# I Reek **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 25, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921 "2005-02-25T19:30:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/1 "2005-02-25T19:30:58Z")
Shower? Check. Deodorant? Check. Clean shirt? Check. Cool weather? Check. Lack of physical labor? Check. \ 😕 :eek: Cripes…what the hell is up with my pits today? Note to all co-workers: Enter my cubicle at your own risk. Yeah, top _that_ for mundane and pointless… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/2 "2005-02-25T19:34:06Z")
Did you have garlic calimari for dinner last night? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/3 "2005-02-25T19:36:34Z")
Is it a job requirement that your co-workers sniff your pits? ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/4 "2005-02-25T19:37:05Z")
Hey, Hal… Downwind, OK? _Jeeeezus_. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/5 "2005-02-25T19:40:24Z")
I was once visiting someone (not gonna risk embarrassment to said party) who apparently laundered the bath towels without detergent. As I dried off after my shower, my body was covered with a nasty reek that I traced back to a sour towel. It was singularly unpleasant. So, how are your towels? ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/6 "2005-02-25T19:51:50Z")
_hogties **Hal** and shoves him into a shower_ ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/7 "2005-02-25T20:06:24Z")
I don’t know about you, but every 6 months or so I find have to change deodorant, because somehow my pits get immune and the stuff stops working. Luckily there are lots of different kinds to choose from, and I find the condition is not permanent. I can go back after a year or so to a previous brand and have it work again for awhile. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/8 "2005-02-25T20:59:07Z")
**silenus** – Nope…N.Y. Strip Steak. No garlic, no tentacles. **swampy** – Well, it’s technically not really a _requirement_, but… **FCM** – The towels should be fine. Although I learned long ago not to use [the one on top of the pile](http://www.sirblah.com/photo/view.php?album=Pets&start=90&pic=pets93.JPG&picindex=92). **Kythereia** & **Uvula** – Thanks ever so much for the support. 😛 **romansperson** – Mmmm, nope…never came across that before, at least not with deodorant. Although I find that going back and forth between two brands of shampoo keeps my hair nicer than just sticking with one kind. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/9 "2005-02-25T21:02:46Z")
“It’s not the smell, it’s _the burning in my eyes!!!_” – George Carlin ---
**Author:** ![Tupug\_Anachi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@Tupug\_Anachi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tupug_Anachi)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/10 "2005-02-25T21:05:06Z")
Could be the shirt. Some fabrics can lock in an odor if there’s been a deodorant breach. You can wash it, dry it, etc., and it’ll smell clean until the odor is released by body heat. Then again, you might just be stronger than the average deodorant. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DWToml815](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DWToml815](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWToml815)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/11 "2005-02-25T22:55:42Z")
Have you had to fight off any strange women? Could be the pheromones…(please excuse the spelling) ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/12 "2005-02-25T23:40:02Z")
You sure it’s your pits? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/13 "2005-02-26T00:24:03Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > I don’t know about you, but every 6 months or so I find have to change deodorant, because somehow my pits get immune and the stuff stops working. Luckily there are lots of different kinds to choose from, and I find the condition is not permanent. I can go back after a year or so to a previous brand and have it work again for awhile. Soo, in theory you only need 4 different brands, right? :dubious: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/14 "2005-02-26T00:58:59Z")
Have you checked your bed sheets? Hmm…maybe that’s not it. Maybe you are using some kind of “cosmetic” or body care thing that smells yucky to you. Like, maybe your shampoo smells bad or something. Is it specifically B.O.? You’re sure it’s your armpits (wait, I think someone said that already). Anyway, good luck at work. And good luck getting a date! L ---
**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:** [February 26, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/15 "2005-02-26T01:06:55Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > Shower? Check. > Deodorant? Check. > Clean shirt? Check. > Cool weather? Check. > Lack of physical labor? Check. > > \ 😕 > :eek: > > Cripes…what the hell is up with my pits today? Note to all co-workers: Enter my cubicle at your own risk. > > Yeah, top _that_ for mundane and pointless… Take a swim in a heavily clorinated swimming pool - it works for me after eating fish. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-reek/291921/16 "2005-02-26T01:31:19Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I was once visiting someone (not gonna risk embarrassment to said party) who apparently laundered the bath towels without detergent. As I dried off after my shower, my body was covered with a nasty reek that I traced back to a sour towel. It was singularly unpleasant. So, how are your towels? That happened to me once when I left the towels in the washer too long before drying them. I toweled off after a shower, and reeked of mildew for the rest of the day. Had to re-wash the entire batch.