# I stink even after bathing at one location, but smell clean after bathing at another **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 18, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327 "2018-06-18T17:41:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/1 "2018-06-18T17:41:16Z")
When I take a shower at my apartment I notice I usually still stink. I can smell my armpits after a few hours or I will smell bad in bed at night. However if I bathe at my parents house, I actually feel and smell clean. And the cleanliness lasts the day. I use the same brand soap and shampoo at both locations. So I know the most likely answer is hard water. But I’ve tried liquid soap at the apartment, it doesn’t help. Isn’t liquid soap supposed to work in hard water? I keep the AC at a good temp at the apartment, so it isn’t like I’m sweating all day there. I have this problem in winter too. So what are my options? Is it likely just hard water? if so, why didn’t liquid soap help? Are there any other explanations? ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/2 "2018-06-18T17:51:18Z")
Fresh clean towel vs. previously used towel? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/3 "2018-06-18T17:58:22Z")
Nope. Good info to add but no. I use fresh towels at each location. Also I do most of my laundry at my parents (the clean location) because I don’t want to pay to do laundry at my apartment complex. So the towels are being washed in clean water and are always fresh and clean. I use a towel once and then put it in the laundry basket. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/4 "2018-06-18T19:31:37Z")
I think you should have the water tested. If it is hard, or has other unusual chemicals, that might point you towards the solution. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/5 "2018-06-18T19:42:46Z")
Do you use a different deodorant at home? I’ve found some deodorants work for me and some don’t. In fact, I’ve found that some deodorants end up producing an unpleasant smell about an hour after I put them on that’s worse than if I didn’t use any deodorant at all. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/6 "2018-06-18T19:54:24Z")
I really doubt that it has anything to do with hard water. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/7 "2018-06-18T20:24:32Z")
Do you have well water at either location? We have a water softener at home and our well water is good. But some people complain about wells because they are not treated like city water. What brands of soap do you use? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/8 "2018-06-18T20:34:47Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I really doubt that it has anything to do with hard water. Maybe not, but what is the cause? Why does using the exact same brand of soap and shampoo do such a better job of clearing up BO at my parents than at my apartment? > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Do you use a different deodorant at home? I’ve found some deodorants work for me and some don’t. In fact, I’ve found that some deodorants end up producing an unpleasant smell about an hour after I put them on that’s worse than if I didn’t use any deodorant at all. Nope, same brand. so that isn’t the issue. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/9 "2018-06-18T20:51:07Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Do you have well water at either location? We have a water softener at home and our well water is good. But some people complain about wells because they are not treated like city water. > What brands of soap do you use? Well water at my parents, municipal at the apartment. I normally use Suave brand shampoo and Irish spring bar soap. I’ve tried various liquid soaps at the apartment, and they don’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/10 "2018-06-18T20:53:47Z")
Your apartment water may be too soft. Do you have trouble rinsing off ? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/11 "2018-06-18T21:01:22Z")
I don’t think so. At my parents they have a water softener, so you’d assume the water hardness there is 0. So I don’t know how the softness at the apartment could be lower than that. I will test the water hardness at my apartment to see if that is what the issue is. What I don’t get is, if it is water hardness why aren’t liquid soaps working? Supposedly liquid soaps work in hard water. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/12 "2018-06-18T21:05:48Z")
I’ve got water so hard it _\>thunks\<_ coming out out of the tap into the sink. But bar soap still works, as well as liquid soap. Then again, what makes my water hard and what makes your water hard may not be exactly the same mix of minerals and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/13 "2018-06-18T22:21:45Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I really doubt that it has anything to do with hard water. Hard water doesn’t rinse off as well as soft water. You can feel the difference. to the op, I would use a mesh loofah. Wal mart has a long one that can wadded up as a sponge or unrolled so you can scrub your back. It’s seriously abrasive. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/14 "2018-06-18T22:37:30Z")
Quite the mystery. Are all your clothes laundered the same? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/15 "2018-06-18T23:13:12Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Hard water doesn’t rinse off as well as soft water. You can feel the difference. > > to the op, I would use a mesh loofah. Wal mart has a long one that can wadded up as a sponge or unrolled so you can scrub your back. It’s seriously abrasive. Yeah, yeah. Except: there are loads of places with hard water, and everyone doesn’t stink. Data point: our house. There is something else going on. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/16 "2018-06-18T23:13:47Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > What I don’t get is, if it is water hardness why aren’t liquid soaps working? Supposedly liquid soaps work in hard water. I’m not sure that’s true. It’s definitely contrary to what I’ve been told by others who may or may not have been stunningly full of XXXX. Even if true, it doesn’t mean that all soap formulations work equally well with all water hardness levels. Try a handful of different soaps and see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/17 "2018-06-18T23:57:42Z")
It could very well be your shower head. Gunk gets built up behind and in it - try replacing it. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/18 "2018-06-19T00:36:24Z")
Is it possible that you’re eating or drinking differently at either location? Maybe smoking weed or indulging in alcohol at your house, but eating healthy and abstaining while visiting your parents? Or maybe you eat more curry or something at your place? Just thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2018, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/19 "2018-06-19T00:45:44Z")
Is it possible that it’s the water itself that stinks? I’ve been places where the water had a sulfurous smell to it. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2018, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327/20 "2018-06-19T01:42:38Z")
I’m betting it’s bacteria in the mattress. Try getting one of those dustmite-proof mattress covers for your apartment, and see if that makes a difference. Be sure to launder all the bedding (blankets too!) before re-making the bed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-stink-even-after-bathing-at-one-location-but-smell-clean-after-bathing-at-another/816327.md?page=2)