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.

Yay! and Ewwwwww at the brown water I'm imagining
Well done you.

Get in there with the scrubbing brush

Oddly just before reading this thread I was complaining to my sister that my house stank of dogs and doggy related stuff as I haven't been home all week to clean/wash doggy bedding and dishes owing to half term activities.

She told me I should spray scented furniture polish behind my radiators and that will make the hosue smell nice when the heating is on.

Obv you still need to clean and nag DH but it might help in the grand scheme of things.

When airing the house I will open windows opposite each other to create a draught i.e. the window at the top of the stairs and the front room window or the back door and window on the stairs, or my window and the dc windows. You only really need 10 or so minutes a day.

I'm no domestic goddess..

But i would get in the shower with him, have a good wash and a bit of how's your father at the same time

Second all the good advice, windows open, clean sheets, bins etc etc. Are you about to wash the sofa covers and clean the carpets? I think that would make a huge different too. Every morning i open bedroom windows and air the sheets.

Well done for getting DH in the shower..can you get him back in tomorrow?

debka
I can only echo everyone else here and say well done for taking your Mum's comments and doing something constructive with them. It must have been difficult to hear, and also read some of the comments on here, but well done again.

Get him to wash all his clothes on a really hot wash, too. Maybe even replace them. You can't always get that kind of smell out of clothes!

Yay for him having a shower. Try heating up the towel and also the fresh set of clothes for him to put on after to minimise the coldness.

Maybe you could have one with him tomorrow as a reward for doing it twice in a row

Ah that's brilliant dekka

Give him a big snog hug when he gets out and tell him how lovely he smells.

Wuhei!

Can you buy some fresh new towels, really nice and fluffy ones, BIG towels, and make sure you put new ones out evertime he has showered, and there are fresh clothes for him to wear? He will soon start looking forward to his shower, his fresh clothes, etc.

If you dont work, can you try to get him out of the house for a walk every day for lunch? Have a nice salad lunch together after you get back in.

If he has some depression, omega3 will help. As will going out for walks, as exercise, fresh air and omega 3 is pretty essential. Treat him to smoked salmon with salad, and hard boilt eggs halved.

Although we dont smell (hark) I did open the garden door and kept it open for an hour, just to give the house a proper airing. And you know what, the whole house instantly feels fresher and cleaner!

Do you think he read the thread??

I suspect DHs smell is leaching onto the rest f you...my DH washes twice a day...men smell! You need to make him wash once a day at least...if he is cuddling the DC and sleeping with you, then his smell will be ripe and get on you.

Run him a bath...make the batroom warm with a heater...whatever you have to do but he MUST wash. It's not fair.

Debka
No more advice to add just wanted to say well done on your responses to the thread and I hope things start to improve. Your mum must really love you to have been brave enough to tell you

your husband needs to shower more than once a month even the queen sweats B O and a un vented house will build up and cling to you all , clean your house a bit more often even a quick wipe over everyday will m ake the difference and open the windows , I kow hes your DH but he sounds a bit strange tbh ,

Sounds as you are turning a corner here. Well done. I am a bit Obsessed with all things smelling. I love to use some zoflora in a bit of water to damp dust and wipe the floors and radiators with now and again. It really does leave a gorgeous fresh smell in the house. There are also lots of lovely smelling washing powders out there. Morrissons have one on special at only £2.50 for a 25 washbox. Leaves clothes smelling great. Think it is surf. Good luck.

I heart zoflora its cheap and smells amazing .

Just one wee idea, I notice drying my clothes in the house and washing at only 40 degrees, that the washing was starting to smell foosty and it was impossible to get rid of the smell - even boil washing didn't help. I got some of the Vanish Oxi-action Hygiene and the smell is gone! WOrth a try IMO.

Also well done for addressing and you have beautiful babies (they definitely should not be the smelly kids at school).

Wha-haay! I so hope he feels all clean & nice (and warm enough) now.

Debka, just been having a look at your photos. You have the most gorgeous dc. The picture of you sleeping with your newborn is beautiful.

Debka. I'd suggest you make some positive comments about his cleanliness now he's had a shower. He really needs to do this every day.

warm damp house will smell bit oddopen the windows!!!!!

if you want some company/support with cleaning routines flyers at good housekeeping thread are a friendly bunch.

i had a nappy bin and when kids started eating solids it stank no matter emptied and cleaned daily!

Our bathroom is cold so we have big towelling bathrobes to put straight on after a shower.

Also put nappies outside as soon as you have changed the nappy. I used to put the nappy bags into a little box just outside the front door and en empty into the wheely bin every time I went out. I even used to drop nappy bags out of the upstairs bathroom window to deal with when I went downstairs!

Also sniff different carpets in your house or ask your mum to. Our house had a bad smell for a bit even though I keep it clean and I realised it was coming from a rug in our lounge. I got rid of the rug and the smell went, I could not believe how a rug could make the whole house smell bad.

That's great Debka!

Oh thank God he has had a shower, there is no way I would ever sleep with my dh if he only showered once a week let alone once a MONTH

If you have a dog the house will need airing a LOT - people with pets seem to filter out pet odours ime so you need to open windows and clean a lot.

Nappies out every other day? Why not every day?

Give him a massive snog when he gets out of the shower!

Howdo you get to be an adult and think once a month is ok

Oh fantastic.

YY to replacing any well-worn clothes - you WON'T get the smell out of the armpits etc. It'll pop back up as soon as they are warm... eek.

A couple of nice new t-shirts for Mr. Debka...

...and definitely a very appreciative series of comments on how nice he looks, how good he smells, how he spruces up pretty damn good once he steps out of the shower!

Ariel Acti lift gel is FANTASTIC and really fresh smelling!