I smell weird. Recent Development

[Mixolydian]

(quoted wrong person )If you're clean coming out, how is the towel "dirty"? It's just water. Using a towel more than once is very acceptable. If it's crusty or mildewy, you're doing it wrong.

The towel is wiping off any residual dirt, not to mention dead skin.

 

[Pens1566]

The towel is wiping off any residual dirt, not to mention dead skin.

Someone's not showering correctly.

 

[surfsatwerk]

The towel is wiping off any residual dirt, not to mention dead skin.

Soap

 

[tcG]

Sounds like you're doing everything wrong, OP. Maybe you deserve to stink for your idiocy.

 

[GrumpyMan]

The towel is wiping off any residual dirt, not to mention dead skin.

That's what the servant girls are for. And they dry me off with their long hair.

 

[Chiropteran]

to those that only use a towel for the shower once, do you also change yoru bed sheets daily?

No, but typically you sleep in bed for 8 hours, wake up and take a shower. It's okay if your bed sheets aren't perfectly clean all the time since you don't walk around the rest of the day after rubbing against them.

Those who don't wash towels after a single use: do you *ever* wash your towels?

If you do, then you obviously agree that they get somewhat dirty after each use. At this point, it's just a question of how clean is clean enough? I want my clean towels perfectly clean, you may be okay with reusing them some number of times, but I have to assume you wash them eventually.

Basically IMO it's a cost vs benefits analysis where the cost is very nearly zero but the benefits are not. If I have to do a load of laundry anyway, which I typically have to do every night or every other night, adding an extra couple towels doesn't increase the cost at all, but the satisfaction of having a freshly washed and dried towel after my shower has a significant tangible benefit.

 

[Soundmanred]

antiperspirant.

 

[Anubis]

Those who don't wash towels after a single use: do you *ever* wash your towels?

.

yes once a week when i do laundry, i actually dont own enough towels to use a new one 1-2 times a day

 

[Scouzer]

No, but typically you sleep in bed for 8 hours, wake up and take a shower. It's okay if your bed sheets aren't perfectly clean all the time since you don't walk around the rest of the day after rubbing against them.

Those who don't wash towels after a single use: do you *ever* wash your towels?

If you do, then you obviously agree that they get somewhat dirty after each use. At this point, it's just a question of how clean is clean enough? I want my clean towels perfectly clean, you may be okay with reusing them some number of times, but I have to assume you wash them eventually.

Basically IMO it's a cost vs benefits analysis where the cost is very nearly zero but the benefits are not. If I have to do a load of laundry anyway, which I typically have to do every night or every other night, adding an extra couple towels doesn't increase the cost at all, but the satisfaction of having a freshly washed and dried towel after my shower has a significant tangible benefit.

You do a load of laundry every day, or close to it? I hope you have kids. That's an insane amount of laundry if it's one person, jesus.

First of all many types of clothes get shitty if you wash them with towels. Towels tend to be linty (especially newer ones) and will lint up your clothes.

Secondly, this is how much a normal person does laundry (me):

Clothes - Fresh everything every day, laundry once a week
Towels - Once a week
Sheets - Biweekly

 

[Chiropteran]

You do a load of laundry every day, or close to it? I hope you have kids. That's an insane amount of laundry if it's one person, jesus.

First of all many types of clothes get shitty if you wash them with towels. Towels tend to be linty (especially newer ones) and will lint up your clothes.

Secondly, this is how much a normal person does laundry (me):

Clothes - Fresh everything every day, laundry once a week
Towels - Once a week
Sheets - Biweekly

I have my work clothes, and then I like to change into a tee-shirt and shorts at home, being the summer, so I go through 2 pairs of clothes a day. Then my fiancee is also contributing her own laundry, and my condo washing machine's aren't the biggest so we can't just do one load a week, it's just easiest to do laundry at least every other night.

I mean, I could see us saving maybe one load every other week if we used towels twice before washing, but what would that save? We buy a thing of laundry soap for $10 and it lasts for two months, and the water bill is never more than $40 a month, so I can't imagine the cost per load of laundry being much more than maybe $.25

And yes, new towels are "linty" to use your word, but after about half dozen washings they are broken in enough to wash them fine with the regular clothes.

 

[torpid]

Vinegar has helped in the past when I've noticed lingering odors on my clothes. On the other hand, this has only ever happened with clothes in which I profusely sweat during workouts.

 

[tboo]

Cancer

 

[Lanyap]

One recommendation is to try Clorets gum. As odd as it sounds, it MAY help with body odors that aren't from being an unwashed hippie. A good friend had the nastiest smelling feet imaginable. He could clear a room by removing his shoes. His doctor told him to try Clorets gum...within a week, the problem went away.
I realize this isn't the kind of evidence backed by years of studies...but at least in that one case, it seems to have worked. It's always worth a try. (whacha got to lose?)

http://www.amazon.com/Cadbury-Adams-.../dp/B000IQWOJG

Chew it or put it in your shoes?

 

[LumbergTech]

Do you eat a very high protein diet?

 

[BoomerD]

Chew it or put it in your shoes?

Chew it...allegedly, the synthetic chlorophyll is supposed to help absorb odors...I'm not a kemest...so I don't know HOW it's supposed to work, but, at least in my friend's foot odor case...it worked. :shrug:

I had an employee that was smelling bad for weeks. I had discussions with him because I was receiving complaints from other departments. He went to the doctor, rewashed all of his clothes and started showering twice a day. Nothing was working. Come to find out, his washing machine was growing mold in it and it was making his clothes smell bad. He lived in an apartment that had machines in each unit. Guess it wasn't draining properly.

