Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with smell

Nobody light a match!

The Winsome Parker Lewis — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:55:48 -0800

Why do I smell gasoline when I'm in my car? I drive a 2003 Subaru Forester. Yesterday I started smelling gasoline inside the car. I haven't noticed any fluids or leaks under the vehicle, and the gas cap is tightly secured. My fuel needle doesn't seem to be dropping any faster than usual. I'm slightly past due for an oil change, taking it in for one this weekend. I've accidentally been a bit rough on my transmission and starter lately, grinding gears a bit harshly and quickly restarting the engine after a stall. These were brief but I'm paranoid because this is my first stick shift. Hopefully those are unrelated to the gas smell. I am mechanically uninclined.

I found this thread, which in interesting but beyond my level of car-maintenance skill. Any suggestions? How seriously should I treat this issue?

Why do I crave sweets when I can't taste them?

otherwordlyglow — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:25:01 -0800

I've lost my sense of smell/taste because of sinus congestion. Why do I still crave sweets after a meal? For the past few days I haven't been able to smell much of anything and only taste very faintly, if at all due to the effects of a severe cold/flu. Why is it then that after I finish a meal, a meal that I can't even taste, I start looking around for the leftover Halloween candy? It doesn't seem like it's just out of habit but I really seem to crave something sweet after a meal even though when I eat the sweet, I can't taste that either. Somehow that satisfies the craving but how does my brain know I've eaten the sweet if I can't taste it? This has happened before when I've temporarily lost my sense of smell and I've never understood the underlying basis sensory processing. It's always seemed like such a waste to eat dessert to fulfill a craving but not even enjoy it! Could I blindfold myself and eat some tofu and trick my brain into thinking I had had a Reese's? Why doesn't that work?

Faint of butt

ignignokt — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:14:09 -0800

While I was driving him home from the vet yesterday, the cat took a dump in his carrier, which was made of cloth. (He was in the front passenger seat.) After taking care of that, I noticed it still smelled like cat feces in the car. I didn't see any stains on the seat, and I had to go, so I just rolled down the windows and went to work.

Later that night, it still smelled like cat poo in the car, but I had a bad, tiring day, so I left it alone and hoped it would be better today.

Unsurprisingly, it's not. So, I guess some secret poo liquid got onto my car seat. What method for getting rid of it and the smell maximizes efficiency and minimizes effort?

I don't want to smell like an ashtray!

peanut_mcgillicuty — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:51:03 -0800

How can I mask or block the smell of my neighbor's smoke in my closet? My downstairs neighbor smokes in his apartment and the smell is making its way into my hallway and closet. My clothes are starting to take on the scent. If I sleep with the bedroom door open, the smell often wakes me up, and even when it doesn't, I wake up with the sore throat and congestion I normally get after a night at a smokey bar. It's been getting worse as the weather gets colder, presumably because he's now got his windows closed. I want to make the smell go away!

To be very clear, I am not asking how do I confront him or complain to the management company. There have been well-publicized accounts of tenants or condo-owners fighting smoking neighbors in New York City and I'm not willing to go that route yet. I'll certainly look into filing a complaint with my management company, but I want to take steps to mitigate the smell myself first. Frankly, I don't care if he smokes in his apartment, even if I can smell it a little, as long as it doesn't wake me up or make my clothes stink.

What I'm looking for includes suggestions on blocking up any possible nooks and crannies in this closet or finding absorption materials to put in that will block, absorb, and otherwise mask the smell. I currently have a fridge/freezer baking soda pack in there, which has made not one bit of difference. I did not notice any holes in the closet floor or walls when we moved in. But another closet in the same hallway doesn't smell, so I'm sure there's something in my closet that's letting the smoke get in. For what it's worth, the smoke smells mostly like cigar or cigarillo smoke, or cigarettes, but definitely not pot. Sadly, not using the closet isn't really an option, storage space being at such a premium in NYC.

Has anyone had to deal with this before? What did you do? What are some (preferably inexpensive) options to deal with this?

