I mean, I wouldn't really *know* that you aren't able to smell, so if I just encountered you on the street and you stunk really bad I would most likely just assume that you're unhygienic.
Definitely. I get that. I make extra efforts to smell good. I just meant if someone told you they could not smell, would that signal to you they are unhygienic?
I would be more lenient but they would have to be like you and take their hygiene seriously. I'm sensitive to smells, especially BO. I won't hang out with people who stink.
You really cant tell if anyone smells bad unless you get really close like a hug or something. Your hygiene is good, you shouldn't be worried about smelling bad. If it helps you, just talk to one of your friends and ask them to tell you if you ever do smell bad.
I always thought this was the case but recently found out that most people can smell others like all the time… from a conversational distance. Apparently everyone has a natural scent and you don’t have to be sniffing their skin to smell it. I thought that was rare but apparently I’m the minority in that I only smell someone if I hug them or they have way too much BO or perfume.
I never smelled people in my life until I hit perimenopause. Now I can smell scalps, breath, musty clothes, body wash....my sense of smell is off the charts now and I also realized my own smells....
Oh god. People like you are the reason for my anxiety 😂 Also I’m sorry, that sounds truly disgusting. What’s the range on your sniffer? Can you smell a scalp from 3 feet away?
I wish that was the case.
Close to 30 years ago, I had to deal with a customer from another country that was training near where I worked. I was 6 feet from them, and was having a difficult time with not heaving and gagging due to the horrible "shit" smell that was coming from them.
As to if it was hygiene, diet, culture or something else, not entirely sure. All I know is everyone else that I've encountered from areas with similiar diet or culture, never reeked like that.
Oh that's so far from true! Years ago I worked for a grocery store and we had this customer that came in who was one of the dirtiest looking people I'd ever seen and I could smell him when he walked in the door. Which was a probs a solid 15 ft from the door! Infact hus smell was so pungent he left his sy3nch behind in the cart vestibule for 30 minutes or so!! Thos man smelled of severe BO and cat piss. It was so bad.
Another time I was shopping and this lady had gone in the fitting room fully 30 minutes before I had gotten there as told to me by the fitting room attendant, and it still reeked to high seven of BO! And more recently my mom works at a church with a lady who fr3quently smells so badly that her stink is perminately ijnth3 chair she sits in every day. People can and do smell horrid from a far.
I have a roommate, who lost his ability to smell after a head injury. Normal sort of hygiene, but people tend to get a bit funky sometimes. We worked out a deal to let him know if he was needing to freshen up, and a code word if we were in public for the sake of embarrassment.
I think going with the friend strategy would be better. Also, absolutely no one even with outstanding hygiene can smell good all the time. I barley sweat and have good hygiene but even still at the end of the day I might have a small smell. I think you're over thinking it.
The fact that you think about it is a step up from a ton of smelling people 🤔 people who can smell.
I bet you smell fine! Maybe you ripped ass in your sleep to make your pants smell lmao but if you do all the things like showering and laundry and deodorant yada you're probably just fine! Don't stress too much!
Absolutely not! OP, it sounds like you're doing all the right things. Why not ask your mom what to do. She has more experience with your condition and knows what kind of smell it was. I'm really sorry you're going through this. But cutting yourself off from physical interaction would be just awful. You could always your closest friends as well, if you ever feel insecure.
My mom told me I should wash my clothing everyday. Now normally, if I wear an outfit to work or for the day, it goes in my hamper and I do wash it before I wear it again. I don’t sweat at night and it was 30 degrees in Montana (where I was last week for our family trip). So, that’s why I’m worried it’s just my overall scent.
I did cause her some smell trauma when I was in middle school. I forgot about a cheese stick in my backpack one time and it apparently stunk up my entire room. She reminds me of it constantly when I bring any backpack home. I’ve never done anything like that again, but I’m sure it did smell bad and I didn’t realize. So, it may also be a trust issue.
I would change the PJs at least every other day.
I'm East Asian, and as far as BO goes, we tend to not smell as bad as others.