That's actually pretty common, especially with the "newer" front load washers. People tend to close the doors when they're not using them...mold happens.

 

[TehMac]

Do you eat a very high protein diet?

yes. indubitability.

 

[OverVolt]

You smell like acetone if you are in fat metabolism, ketone burning mode.

Chipotle, low carb yes? You might actually be starving of carbs. You can do fine on a high fat diet, native Alaskans LIVE on that diet. But... you will smell like nail polish remover - just a hint! So yes, AKA you'd smell weird.

 

[Spungo]

did you recently get a front load washer? I have to run an empty cycle of wash with bleach or my clothes will smell moldy if I leave them in after awhile.

I tried hang drying my clothes last week and this happened. They don't dry fast enough and smell really bad. I had to rewash everything and dry it in the dryer at medium heat to get the smell out.

 

[oynaz]

So lately I have been told I smell weird. I shower everyday with face lotion, use old spice shaving cream, and body wash.

Despite showering with old spice body wash, ppl around me tell me I smell weird or "bad" and it becomes noticeable if I sweat.

I've never had this problem before. Yea, I can use deoderant, but I think that's missing the point. That merely masks this musk.

What could be causing it? I have been eating more spicy food than previously in my life in the past year, as well as sometimes only eating steak and mashed potatoes (although that's changed.)

I also eat a fair amount of chipotle.

Any idea what's causing this problem. I'm well past puberty (unfortunately)

Try stopping slathering yourself in chemicals. Unless you have a really dirty job, there is no reason to use lotion, shaving cream etc.
Shower in water only, wash your hair every second day instead of every day, use a deodorant, and wash your hands in soap only.
Your body is perfectly capable of functioning without 4 different types of lotion applied to it every day.
Try this for a week or two.

 

[Codewiz]

People actually use a new towel everyday? That is freakin nuts......

I guess if you don't clean your ass and wash your body, a new towel everyday makes sense but if you are actually washing yourself, there is no reason to use a new one everyday.

Hell hotels even ask you the question because there is no need to get a new towel everyday.

 

[vi edit]

I've found that I'm sensitive to particular brands of body wash or deodorant. I can't use most Unilever (Dove, Axe, Degree) soaps or deodorants. When I sweat I produce a horrible funk from my arm pits that is revolting.

Switch brands and it goes away. Not sure if it's a scent or chemical in them that doesn't agree with my PH...but whatever it is it's a baaaaaad combo.

 

[TehMac]

You smell like acetone if you are in fat metabolism, ketone burning mode.

Chipotle, low carb yes? You might actually be starving of carbs. You can do fine on a high fat diet, native Alaskans LIVE on that diet. But... you will smell like nail polish remover - just a hint! So yes, AKA you'd smell weird.

actually, I may be exaggerating my diet. I always have potatoes and vegetables with a steak, and/or Chicken.

And Chipotle for me is white rice, black beans, tomatoes, and some steak.

I think the problem is actually being alleviated since I started aggressively washing my clothes.

 

[wirednuts]

Clearly if it's when you sweat then it's what you're eating.

Just like the stereotype holds somewhat true that Indians and Mexicans can have a smell, it's because of what they eat that produces odor when they sweat.

Hell I've smelled it on myself when I eat a curry heavy meal or a lot of spicy foods. It's just how it works.

Eat less spicy foods.

its true. some people digest things better then others, but generally there are foods you can eat that wont make your shit or sweat reek like an outhouse.

 

[SketchMaster]

Jeans can get away with going two maybe three wears without washing if I was just sitting at work all day, but everything else gets washed after one use. Simple green can do wonders for clothing that has been saturated with oils and dead skin, I use it on my more rugged cloths that I've been doing car/yard work in; and it's stupid cheap for a large jug, less than $3.

I have two towels that I'll switch between half way through the week, and always let them hang open over something to completely air dry after use.

Sheets get washed/changed every two weeks, three at the longest (or after "activities").

I use unscented everything when showering, mixing smells is not a good idea. Also, some scents just don't work with your body chemistry; I've tried on cologne that smelled great on the paper strip, but turned bitter once it met my skin (shame to... It smelled incredible). With all that being done, if you only have one scent on it's easy to figure out quick if it's not a match and making you smell "weird".


I know people with the same issues as you, they just don't really find this stuff important for some reason. They're good people, just need to spend a little more time taking care of themselves.

 

[BoomerD]

Jeans can get away with going two maybe three wears without washing if I was just sitting at work all day, but everything else gets washed after one use. Simple green can do wonders for clothing that has been saturated with oils and dead skin, I use it on my more rugged cloths that I've been doing car/yard work in; and it's stupid cheap for a large jug, less than $3.

I have two towels that I'll switch between half way through the week, and always let them hang open over something to completely air dry after use.

Sheets get washed/changed every two weeks, three at the longest (or after "activities").

I use unscented everything when showering (shower EVERYDAY, no exceptions), mixing smells is not a good idea. Also, some scents just don't work with your body chemistry; I've tried on cologne that smelled great on the paper strip, but turned bitter once it met my skin (shame to... It smelled incredible). With all that being done, if you only have one scent on it's easy to figure out quick if it's not a match and making you smell "weird".


I know people with the same issues as you, they just don't really find this stuff important for some reason. They're good people, just need to spend a little more time taking care of themselves.

I've encountered some colognes that smell great in the bottle...but on me, they smell like insecticide...I just avoid MOST scents beyond my anti-perspirant.