Gaaaaaah! Man smell!

[elliedodger]

I'm in need of some advice, though I'm not sure whether anything can be done. Back in the days when I was a single girl, my bedroom always smelled lovely and fresh- clean linen and scented candles. In the last few years since I've been living with DP all that has changed. My bedroom now smells horrible- slightly sweaty and musty all the time. DP isn't the best when it comes to personal hygiene- sometimes he only showers every other day but I get ranted at if I bring it up.

I hoover and change the sheets once a week and have spent a fortune on posh scented candles but the musty smell is still there. I open the window for an hour or so a day and it makes no difference. It's been getting me down even more since we got a female lodger and her room smells lovely.

Can anything be done or do I just have to accept that men's bedrooms smell?

Hmm, welcome to life with men!

Men don't really smell but the bacteria living on old dirty clothes really does! However the overkill of mens toiletries gets me even more.

Check for errant dirty clothes, socks, sweaty trainers, and never keep a laundry bin in your room.

Have you got pillow protectors on under your pillow cases? I have these and change and wash them at 60 once a month, along with the mattress protector.

We buy new pillows once a year and sling the old ones out, they do seem to be the main problem.

I wouldn't bother with scented candles, they are only masking what is there and probably contributing to the smell!

We have the laundry bin in our room, but things are never in there for more than a day or two so they don't smell. If your laundry bin has a cloth liner then you need to wash that at 60 once a fortnight I would think otherwise that is just harbouring the bacteria.

Our bedroom smells of nothing, it is just fresh and clean.

Ooh yes, man shoes in the bedroom are a no no. All DH's live under the stairs on the shoe rack.

It's pretty disrespectful of him to not wash if you are noticing that he smells. DH showers every day, and if he is a bit whiffy at the end of the day then he has a shower before he gets into bed, as I would if I was a bit stinky. But I am OCD about my bed being clean and smelling lovely and of washing powder!

Thanks for the responses. We do keep the laundry basket in the bedroom so I may invest in a nicer looking one with a lid and keep it out in the landing. However, this may mean that it's less likely to be used by DP- I have to put the laundry basket on his side of the room or stuff just goes on the floor.

Alibabaa- the pillow protectors sound a really good idea. I've got a John Lewis voucher to use so will have a look. Come to think of it, we could probably do with new pillows really, though money is a bit tight.

What are people's opinions on machine washing pillows?

Make sure he flushes the loo! If they don't do it after #1 (reasoning that "there's nothing to flush away"), that can be a major contributor to smell.

TBH, depending on what he does all day, a man (or woman!) doesn't need to shower every day, especially in winter. If he has a physical job, then yes he will.

I don't notice a 'man-smell' in my bedroom but then I've lived with DH for about 16 years, so maybe I'm desensitised

ellie I have tried washing pillows and it has never worked for me. I have a large capacity machine (9kgs) so there is plenty of room in there and a put in a tennis ball which is supposed to help, but the pillows still come out lumpy!

JL have some very good value pillows and pillow protectors.

WingedVictory- his toilet cleanliness is fine!

Poledra- he doesn't have a physical job but does tend to get quite hot at night. He just wears boxers in bed, I don't know whether pyjamas would be better as they'd absorb the sweat rather than the sheets.

We just got an air purifier - £19.99 on sale in Home Bargains or Pound Stretcher Extra (or some similarly cheap shop). It's really amazing, you put in water and scent with a couple of drops of essential oil and turn it on and it smells fantastic. I got it to stop allergies in the bedroom (we've recently had a leak and ensuing mould problem) and it smells so clean in there and I've not had any allergic reaction for a week either. The purifier also has a colour changing function which lets off an ambient glow in a series of different colours . Will try and find a link...

I think its this one... www.amazon.co.uk/PureAire-Revitaliser-Starter-Kit-essences/dp/B000EGDHU0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=kitche n&qid=1262884074&sr=1-3

yes change mens pillows they always ponk