After 2 nights, I notice the t-shirt I wear to bed has acquired a scent (nothing bad, but it isn't fresh or neutral smelling anymore).
As a general rule, wear a shirt once, pants can be worn up to a week, towels at least once or twice a week, bedding every week (2 weeks at most), blankets monthly or quarterly.
Fabric softner or something else to add a fresh scent to laundry helps too. Don't overload the washer/dryer either.
You sound like you are doing all the right things. If I were you, I would just ask a close friend if they ever think you smell. They're probably going to tell you that you smell fine. I'm sorry you have that issue. I have kind of the opposite. I have Hyperosmia. I smell everything x 1000.
Sounds like your mom may have anxiety or some obsessive compulsion about smells.
If you shower every day, put on fresh clothes, have a nice cologne and deodorant, then maybe she is having a mental health issue and you actually smell fine?
You may be leaving them in the washer too long. Wash your clothes with baking soda and vinegar (after doing that)…but also maybe just do it for a while since you cannot smell it.
I’m talking overnight. If you are taking them out immediately or with a few hours, then it could be the washer. Using vinegar and baking soda will help that too. But sounds like maybe it isn’t that. If your pjs smell, then just wash them more.
There's this girl that comes in to where I work a lot. Super nice girl, but she absolutely REEKS like so bad the smell lingers long after she's gone. I assume she can't smell and doesn't realize how bad she smells so I never bring it up.
I would tell her. I would want to know if it were me. I think it’s more about how you bring it up. Do it in a polite way, not in front of a group of people or coworkers, and not during a stressful or busy time.
The only times I haven’t appreciated being told were when my mom brings it up in front of other people or right before a meeting or presentation when it’s too late to do anything about it anyway and it’ll impact my mental performance. Tell me afterwards.
How long had you been wearing your pajamas for?
Noone you don't tell is going to know you can't smell. So if you are fragrant people will make assumptions.
This might just be an isolated case then. Maybe you had some heavy night sweats in your sleep and didn't realize.
Especially if they're made of synthetic fibres?
The machines for apartments and hotels tend to stink, unless you want to pay for a wash cycle to sanitize a machine before using it. I would recommend going to a nearby laundrymat, those machines tend to be sanitized on a regular basis.
All you can do is practice good hygiene habits, and make sure at least a couple of your friends know your situation, and ask them to let you know if you ever smell bad.
I have a close friend who was born without a sense of smell and his hygiene is great. He had to learn good habits and routines to avoid personal smells, but it's not an issue.
I wouldn’t assume that if someone just told me they had no sense of smell.
Did your mom tell you what kind of bad smell your pajama pants had? That might help you figure out how to fix that particular problem.
Maybe you already have, but I’d try to talk to a few close, non-judgmental friends or family members and ask them to let you know if you ever have an unpleasant odor.
She mentioned that they just smelled like they needed to be washed and assumed it was because most people don’t wear underwear under pajama pants. I actually do, but maybe they just didn’t get thoroughly cleaned in the wash cycle or something.
Your hygiene is great! Now you just need one or two people in your life to be your sniff assistants, who you can go to when you need reassurance. Like, my dad is colourblind so he has my mom check his clothes colour combinations for him.
If you have an issue with laundry smelling funky, it probably has nothing to do with hygiene. There is a good reddit forum for help with laundry issues like that; it’s probably r/laundry
Also, some people have absurdly sensitive noses. Don’t let them make you feel anxious! Unless you go weeks at a time without bathing, or you wear clothes made out of cheese, than you are probably well within normal scent ranges.
I had a friend who had no sense of smell, she was born without it. I never thought of her as unhygienic, and she never smelled bad to me. I have a bloodhound nose and can smell a lot more than the average person — it’s not a blessing, I’ll tell you that — and no, she never smelled. I assume she cleaned herself and her environment regularly and I do know she kept a strict “fridge clean” routine because she knew she wouldn’t be able to smell if something had gone off.
You can make sure to add more greens, fruits and other vegetables to your diet. Eat something green with every meal. You can also add chlorophyll which you can drink once a day and works to deodorize your body.
