# I forgot deodorant this morning **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 1, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610 "2010-04-01T18:23:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JerseyFrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@JerseyFrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerseyFrank)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/1 "2010-04-01T18:23:02Z")
Any quick fixes? My current plan is to wet some towels in the bathroom sink and wipe down my armpits in a bathroom stall. ---
**Author:** ![jonesj2205](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecc23a/32.png) [@jonesj2205](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonesj2205)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/2 "2010-04-01T18:30:06Z")
Don’t sweat it would be my advise. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/3 "2010-04-01T18:43:53Z")
Sink washing will remove the immediate smell, but you will be prone to redeveloping if you get warm/exert. You may need periodic repeats. Can you hit a convenience store? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/4 "2010-04-01T18:46:48Z")
Got any salt packets? Do your straight water wipe first. Make a paste of salt and drop of water, rub on pits. It will help avoid further bacterial growth. With luck it will also be iodized, which will help with the smell. Do this in the stall so you can take your shirt off, and rub the extra off, don’t leave it dripping down and tickling your ribs all day. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/5 "2010-04-01T18:46:51Z")
I recommend the aforementioned “whore’s bath”. And don’t do stuff where you’ll get hot. ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/6 "2010-04-01T18:47:09Z")
Baking soda is supposed to be a decent stand-in for deodorant. Any chance there’s a box of it in your office refrigerator? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/7 "2010-04-01T18:49:16Z")
Can’t you just go without for the day? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/8 "2010-04-01T18:50:42Z")
Stand downwind. Please. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/9 "2010-04-01T18:53:25Z")
If you’re from Jersey does it really matter?😃 ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/10 "2010-04-01T19:36:58Z")
This won’t help you today, but I keep a spare deodorant stick in my desk drawer just for occasions like this. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/11 "2010-04-01T19:40:03Z")
Go do something so stinky that people won’t notice the B.O. I’ve actually done this at church when I played the piano there. It gets really hot on stage. After washing up, I used the air fresheners in the bathroom to try and help, and it worked okay. ---
**Author:** ![JerseyFrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@JerseyFrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerseyFrank)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/12 "2010-04-01T19:42:56Z")
I walked to a store, got some deodorant, took another whore’s bath and all is good in the world. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/13 "2010-04-01T19:59:53Z")
I have heard that using that antibiotic hand gel works. Won’t stop the sweat, but will stop the smell. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/14 "2010-04-01T20:03:13Z")
White-Out works really well, as does the ink from typewriter ribbons. Unfortunately, nobody uses typewriters anymore, but I would think that cartridge toner would be a good substitute. Yeah. . .try that and get back to us. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/15 "2010-04-01T20:32:03Z")
But did ya bath this morning? ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/16 "2010-04-01T21:24:16Z")
It sounds like you got the best solution already - going to pick up a new deodorant. If you keep it in your car/desk, you can avoid this kind of thing in the future too. Baking soda or baking powder are both decent stopgaps if you had to go without. I’ve been told that any moisture-absorbing powder (talc, baby powder, etc.) can also work. Wiping your armpits with wet towels is better than nothing, but not very effective for a couple of reasons: First, by the time you notice the smell and wipe, it’s already gotten on your clothes. Second, a lot of the smell components are oils that don’t come off with just water very well. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/17 "2010-04-01T23:25:18Z")
I was going to suggest rubbing the car pine tree air freshener under your arms. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/18 "2010-04-02T00:29:17Z")
Place an Altoid in each armpit. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/19 "2010-04-02T00:34:46Z")
Rubbing alcohol works. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610/20 "2010-04-02T00:38:19Z")
Geez, and I thought something had died in here overnight … [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-forgot-deodorant-this-morning/534610.md?page=2)