# Can we smell our own boogers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-smell-our-own-boogers/470129 "2008-10-29T18:42:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-smell-our-own-boogers/470129/1 "2008-10-29T18:42:04Z")
The crud that accumulates in our nose is right up there close to where our sense of smell is centered. I’m curious if the scent of the mucus (and whatever gunk gets trapped in it) affects our sense of smell. In other words, can we smell our own boogers, or can our brains ‘tune it out’ just like how our brains can somehow turn the images in our eyeballs ‘right side up’ ? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-smell-our-own-boogers/470129/2 "2008-10-29T19:08:58Z")
Have you been able to smell other peoples boogers? The only time I’ve smelled boogers is when they burn in a fire. I won’t discuss the people that made that possible, so don’t ask. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-smell-our-own-boogers/470129/3 "2008-10-29T19:15:34Z")
Booger scent is a sign of infection; generally they should be odorless. I’ve had some that smell sickly sweet when I have a bad cold, though. That sucks. Any odor will be “tuned out” by the brain after some time. It’s called [olfactory fatigue](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olfactory_fatigue). ---
**Author:** ![spoike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@spoike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spoike)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-smell-our-own-boogers/470129/4 "2008-10-29T19:31:58Z")
Earlier this year, my husband had a terrible, terrible sinus infection. Even after a week on antibiotics, it was still terrible. It was bad enough that I could smell it while sitting next to him, and the odour was absolutely repulsive. Every time he turned towards me, I ended up gagging. He, on the other hand, could not smell it at all, due to, I assume, the olfactory fatigue \*\*WhyNot \*\*mentioned. If he couldn’t smell that unholy stench, I doubt anyone could smell the scent of healthy mucous, even if there was one. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-smell-our-own-boogers/470129/5 "2008-10-29T20:03:44Z")
If it only smelled during an infection, I have to ask if he could smell anything? Ok I decided to say how I know about the cooked boogers. Some idiot actually wiped boogers on a heater and it then cooked turning a dark brown. It kind of smelled like if you burn cheese. ---
**Author:** ![spoike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@spoike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spoike)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-smell-our-own-boogers/470129/6 "2008-10-29T20:13:30Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > If it only smelled during an infection, I have to ask if he could smell anything?.. I just called him to ask him, and he said he could smell other stuff at times. I do remember him not being able to smell onions and garlic sautéing, for one example. He also said that he could smell the infection just after blowing his nose, but not usually. Oddly, he didn’t even ask me why I wanted to know, so either he’s lurking here while he’s at work, or I’ve just asked him too many strange questions for him to even notice anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-smell-our-own-boogers/470129/7 "2008-10-29T23:40:33Z")
> [@spoike](#): > > Oddly, he didn’t even ask me why I wanted to know, so either he’s lurking here while he’s at work, or I’ve just asked him too many strange questions for him to even notice anymore. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-smell-our-own-boogers/470129/8 "2008-10-30T02:27:38Z")
If I rub my nose I can usually smell _something_, and I assume it’s the mucus. Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-smell-our-own-boogers/470129/9 "2008-10-30T04:59:50Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > If it only smelled during an infection, I have to ask if he could smell anything? > > Ok I decided to say how I know about the cooked boogers. Some idiot actually wiped boogers on a heater and it then cooked turning a dark brown. It kind of smelled like if you burn cheese. That’s really gross. Which reminds me, a customer left behind a library book at my workplace the other day and I thumbed through it out of curiosity. There was dried snot smeared across some of the pages. I put the book back down. I didn’t smell it to see if there was a boogery odor. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-smell-our-own-boogers/470129/10 "2008-10-30T12:08:37Z")
> [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](#): > > Which reminds me, a customer left behind a library book at my workplace the other day and I thumbed through it out of curiosity. There was dried snot smeared across some of the pages. I put the book back down. I didn’t smell it to see if there was a boogery odor. Um…who wants to tell \*\*AFG \*\*what the “dried snot” probably really was? Not it!