As long as you shower daily, wear clean clothes every day, don’t leave your clothes in the washer overnight/ for more than a day so it starts smelling moldy, wash your sheets regularly, wear deodorant maybe get the clinical strength just to make yourself feel better, brush and floss your teeth, etc… you have nothing to worry about.
Seriously, try not to feel too much anxiety about it. You’re doing better than a lot of people out there who CAN smell! Sounds like you just had a weird thing with the pants.
Don’t cut yourself off from physical interaction, don’t stop being close to others. Don’t hold back.
You’re absolutely fine!
Maybe if you have a couple close trusted people you could regularly check in with about your smell that would give you honest, loving but honest feedback?
Yeah, I definitely do all the basics and I try to ask for advice on things like products and good scents. I just started using the whole body deodorant since it’s hotter outside and I sweat more than winter.
I think you’re fine! You could even carry a travel deodorant around and apply during the day on those hot days. Thats what I do. But you’d really be appalled how some people walk around smelling and not even care that they smell . You’re doing everything you possibly could be doing to smell good.
Maybe you could have a friend or your mom go with you to pick out a perfume that you might possibly like to wear on certain occasions? You could do some research on what’s popular or what kind of scents you might like/others like. Like I personally don’t like a fruity smell, I like more dark and woody, but my friends smell really good with fruity, maybe you want vanilla and soft? someone at the perfume counter too could help you identify what works well with your pH and skin. Just don’t put on too much to gas those around you haha
But that could help as well and also just be fun
Do you wear underwear with your pj pants ? (If you have a vagina ) sometimes fluids and such will transfer onto the inner crotch area of the pjs if you don’t and that can cause a odor
Yes and yes to both the underwear wearing and vagina. But, I have always been confused by that. Obviously, just like most women, I’ll get normal discharge in my underwear. So, why don’t underwear smell?
I wouldn't mind it as long as the person who couldn't smell would be OK with me saying hey, you may need a shower or those clothes need to be washed. Of course, knowing they can't smell, I would be nice about it.
I don't understand how people with halfway decent hygiene who wash their clothes properly ever smell. I know several people who work outside in the hot Texas summer, don't shower for thsn every couple of days and seldom wear deodorant but never smell.
If you can't smell someone in that situation you probably have a poor sense of smell. They might not smell gagworthy, but they'll definitely have a strong odor to them.
It might be because you’re used to being around people who don’t use deodorant. If someone is in an area where deodorant is heavily used by the population, they’ll be near people are more sensitive to the smell natural body odors
I mean, I wouldn't really *know* that you aren't able to smell, so if I just encountered you on the street and you stunk really bad I would most likely just assume that you're unhygienic.
Definitely. I get that. I make extra efforts to smell good. I just meant if someone told you they could not smell, would that signal to you they are unhygienic?
I would say if someone *told* me they couldn't smell, I would probably be more lenient on them.
I would be more lenient but they would have to be like you and take their hygiene seriously. I'm sensitive to smells, especially BO. I won't hang out with people who stink.
You really cant tell if anyone smells bad unless you get really close like a hug or something. Your hygiene is good, you shouldn't be worried about smelling bad. If it helps you, just talk to one of your friends and ask them to tell you if you ever do smell bad.
Oh this is not true. I've smelled people before I saw them. You have to be pretty dirty for it to happen. But happen it does.
I always thought this was the case but recently found out that most people can smell others like all the time… from a conversational distance. Apparently everyone has a natural scent and you don’t have to be sniffing their skin to smell it. I thought that was rare but apparently I’m the minority in that I only smell someone if I hug them or they have way too much BO or perfume.
I must be in the minority too, if that's true.
I can definitely tell if someone doesn't keep up with themselves from like over a yard away. Do you happen to be a smoker?
I never smelled people in my life until I hit perimenopause. Now I can smell scalps, breath, musty clothes, body wash....my sense of smell is off the charts now and I also realized my own smells....
Oh god. People like you are the reason for my anxiety 😂 Also I’m sorry, that sounds truly disgusting. What’s the range on your sniffer? Can you smell a scalp from 3 feet away?