Yuk, that smell is awful! How did you make such a stink?

skylar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:26:00 -0800

So there are dozens of posts on AskMeFi raising the question of how to mask or remove a bad smell. But I have the opposite dilemma: I wasnt to create a bad smell. Not something so abhorrent that people wretch, but a clearly noticeable odour that perhaps evokes decay or sickness or death. And before you start calling the police, it's for a Halloween show. Thoughts on how to disperse said smell (using a plug-in mister? Using a fan?) gladly accepted.

How?!: Perfume Smell OUT of Laundry.

Shane — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:12:42 -0800

Is it possible to get cologne smell out of clothing? I kind of "inherited" a half-dozen nice sweaters that reek of perfume, and I'm allergic as well. I've tried mucho baking soda and soaking in the wash machine; haven't tried vinegar yet; past (somewhat related) threads suggest Ozium and Synthrapol, but they're really not for this purpose.

Do we need to evacuate?

serazin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:36:31 -0800

name that mysterious acrid smell/taste! Over the last few weeks, my roommate and I have occasionally noticed a sort of smokey smell near the side of our house. Its nothing we can pin down exactly, and not very strong.

Tonight I was lying in bed and I had this sensation in my mouth as if it was being irritated by a chemical or smoke. Eventually my eyes felt irritated as well. I asked my roommate to smell my room and she said she smelled nothing. Then, 10 minutes later, she came to my room complaining that her eyes were itching and she could feel an irritating sensation/smell/taste in the her nose and throat.

We called the fire department and they've just left. They were only here for about 3 minutes and said they couldn't smell anything. Now PG&E (gas company) is here, and his little sniffer wand says there's no gas leak. The thing is, this sensation takes time to notice, so these folks aren't noticing anything in the short time they're staying.

What else should we consider might be causing the problem? Neighborhood meth lab? Broken sewer line? I'm at a loss. We're all asthmatics here - my roommate and I and each of our kids. I felt short of breath when I was lying in bed, but I know there's a certain power of suggestion that might partially be at work here...

How to mask smelly farts?

Anonymous — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:15:21 -0800

How to mask smelly farts? Is there something my partner can put in his underwear or near his butt to make him less smelly? Like a charcoal pad to sit on, or even better, something to insert into his underwear?

He tries to put a pillow over his butt to block the smell so he can sit next to me on the couch. It doesn't work perfectly and the pillow ends up smelling like it might actually hurt your lungs. That is the level of smell we're talking about here. He is so embarrassed if he thinks I notice anything. I can't imagine how he feels if he is at the office or on the train.

He is going to get tested for some medical conditions but it might take a while for the results. In the meantime it would be excellent if he could cuddle with me without feeling ashamed. It breaks my heart that he is so self-conscious about it. Please help.

Anosmia - is it forever?

terrierhead — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:06:14 -0800

Getting over a lousy cold/flu, can breathe again but can't smell anything. Is this permanent? I'm a 37 y/o female who until recently had an extremely good olfactory ability. My toddler twins brought home the superflu from their daycare last week. After more than a week of illness the whole family's on the mend. I ended up with an ear infection and am being treated with antibiotics.

Two days ago, I noticed that although my stuffy nose was clearing up, I still couldn't smell anything. A sip of wine tasted like acetone, and my toddlers' dirty diapers, which I usually identify from afar by their odor, became imperceptible by scent. My nose is still running today but I'm breathing through it just fine. And I can't smell a thing.

I've looked up information on anosmia (loss of sense of smell) and found that colds and flu can cause this to happen - but from a stuffy nose, which I don't have. I called my doctor's office and the nurse their told me not to worry, but I was still stuffy this morning and am not now. I called a local ask-a-nurse hotline and they freaked the hell out.

I'd like to refrain from freaking for a bit but also would like more information. Has anyone heard of this happening and then going away? Or should I start selling off my perfume collection? (I was a BPAL collector before the kids came along.)

What is that smell in High Line Park in NYC?

Jimmie — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:13:28 -0800

What is that smell in High Line Park in NYC? There is a relatively new odor in the air around High Line Park. It is sharp and pungent, smells vaguely of cilantro. Other passersby have also noticed the aroma, many of which have stopped to locate, but nobody can. Any thoughts?

