# It's OK to smell. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075 "2011-10-09T15:32:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![studmuffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@studmuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/studmuffin)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/1 "2011-10-09T15:32:46Z")
Showering daily is a waste of resources, it impresses no-one, a couple of times a week max, anyway, the little ladies get real turned on by a whiffy male oxter. Am I right or am I right ? :dubious: ---
**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:** [October 9, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/2 "2011-10-09T15:35:29Z")
How’s that workin’ for ya? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/3 "2011-10-09T15:36:00Z")
It’s true - showering daily impresses no-one, and people who skip showers generally make a strong impression. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/4 "2011-10-09T15:39:15Z")
> [@studmuffin](#): > > Am I right or am I right ? :dubious: No. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/5 "2011-10-09T15:40:00Z")
> [@studmuffin](#): > > Showering daily is a waste of resources, it impresses no-one, a couple of times a week max, anyway, the little ladies get real turned on by a whiffy male oxter. > > Am I right or am I right ? :dubious: Um…no. Unwashed stinky guys are not a turn-on. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/6 "2011-10-09T15:41:33Z")
it is an all depends. there are people who feel that mild to moderate body smells are part of that person. you like their smells the same way you like the different tastes of different areas of the body. the same way you like how different parts of their body looks. there are people who feel that no odor or only artificial odors are acceptable. i myself like people raw and naturally seasoned. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/7 "2011-10-09T15:42:53Z")
Smelly or not is (mostly) a cultural preference. As such there’s no “right” or “wrong”, only “popular” & “not so popular”. Right now in the USA, smelly = not so popular. I don’t know where our OP is living, but wherever it is you can either go with the popular choice or suffer the consequences. I doubt you’re hip enough to be a trend setter for changing the popular choice. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/8 "2011-10-09T15:49:51Z")
Another issue is that some people’s sense of smell is more sensitive than others. I have a great sense of smell and it is very noticeable to me when someone is a bit stinky or when their dental hygiene is less than optimal even if others don’t notice. So even if you don’t detect your own odor or think that you smell bad, you could be offending people who are more sensitive to it than you are. I think that is one reason why it makes sense to err on the side of caution and bathe yourself every day even if YOU don’t think you smell. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/9 "2011-10-09T16:02:31Z")
> [@studmuffin](#): > > Showering daily is a waste of resources, it impresses no-one, a couple of times a week max, anyway, the little ladies get real turned on by a whiffy male oxter. > > Am I right or am I right ? :dubious: Mostly. I never saw the point of a daily shower. I sit down all day and rarely work up a sweat. It was never a problem with other people or in my dating days. Since most bad body odor is really the smell of the clothes, if you wear clean clothes each day (especially your shirt and underwear), you won’t smell. Women don’t get turned on by a smelly guy, but a daily shower is absolutely unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/10 "2011-10-09T16:18:53Z")
Showering daily is not absolutely necessary, in that funk is not going to kill you. But a whore’s bath every other day is not that wasteful or inconveniencing. The benefits of washing your pits and your ass on a regular basis outweigh the hardship of finding a bar of soap and a source of water. If you don’t shower often, then you’ve got to always wear clean clothes. Not “I just wore this shirt once” clean, but “fresh out of the washer/dryer” clean. Your body may not _smell_ smell, but clothes pick up and hold on to stank easily. And that goes for bed linen and furniture too. There are a lot of straight-up funky people in the world. Very few of them think they stink or that they smell THAT bad. They are usually wrong. (Also, one’s person idea of “good” stink is another person’s “oh, I’m gonna vomit!” It’s probably best for everyone to keep unnecessary body odors to a minimum for this reason.) ---
**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:** [October 9, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/11 "2011-10-09T16:20:41Z")
It probably depends on other factors. I’m sure there are women who would find the aroma of Brad Pitt’s perspiration arousing but would think the smell of Wayne Knight’s sweat stinks. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/12 "2011-10-09T16:32:34Z")
“Whore’s bath?” I have never heard that before… would you please explain? Oh, and just wanted to add - stank also depends on things like genetics and diet as well as exercise. Some people can shower less than once a day without building up too much, and I’ve met people who really did need at least two a day. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/13 "2011-10-09T16:36:18Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > “Whore’s bath?” > > I have never heard that before… would you please explain? Bathing in a sink with a sponge or cloth, so named for the fact that whores would often not have time to take a full shower between clients, but also would not want to leave bodily fluids from the previous client on them. A friend told me he also used it in boot camp. ---