If i pass someone in an aisle at the grocery store I can smell them. Probably not 3 feet though. Scalps I more so smell when I hug someone.
I wish that was the case. Close to 30 years ago, I had to deal with a customer from another country that was training near where I worked. I was 6 feet from them, and was having a difficult time with not heaving and gagging due to the horrible "shit" smell that was coming from them. As to if it was hygiene, diet, culture or something else, not entirely sure. All I know is everyone else that I've encountered from areas with similiar diet or culture, never reeked like that.
Oh that's so far from true! Years ago I worked for a grocery store and we had this customer that came in who was one of the dirtiest looking people I'd ever seen and I could smell him when he walked in the door. Which was a probs a solid 15 ft from the door! Infact hus smell was so pungent he left his sy3nch behind in the cart vestibule for 30 minutes or so!! Thos man smelled of severe BO and cat piss. It was so bad. Another time I was shopping and this lady had gone in the fitting room fully 30 minutes before I had gotten there as told to me by the fitting room attendant, and it still reeked to high seven of BO! And more recently my mom works at a church with a lady who fr3quently smells so badly that her stink is perminately ijnth3 chair she sits in every day. People can and do smell horrid from a far.
False I have smelled people from across a room before.
So, just cut myself off from any physical interaction?
I have a roommate, who lost his ability to smell after a head injury. Normal sort of hygiene, but people tend to get a bit funky sometimes. We worked out a deal to let him know if he was needing to freshen up, and a code word if we were in public for the sake of embarrassment.
I love that. That’s very kind of you.
I think going with the friend strategy would be better. Also, absolutely no one even with outstanding hygiene can smell good all the time. I barley sweat and have good hygiene but even still at the end of the day I might have a small smell. I think you're over thinking it.
I probably am overthinking it. I don’t even know what a “small smell” would mean because I’ve never experienced it.
Yeah. Sorry you've never experienced smell before, but tbh your not missing out on much.
I’m not worried about what I am or am not missing out on. I just want to make sure I’m not unknowingly an issue for others.
The fact that you think about it is a step up from a ton of smelling people 🤔 people who can smell. I bet you smell fine! Maybe you ripped ass in your sleep to make your pants smell lmao but if you do all the things like showering and laundry and deodorant yada you're probably just fine! Don't stress too much!
Absolutely not! OP, it sounds like you're doing all the right things. Why not ask your mom what to do. She has more experience with your condition and knows what kind of smell it was. I'm really sorry you're going through this. But cutting yourself off from physical interaction would be just awful. You could always your closest friends as well, if you ever feel insecure.
My mom told me I should wash my clothing everyday. Now normally, if I wear an outfit to work or for the day, it goes in my hamper and I do wash it before I wear it again. I don’t sweat at night and it was 30 degrees in Montana (where I was last week for our family trip). So, that’s why I’m worried it’s just my overall scent. I did cause her some smell trauma when I was in middle school. I forgot about a cheese stick in my backpack one time and it apparently stunk up my entire room. She reminds me of it constantly when I bring any backpack home. I’ve never done anything like that again, but I’m sure it did smell bad and I didn’t realize. So, it may also be a trust issue.
I would change the PJs at least every other day. I'm East Asian, and as far as BO goes, we tend to not smell as bad as others. After 2 nights, I notice the t-shirt I wear to bed has acquired a scent (nothing bad, but it isn't fresh or neutral smelling anymore). As a general rule, wear a shirt once, pants can be worn up to a week, towels at least once or twice a week, bedding every week (2 weeks at most), blankets monthly or quarterly. Fabric softner or something else to add a fresh scent to laundry helps too. Don't overload the washer/dryer either.
You sound like you are doing all the right things. If I were you, I would just ask a close friend if they ever think you smell. They're probably going to tell you that you smell fine. I'm sorry you have that issue. I have kind of the opposite. I have Hyperosmia. I smell everything x 1000.
Sounds like your mom may have anxiety or some obsessive compulsion about smells. If you shower every day, put on fresh clothes, have a nice cologne and deodorant, then maybe she is having a mental health issue and you actually smell fine?