Renting in New Zealand - Pets urine on carpet. Smells. Pet hair

Anonymous — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:13:10 -0800

I'm currently renting a flat unit in New Zealand which I will be moving out next month. My current rental agreement states that I do not need to have the carpet professionally cleaned before I move out. I have two cats in the house and the question was raised with the property agent before I moved in. They have agreed to let me have the pets in the house and on the rental agreement, it also states that they are okay with it. The property agent did an inspection of the house recently and they have asked for me to have the carpet clean by a professional carpet cleaner because they can smell cat urine. This was not raised previously in the previous few inspections. I suspect this could be due to the fact that I'm moving out for good. I do know that my cats have made a few accidents on the carpet which I have already tried my best in cleaning up the area. The smell does remain but it's not strong. the carpet is discoloured slightly as well. My questions are: Is it reasonable for the property agent to request for the carpet to be professionally cleaned? If I disagree, am I in any way in breach of the tenancy agreement? I am thinking that since the property agent allows us to keep pets in the house, wouldn't the cat 'accidents' be the normal wears and tears of having a property rented out?

I don't want to be the stinking traveling girl.

KateHasQuestions — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:14:29 -0800

What is that horrible suitcase smell and how can I prevent it? Recently I've come across 2 sets of second hand luggage, and a laptop bag that's a couple of years old. Both sets of luggage and the bag had this HORRIBLE smell coming from the inside, the same smell even though all three things came from different people, and seemed to be different brands. I don't even know what to compare it to, something rotting + burning rubber perhaps? No, that's not it. But it's bad - I think if anyone has smelled it they'll recognize what I'm talking about. The smell is absolutely disgusting and strong, I remember I smelled it from the other room when I had this luggage.

None of the bags/suitcases I mention had a materials tag on it, but the material on everything looks similar - plasticky on the inside, and that 'bookbag' material on the outside. The laptop bag is made by HP, I don't know who made the luggage - I threw both sets out after using them once, ugh. The smell doesn't go away after airing them out, or spraying with febreeze or lysol or anything.

My questions: What causes the smell? Does all suitcases become like this? If yes, after how many years? If no, how do I make sure that when I finally buy my own luggage instead of getting my friends' used luggage that the smell won't appear? Is it a special material I should look for? A way to clean it?

Thanks!

Stinky duvet

pised — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:19:38 -0800

Why does this just-drycleaned duvet smell like garbage? Just picked up our duvet from the dry cleaner and it smells really off. Not dry-clean chemicals, but more like rotting garbage. I also just picked up a coat from the same dry cleaner and it smells neutral, so it's probably something to do with the duvet itself, which is feather-filled. It was my partner's originally and he can't remember if it was ever drycleaned before or what it would have smelled like then. (At any rate, it shouldn't smell like garbage now.) What could be the cause of this and how can it be avoided in the future?

We are going to take it back to the dry cleaner and see what they can do with it; we're just wondering what's going on right now.

What smells good that doesn't cause cancer?

lexfri — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 04:50:15 -0800

Candles, incense, and even deodorant are linked with cancer. What can I use to make my house smell nice that hasn't already been proven to make me sick? Candles: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/12/991223010346.htm
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,541000,00.html

Incense:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1467409.stm
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/08/25/long-term-exposure-to-incense-raises-cancer-risk.html

We have two young kids under three, and we just want the house to smell extra nice. What's an easy safe way?

Only caveat: I tend to dislike the scent, and question the effectiveness, of traditional potpourri.

Why does hypoglycemic sweat stink so bad?

st looney up the cream bun and jam — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:43:35 -0800

I am a type 1 [insulin-dependent] diabetic, and sometimes at night, when I haven't eaten enough to cover the insulin I took that evening, I 'bottom out': my blood sugar goes down very low and I wake up bathed in sweat and must go searching for orange juice. My question is about this: The nighttime sweat from low blood sugar just... stinks. It is powerfully rank sweat, as though I had not washed in many days. My partner agreed, he has noticed that it is different from any other sweat I sweat. "You NEVER smell like that any other time. It's a low blood sugar thing." Yet only at night! I also become clothes-soakingly sweaty if low blood sugar happens during the day, BUT it seems 'normal', the same as when I exercise. Can anyone tell me why this might be? Why is the night-time hypoglycemic sweat so incredibly smelly? I feel sure someone will ask, so: Though I have had the disease for 30 years, I am a well-controlled diabetic; my doctors proclaim themselves pleased with my tests, which I get done faithfully on schedule. Indeed, if I am bottoming out from time to time as I say, I am not in perfect control; I do make mistakes.

