Smelly teen boy room

chunkybear · 2025-08-05T20:08:09+00:00

Hi - sorry I’m not the best at cleaning and need some hive help! My DS13 bedroom smells quite ‘ripe’ we clean his bedding and he washes/ clothes wash etc, it wondered if anyone had any gems to help with deoderising beds/carpet (pretty new!), bedding etc … I make sure most things are washed etc and he’s not a smelly boy, his room is just a bit sharp/ripe … I have no experience of this type of thing … what happened to my dinosaur enthusiast!

Itsnottheheatitsthehumidity · 05/08/2025 21:15

Open the window.
Febreze
Neutradol air fresheners. Oust spray.
The lad washes every day with soap!
Put shoes outside.
Use that Dettol Laundry stuff in the wash.

PearlsPearl · 06/08/2025 17:09

I have a stinky teen too. Here's all of my rules otherwise it gets out of control. He goes to bed all fresh after a shower then I wake him up and it stinks! So I've got to be quite strict with it all.

-Window open for at least an hour every day, as soon as he gets up.

-Door open throughout the day too to get air in.

-Wash all bedding every week.

-Febreze mattress, duvet and pillows while it's stripped.

-Only wears clothes once.

-Shower every day, not negotiable.

-Has to wear roll on AND lynx, not just lynx!

-Hoover every few days and then spray with 1001.

-Full room clean every week.

-Reed diffusers are good, turn the reeds every week.

Frenby6 · 07/08/2025 20:38

Dontuse shower gel ' it makes them smelly. Shower using imperial leather soap - excellent on smelly boys

InMyOpenOnion · 07/08/2025 20:41

The main thing is to keep the window open as much as possible.

Icanttakethisanymore · 07/08/2025 20:43

InMyOpenOnion · 07/08/2025 20:41

The main thing is to keep the window open as much as possible.

Or better still, keep them outside as much as possible? 😂

OneGiddyDuck · 07/08/2025 23:58

Wash the duvet itself, the mattress protector if you have one, regularly.

C95 · 08/08/2025 00:04

And wash those trainers they smell of cat's wee!

reversegear · 08/08/2025 00:04

window open and we have a Dyson air purifier for closed window days, also diffusers, with essential oils and no shoes in the room, wash bedding weekly.

Safxxx · 08/08/2025 00:09

I use a air purifier in my son's bedroom it's really helped..... daytime and night time the window is opened....night time only a little...air purifier is on all night

ginandheels · 08/08/2025 00:43

OMG. The horror, the horror. You are not alone.

I have been there.

Take everything out of the room. Scrub the skirtings with Zoflora. Also the radiator. When it heats up in the autumn it wil scent the room. Wash the paintwork, use a magic eraser on light switches and sockets. Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on the carpet. Hoover and dream of the day you can rip it up and burn it. If you already thought to lay a wooden floor, well done. 50 points to Gryffindor.

Wash all the bedding, including duvet and pillows, on a hot wash with Dettol laundry liquid in the mix.

Remove all clothes and shoes and wash. When dry hang in a scrubbed out clean wardrobe. Sprinkle bicarb in shoes surreptitiously while you clean then remove before putting away.

Remove all the many, many junk food wrappers, coke cans and dirty plates/cups/bowls, somehow there despite your long-established rule of “No food and drink upstairs, please.” Also all the many, many tissues/bits of loo roll dotted around. Summer colds, eh? Terrible affliction. Always use gloves.

Buy a scented reed thing from the White Company sale. Or M&S. Possibly even two. Or more. Place/hide them strategically around the room.

Open the window. Often. They will close it. Open it again. And again. Ideally keep it open ALL DAY when they are at school. Even in winter.

Imagine how the room will look when you reclaim it after they’ve gone. Or when you lose patience and simply BURN IT DOWN. Whichever comes first. Either will be an enormous improvement.

Good luck!