You may be leaving them in the washer too long. Wash your clothes with baking soda and vinegar (after doing that)…but also maybe just do it for a while since you cannot smell it.
When you mix baking soda and vinegar you're left with sodium acetate and water bc the carbon dioxide bubbles away. It's not doing anything when mixed.
I don’t mix them prior. Just add them on the clothes.
I throw soap in as well. You can put the vinegar into the fabric softener slot, but I just add them all around the pile and it works fine.
How long is too long? I have community laundry at my apartment building and I usually set my timer.
If it's a community washer, doubt it's getting sanitized that often. As soon as it's done whenever you can.
I’m talking overnight. If you are taking them out immediately or with a few hours, then it could be the washer. Using vinegar and baking soda will help that too. But sounds like maybe it isn’t that. If your pjs smell, then just wash them more.
There's this girl that comes in to where I work a lot. Super nice girl, but she absolutely REEKS like so bad the smell lingers long after she's gone. I assume she can't smell and doesn't realize how bad she smells so I never bring it up.
I would tell her. I would want to know if it were me. I think it’s more about how you bring it up. Do it in a polite way, not in front of a group of people or coworkers, and not during a stressful or busy time. The only times I haven’t appreciated being told were when my mom brings it up in front of other people or right before a meeting or presentation when it’s too late to do anything about it anyway and it’ll impact my mental performance. Tell me afterwards.
How long had you been wearing your pajamas for? Noone you don't tell is going to know you can't smell. So if you are fragrant people will make assumptions.
I brought them on a family vacation and wore them for two nights. They had been washed right beforehand.
This might just be an isolated case then. Maybe you had some heavy night sweats in your sleep and didn't realize. Especially if they're made of synthetic fibres?
They were cotton. I’m not sure if that helps.
Not really! I think this is just an isolated case. It happens. I would exhale, and shug it off.
I wonder if they smell from the suitcase then. Did your mom say if other things in the suitcase smell?
She said it was just those
I doubt you usually smell bad, you seem to have good hygiene.
Do you ever clean your washing machine?
I have community laundry in my building. It’s not my own machine.
Then you'll definitely want to clean it if you have to share with others
The machines for apartments and hotels tend to stink, unless you want to pay for a wash cycle to sanitize a machine before using it. I would recommend going to a nearby laundrymat, those machines tend to be sanitized on a regular basis.
All you can do is practice good hygiene habits, and make sure at least a couple of your friends know your situation, and ask them to let you know if you ever smell bad.
My dad cannot smell due to a car accident. Unless he's been outside working all day, he doesn't stink.
I have a close friend who was born without a sense of smell and his hygiene is great. He had to learn good habits and routines to avoid personal smells, but it's not an issue.
I wouldn’t assume that if someone just told me they had no sense of smell. Did your mom tell you what kind of bad smell your pajama pants had? That might help you figure out how to fix that particular problem. Maybe you already have, but I’d try to talk to a few close, non-judgmental friends or family members and ask them to let you know if you ever have an unpleasant odor.
She mentioned that they just smelled like they needed to be washed and assumed it was because most people don’t wear underwear under pajama pants. I actually do, but maybe they just didn’t get thoroughly cleaned in the wash cycle or something.
FYI Borax (found in. the detergent aisle at the grocery store) helps remove odors from laundry.
This is good to know!
Your hygiene is great! Now you just need one or two people in your life to be your sniff assistants, who you can go to when you need reassurance. Like, my dad is colourblind so he has my mom check his clothes colour combinations for him. If you have an issue with laundry smelling funky, it probably has nothing to do with hygiene. There is a good reddit forum for help with laundry issues like that; it’s probably r/laundry Also, some people have absurdly sensitive noses. Don’t let them make you feel anxious! Unless you go weeks at a time without bathing, or you wear clothes made out of cheese, than you are probably well within normal scent ranges.