Smells like clean spirit

bradly — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 17:35:35 -0800

Can someone identify the clean soap (or other laundry product) smell I keep noticing among hispanics? For years and with dozens of encounters (with those from various latin countries) I have experienced said smell.

Characteristics of the smell: simple, sweet, soapy, clean

There may be slight variations, but from what I can remember it is basically the same among those who I've met, so I assume there is one (or a small number) of products that are most commonly used.

Thanks in advance!

What would be the adult equivalent of Axe body spray?

teg4rvn — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:35:33 -0800

I need a body spray recommendation for a middle age guy. Can anyone recommend anything that won't make me smell like an over-cologned teenager hoping to be the next star of an AXE commercial? I'm one of those guys who sweats for 30-60 minutes after completing vigorous exercise. I take a shower at the gym, but by the time I leave the building I've got sweat marks all over my shirt front and back from the residual perspiring. I use underarm deodorant, but I was considering some sort of body spray to mask/diminish/neutralize any leftover smell. Can anyone recommend a subtle, "mature" body spray? Those AXE commercials are hilarious, but I have a feeling they are too scented for my taste (With that said, I've never tried any of them, so who knows)

Why will dogs eat these things?

roxie5 — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:25:47 -0800

Given their acute senses, why do dogs eat gross things? If smell and taste are related, and dogs have excellent senses of smell, then it would make sense to me that they would have acute senses of taste. Like, stronger taste buds than humans. Why, then, do they eat things that I can't imagine would taste good? My dogs really enjoy eating and/ or chewing things like stinky shoes, bark and cat poo (we keep them from it, but if we forget to close the door it's the first thing they go for). I would think one would only want to eat those if they had NO sense of smell/ taste. How can these things taste good to them?

Clean Shirt but Smelly Underarms?

wildrain2008 — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:49:33 -0800

I'm a clean guy by nature, I take showers daily, and use deoderant. The problem is when I do any kind of physical work that's not too strenuous (aka dancing, carrying bags) my armpits sweat a bit, but not a lot, but the smell is strong! The result of this that I'm forced to throw a perfectly clean t-shirt into the laundry bag just because the underarm areas smell. Is there any way to kill this smell, I feel like I'm wasting money on cleaning clean shirts :\ Any and all advice is welcome!

Professional smell tester - am I part dog?

WhereAmI — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:51:45 -0800

Could I be a professional smell tester with my dog like nose? My sense of smell is quite elevated. I pick up on scents and then ask those around me "can you smell that [insert scent]". Most of the time their answer is no, and I search for the source or ask them to move closer to a certain direction so they can confirm that they eventually smell (usually they really have to inhale) the same scent.

My nose is like a dog, please help!

This has been going on for years and amongst several different locations, groups of friends and scents. Its all in good fun and I recently picked up a smell while back in my old neighborhood for a 4th of July party. When I worked my magic and identified the scent/source, a few of my old friends suggested that I should attempt to get a job as a professional "smell tester".

Is there such a job? If so, how do I apply? I've searched the askmefi forums but only found questions about human vs. animal (i.e., dog) sense of smell, and nothing about a human "smell tester" job. I picture something similar to a possible old wives tale my father told me when I was younger that all ice cream companies have professional taste testers who scoop samples of the frozen treat into their mouths using gold plated spoons that did not retain the taste of the previous flavor of ice cream.

I digress... I'm turning to you hive mind! Can you help me find out if there is such a job as a professional Smell Tester? If so, where do I find out more and can I schedule an appointment to at least quantify my olfactory sensation abilities?