Original poster

chunkybear · 08/08/2025 07:39

ginandheels · 08/08/2025 00:43

OMG. The horror, the horror. You are not alone.

I have been there.

Take everything out of the room. Scrub the skirtings with Zoflora. Also the radiator. When it heats up in the autumn it wil scent the room. Wash the paintwork, use a magic eraser on light switches and sockets. Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on the carpet. Hoover and dream of the day you can rip it up and burn it. If you already thought to lay a wooden floor, well done. 50 points to Gryffindor.

Wash all the bedding, including duvet and pillows, on a hot wash with Dettol laundry liquid in the mix.

Remove all clothes and shoes and wash. When dry hang in a scrubbed out clean wardrobe. Sprinkle bicarb in shoes surreptitiously while you clean then remove before putting away.

Remove all the many, many junk food wrappers, coke cans and dirty plates/cups/bowls, somehow there despite your long-established rule of “No food and drink upstairs, please.” Also all the many, many tissues/bits of loo roll dotted around. Summer colds, eh? Terrible affliction. Always use gloves.

Buy a scented reed thing from the White Company sale. Or M&S. Possibly even two. Or more. Place/hide them strategically around the room.

Open the window. Often. They will close it. Open it again. And again. Ideally keep it open ALL DAY when they are at school. Even in winter.

Imagine how the room will look when you reclaim it after they’ve gone. Or when you lose patience and simply BURN IT DOWN. Whichever comes first. Either will be an enormous improvement.

Good luck!

Edited

🤣🤣🤣

OP posts:

Original poster

chunkybear · 08/08/2025 07:40

Thank you all! We’re part way through a good clean and it’s starting to smell better already 🤣🤩

OP posts:

Iftheressomethingstrange · 08/08/2025 07:43

PearlsPearl · 06/08/2025 17:09

I have a stinky teen too. Here's all of my rules otherwise it gets out of control. He goes to bed all fresh after a shower then I wake him up and it stinks! So I've got to be quite strict with it all.

-Window open for at least an hour every day, as soon as he gets up.

-Door open throughout the day too to get air in.

-Wash all bedding every week.

-Febreze mattress, duvet and pillows while it's stripped.

-Only wears clothes once.

-Shower every day, not negotiable.

-Has to wear roll on AND lynx, not just lynx!

-Hoover every few days and then spray with 1001.

-Full room clean every week.

-Reed diffusers are good, turn the reeds every week.

It would be far less effort to just make him sleep in a tend outside.

JanefromLondon1 · 08/08/2025 10:13

I read somewhere that it was to stop us mating with our offspring in the cavemen days (perish the thought). The smell is worse for mums to put us off 🤷🏻‍♀️.

I thought it must be true to some extent as DD’s room was an absolute shit hole and it never smelt quite so bad!

Door shut and window open. You either become immune to it or it stops being so vile for some evolutionary reason maybe.

DS was scrupulously clean and we did all the things listed above and it still smelt of what I thought must be teenage boy pheromones 🤢

DiscoBob · 08/08/2025 10:27

ginandheels · 08/08/2025 00:43

OMG. The horror, the horror. You are not alone.

I have been there.

Take everything out of the room. Scrub the skirtings with Zoflora. Also the radiator. When it heats up in the autumn it wil scent the room. Wash the paintwork, use a magic eraser on light switches and sockets. Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on the carpet. Hoover and dream of the day you can rip it up and burn it. If you already thought to lay a wooden floor, well done. 50 points to Gryffindor.

Wash all the bedding, including duvet and pillows, on a hot wash with Dettol laundry liquid in the mix.

Remove all clothes and shoes and wash. When dry hang in a scrubbed out clean wardrobe. Sprinkle bicarb in shoes surreptitiously while you clean then remove before putting away.

Remove all the many, many junk food wrappers, coke cans and dirty plates/cups/bowls, somehow there despite your long-established rule of “No food and drink upstairs, please.” Also all the many, many tissues/bits of loo roll dotted around. Summer colds, eh? Terrible affliction. Always use gloves.