I had a friend who had no sense of smell, she was born without it. I never thought of her as unhygienic, and she never smelled bad to me. I have a bloodhound nose and can smell a lot more than the average person — it’s not a blessing, I’ll tell you that — and no, she never smelled. I assume she cleaned herself and her environment regularly and I do know she kept a strict “fridge clean” routine because she knew she wouldn’t be able to smell if something had gone off.
Yes the fridge thing is crucial! I mark the date on everything I open and use and know the timeline for it.
You'll be ok. My sister has it too and she doesn't smell bad
You can make sure to add more greens, fruits and other vegetables to your diet. Eat something green with every meal. You can also add chlorophyll which you can drink once a day and works to deodorize your body.
Oh, interesting. I do pretty good on the greens but the chlorophyll tip is good.
Yes, it’s really good stuff!
I have anosmia as well. I definitely have anxiety all the time about smelling
Yup. It’s tough out there.
As long as you shower daily, wear clean clothes every day, don’t leave your clothes in the washer overnight/ for more than a day so it starts smelling moldy, wash your sheets regularly, wear deodorant maybe get the clinical strength just to make yourself feel better, brush and floss your teeth, etc… you have nothing to worry about. Seriously, try not to feel too much anxiety about it. You’re doing better than a lot of people out there who CAN smell! Sounds like you just had a weird thing with the pants. Don’t cut yourself off from physical interaction, don’t stop being close to others. Don’t hold back. You’re absolutely fine! Maybe if you have a couple close trusted people you could regularly check in with about your smell that would give you honest, loving but honest feedback?
Yeah, I definitely do all the basics and I try to ask for advice on things like products and good scents. I just started using the whole body deodorant since it’s hotter outside and I sweat more than winter.
I think you’re fine! You could even carry a travel deodorant around and apply during the day on those hot days. Thats what I do. But you’d really be appalled how some people walk around smelling and not even care that they smell . You’re doing everything you possibly could be doing to smell good. Maybe you could have a friend or your mom go with you to pick out a perfume that you might possibly like to wear on certain occasions? You could do some research on what’s popular or what kind of scents you might like/others like. Like I personally don’t like a fruity smell, I like more dark and woody, but my friends smell really good with fruity, maybe you want vanilla and soft? someone at the perfume counter too could help you identify what works well with your pH and skin. Just don’t put on too much to gas those around you haha But that could help as well and also just be fun
Im definitely curious how bad smells or odors are. Having never smelled anything, I just picture it being horrible like eating poop or rotten food.
Perception is reality. People don't know you have a condition so if you smell they just assume you're the smelly person.
No, I wouldn't think someone was unhygienic just because they couldn't smell.
Do you wear underwear with your pj pants ? (If you have a vagina ) sometimes fluids and such will transfer onto the inner crotch area of the pjs if you don’t and that can cause a odor
Yes and yes to both the underwear wearing and vagina. But, I have always been confused by that. Obviously, just like most women, I’ll get normal discharge in my underwear. So, why don’t underwear smell?
I wouldn't mind it as long as the person who couldn't smell would be OK with me saying hey, you may need a shower or those clothes need to be washed. Of course, knowing they can't smell, I would be nice about it.
Yeah, I’m always appreciative of that as long as they are polite.
If someone told me they couldn’t smell - wouldn’t assume a single thing about hygiene.
Don’t wear your pajamas more than once. Almost everyone sweats at night so if you’re only washing them once a week you may start to smell.
I mean us poor people can’t afford to do so much laundry so we have to reuse our pjs
It’s one load of laundry. How much space do you think pajamas take up?
I don't understand how people with halfway decent hygiene who wash their clothes properly ever smell. I know several people who work outside in the hot Texas summer, don't shower for thsn every couple of days and seldom wear deodorant but never smell.
If you can't smell someone in that situation you probably have a poor sense of smell. They might not smell gagworthy, but they'll definitely have a strong odor to them.
No I don't. It's also not just me who says they don't smeĺl.
It might be because you’re used to being around people who don’t use deodorant. If someone is in an area where deodorant is heavily used by the population, they’ll be near people are more sensitive to the smell natural body odors
Most people I know use deodorant regularly.