How can I smell like my dog?

tr0ubley — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:37:58 -0800

How do I learn to smell like my dog? I once read an article (referenced here) about how humans can follow a scent trail through a meadow if down on their hands and knees with nose to the ground, much the same way dogs can. In fact, I seem to remember reading that with some practice, the people involved in the experiment became so skillful that their speed at following the scent trail was limited only by how fast they could crawl.

When I come home from being out, my curious dog doesn’t just smell me from across the room. Instead he places his nostrils right on my hands and clothing. I have noticed that many, many household items have a very distinctive odor if I put my nose very close to them. I now feel that I have been missing out on a major sensory experience because humans don't generally smell things (except laundry) by touching them directly to our noses.

My question is this: while I know my dog has a better sense of smell than I do, how much of this is related to real physiological differences, and how much can I make up for by using new methods (i.e. putting my nose close to things, actively trying to remember smells, etc.)? What other tips and tricks do you have for being more scent-conscious?

My basement smells of decaying fruit. Help!

mygothlaundry — Thu, 07 May 2009 07:56:36 -0800

My basement smells like rotting fruit. What is causing it and, since I'm thinking it needs dehumidifying, any dehumidifier tips or recommendations? I moved into my 1966 house in October. The basement is finished; i.e., it's not really a basement, it functions more as the first floor of the house - 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, a laundry room. The house is built into a hill, so the basement level is completely underground on one side and half underground on the other two sides. The people who owned my house before me were enthusiastic if not completely skillful remodelers and they turned the basement into living space - it has concrete floors painted blue, a couple of windows, one room composed completely of glass doors and, well, it's hard to describe. There is not a lot of ventilation - a couple of sliding glass doors, one window.

All would be well except that there is this terrible sort of rotting fruit smell down there. If I leave all the windows and doors open the smell goes away for a while or at least recedes, but I can't leave them open while I'm sleeping or at work. It went away after I mopped the entire floor with pine sol, too, but then it came back.

We've had a lot of rain recently and it's very bad at the moment. I mean it smells like someone has been making pruno or something down there; like a still, like a giant heap of rotting fruit. Has anyone ever encountered this before? What could be causing it? Is it something scary, like black mold? It doesn't smell like mold and there's no visible mold or mildew anywhere.

I'm going to go buy a dehumidifier and see if that works. I know nothing about dehumidifiers, which brings me to the second part of this question: do I need one or two? It's about 800 square feet total. What should I be looking for? How often will I have to empty it (them)? And, should I be looking for any specific brands?

Has drinking coffee changed the way I smell?

mai — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:15:06 -0800

Has drinking coffee changed the way I smell? I started drinking coffee regularly about two months ago. I don't drink that much, maybe 1 or 2 cups per day of coffee that I brew at home. Since then, I have noticed a change in the way I smell. And it's not a good change. Can I reasonably attribute this to the coffee? Has anyone else experienced this? Is there anything I can do about it?

Silicone smell in condo

fantasticninety — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 09:48:41 -0800

What is the cause of the slightly silicone/leathery/car interior smell in my condo? I've just moved into a condo. The building is about 20 years old, but everything has been redone inside within the last two or three years.

When I walk in the condo, there's a slight smell of silicone or leather. It smells sort of like when you sit in a new car. The only thing in the condo at this point is a "bonded" leather couch, which may be the cause of the smell as I don't remember there being this smell beforehand, but when I go up to the couch I can't locate it. To be honest, I can't find any area of the condo that has this smell more than in other areas.

Is there a way of locating the source of the smell? Do air purifiers or filters work in these situations? Could it be the paint? The fridge?

What's my best next action in this instance?

Thanks so much for any help.

But Mom it is totally legal!

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:54:00 -0800

How do I cover up cigar smoke in my clothing? Legal age, but would rather not explain to the parents. I'm 18, a high school senior, and want to share some cigars with friends, but my parents aren't too keen on the idea. My mom has a sensitive nose, and while it is unlikely that she'll be hugging me when I get home she can normally smell my cigar smoke on my dad from 5-10 ft away. Any suggestions as to how to cover up the smell?
Taking a change of clothes when I'm going out is an option but it is likely that she'd still smell it in the laundry.