bath, especially as DS has eczema. I wash their hair maybe 2 or 3 times a week, but it never looks or smells as if it needs a wash, iyswim. Their bodies don't smell - they're not toddlers in nappies any more and they're not producing much in the way of sweat or oil either. DH and I shower daily but that's because we're adult and much smellier! Also I feel dreadful if I don't wash my hair every day.

DS in particular hates showering at the moment but I am sure that will change when he hits puberty in a couple of years time!

Debka, where are you? Need you to update us on your progress...
My DCs only have their hait washed once a week - it certainly doesn't need any more. It's not greasy or dirty. They bath or shower every day. I hate the fact that my hair needs washing every day [envy}

Well done OP. Does your DH feel better for washing more? I'm sure it would have a detrimental impact on my health if I didn't get round to washing, so I hope he feels a bit better about himself.

Hi Debka

I have read this entire thread and want to say congrats on getting the DH to shower more.

However I just want to say to somebody who mentioned about hair, I only wash my hair once a week and I'm in my 20's every day for hair is just too much.

oh fgs, just thought I'd write a note of support for you re: the shower every day police. Every other day is sufficient if you are not exercising or somehow working up a sweat. Don't leave it longer than that, though. You won't notice a smell but it'll be there.

I've only just discovered this thread and it's a lot to get through. I'd like to stress that laundry as well as personal hygiene is very important for keeping a clean-smelling house (and occupants!) My brother-in-law smells despite having a shower every day. The problem is that he re-wears his socks and god knows what other articles of clothing.

Socks and underwear absolutely need changing daily, period. Re-wearing socks makes the shoes smell and having them sit around really doesn't help matters.

Same with bedding, same concept.

I'm only a few pages into this thread but I'm reading with interest. I hope you've had some luck with this.

Yes to everything SarahStratton said.

You really must make your DP realise that showering only once a month (if that) is inadequate. Why does he think that's okay? Getting showered daily should improve his mood no end I would imagine. Staying in the same stinky T-shirt for days at a time cannot be good for his depression. Buy him some nice new shaving stuff and man products.

When you get up in the morning (when DP is up), throw the bedding right back, open the curtains and open the window wide to let the cold air in. After you've had your breakfast and go back upstairs to brush teeth or whatever, you can make the bed and close the window slightly (leave it open a bit). I really think that opening the windows is very important for freshening rooms up.

Every morning when you've been for a tiddle, give the loo a quick swish with some toilet cleaner. Make sure you regularly wash the mat around the toilet pedestal as these can get smelly.

Also, try giving cold light bulbs a little squirt of perfume or rubbing a dab of lavender essential oil on them. The heat from the bulb when switched on creates a nice smell.

Or boil up a pan of water with cinnamon and cloves in - smells lovely. Similarly, popping an orange in the oven on a low setting also gives off a nice smell.

Scented candles, plug-ins etc should at least give the impression of a pleasant smelling house but you still must clean and not let them mask nasty odours.

Zoflora disinfectant is lovely. Drop a bit in the loo, or add a dash to a bucket of water when mopping the floor or just for wiping over kitchen counters.

If you cook particularly smelly foods, take the waste/rubbish out asap, don't leave sitting in the bin.

A tub of bicarb of soda in the fridge will absorb any odours lurking in there.

Make sure you wash all doggy bedding regularly (weekly.)

Use a nice scented fabric softener for laundry.