Buy a scented reed thing from the White Company sale. Or M&S. Possibly even two. Or more. Place/hide them strategically around the room.

Open the window. Often. They will close it. Open it again. And again. Ideally keep it open ALL DAY when they are at school. Even in winter.

Imagine how the room will look when you reclaim it after they’ve gone. Or when you lose patience and simply BURN IT DOWN. Whichever comes first. Either will be an enormous improvement.

Good luck!

Edited

Surely the teen should be doing most of this themselves? Apart from buying loads of stuff. If they've made it stink they should be responsible for cleaning it.

PearlsPearl · 08/08/2025 17:06

Not all teens are created equal, @DiscoBob and my ND one needs all the help he can get.

MissyB1 · 08/08/2025 17:11

DiscoBob · 08/08/2025 10:27

Surely the teen should be doing most of this themselves? Apart from buying loads of stuff. If they've made it stink they should be responsible for cleaning it.

Show quote history

🤣🤣🤣🤣 aah bless! Just had to pick myself up off the floor after reading that!

DiscoBob · 08/08/2025 17:34

MissyB1 · 08/08/2025 17:11

🤣🤣🤣🤣 aah bless! Just had to pick myself up off the floor after reading that!

Show quote history

Did you? I hope you're alright now.

I guess I don't have teen sons. And I do get that if people are ASD or ND they need more support.

But when you were a teen did your Mum have to do all that for you to stop your room stinking?

It just feels like they should take some responsibility. I don't know why it's 'falling on the floor' funny?

DiscoBob · 08/08/2025 17:36

PearlsPearl · 08/08/2025 17:06

Not all teens are created equal, @DiscoBob and my ND one needs all the help he can get.

I totally get that. Of course it's different if they are ND etc.

I just felt like that particular description and the amount of work involved, it seems unfair for the mum to do it all while the kid just sits back idly waiting to create more stinky mess.

It's not teaching them anything, to just do it for them.

MissyB1 · 08/08/2025 17:37

DiscoBob · 08/08/2025 17:34

Did you? I hope you're alright now.

I guess I don't have teen sons. And I do get that if people are ASD or ND they need more support.

But when you were a teen did your Mum have to do all that for you to stop your room stinking?

It just feels like they should take some responsibility. I don't know why it's 'falling on the floor' funny?

Show quote history

Oh I agree they should clean their rooms, but teen boys (or girls) are not known for their deep cleaning skills. My ds doesn’t seem to realise that “under the bed” is a place that exists!

DiscoBob · 08/08/2025 17:38

MissyB1 · 08/08/2025 17:37

Oh I agree they should clean their rooms, but teen boys (or girls) are not known for their deep cleaning skills. My ds doesn’t seem to realise that “under the bed” is a place that exists!

Show quote history

Haha, yeah I'm in agreement there. But every little helps! I just think if you do it for them they'll become even more lazy sometimes. Or hopefully just grow out of it! 😄

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 08/08/2025 18:02

Hold on in there , they do improve .

YY to some anti-bacterial liquid (I use Astonish) and I wash his things on their own (gym gear ) he has a few sets of them so enough for a wash load
He showers am/pm , anti perspirant gel , no Lynx though.
Clean clothes daily , clean night wear
Teeth
Shoes in the porch for everyone .
Bedding washed weekly

Window opened

It gets better once you get past the teen years

I read somewhere that it was to stop us mating with our offspring in the cavemen days (perish the thought). The smell is worse for mums to put us off
This makes sense but I won;t share this with my offspring , his little brain would explode !

owlyboo · 08/08/2025 18:14

Definitely windows open. Obviously easier in the warmer months but my kids windows are open either 24/7 or at least during daylight hours in the summer. In the winter whilst they’re at school. Makes a world of difference.