**Author:** ![expectopatronum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/expectopatronum/32/173_2.png) [@expectopatronum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/expectopatronum)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/14 "2011-10-09T16:49:32Z")
i personally feel disgusting if i skip my daily shower, which is rare. i like to be clean. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/15 "2011-10-09T16:51:37Z")
Smelling of physical exertion, if you’re buffed, is ok. M or F. (Hear me, ladies?) Smelling of ass is never ok. Smelling of anything is not ok unless you’re buffed. ---
**Author:** ![Nostravinci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/41988e/32.png) [@Nostravinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nostravinci)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/16 "2011-10-09T17:03:24Z")
Wow, great timing. Recently (last four months) I’ve felt the same way as the OP, but even more extremely. I went six weeks (yes, weeks) without showering, then 9 days, then 9 days again, and now I’m up to two weeks. The OP is dead-on when he says females ‘like the way a man smells’ (that old cliche line), for a number of reasons: 1.) pheremones from male sweat arouse them 2.) women like to feel feminine in contrast to their male counterparts, so him being manly and smelly is good for them 3.) it shows he’s accessible and not snooty or metrosexual (those pussies suck) 4.) it means they don’t have to worry so much about being clean or anything around him because he’s down with the dirty 5.) it means he’s probably not easily grossed out, so he’s more likely to, say, eat sushi (and not at a japanese restaurant) 6.) it makes them feel superior to the man, which women love to feel 7.) the mommy inside all girls feels affection towards dennis the menace-type rascally, outdoorsy boys 8.) girls like macho guys who can protect them like a caveman, and a dirty guy is closest to that And I never change my clothes, either. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/17 "2011-10-09T17:11:50Z")
> [@Nostravinci](#): > > Wow, great timing. > > Recently (last four months) I’ve felt the same way as the OP, but even more extremely. I went six weeks (yes, weeks) without showering, then 9 days, then 9 days again, and now I’m up to two weeks. The OP is dead-on when he says females ‘like the way a man smells’ (that old cliche line), for a number of reasons: > > 1.) pheremones from male sweat arouse them > 2.) women like to feel feminine in contrast to their male counterparts, so him being manly and smelly is good for them > 3.) it shows he’s accessible and not snooty or metrosexual (those pussies suck) > 4.) it means they don’t have to worry so much about being clean or anything around him because he’s down with the dirty > 5.) it means he’s probably not easily grossed out, so he’s more likely to, say, eat sushi (and not at a japanese restaurant) > 6.) it makes them feel superior to the man, which women love to feel > 7.) the mommy inside all girls feels affection towards dennis the menace-type rascally, outdoorsy boys > 8.) girls like macho guys who can protect them like a caveman, and a dirty guy is closest to that > > And I never change my clothes, either. Perhaps you should change your username to dickcheese? Just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/18 "2011-10-09T17:13:04Z")
I’ll bet she doesn’t like guys who dress sharp, either. ---
**Author:** ![studmuffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@studmuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/studmuffin)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/19 "2011-10-09T17:23:52Z")
> [@Nostravinci](#): > > Wow, great timing. > > Recently (last four months) I’ve felt the same way as the OP, but even more extremely. I went six weeks (yes, weeks) without showering, then 9 days, then 9 days again, and now I’m up to two weeks. The OP is dead-on when he says females ‘like the way a man smells’ (that old cliche line), for a number of reasons: > > 1.) pheremones from male sweat arouse them > 2.) women like to feel feminine in contrast to their male counterparts, so him being manly and smelly is good for them > 3.) it shows he’s accessible and not snooty or metrosexual (those pussies suck) > 4.) it means they don’t have to worry so much about being clean or anything around him because he’s down with the dirty > 5.) it means he’s probably not easily grossed out, so he’s more likely to, say, eat sushi (and not at a japanese restaurant) > 6.) it makes them feel superior to the man, which women love to feel > 7.) the mommy inside all girls feels affection towards dennis the menace-type rascally, outdoorsy boys > 8.) girls like macho guys who can protect them like a caveman, and a dirty guy is closest to that > > And I never change my clothes, either. You’re not in Prison are you ? Good try but being smelly is not gonna put off a determined lifer looking for some lurve :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075/20 "2011-10-09T17:49:03Z")
I work from home, and occasionally I don’t leave the house all they. I still shower each morning before beginning to work, and every night before I go to sleep. And it’s not that I have to - I’ve gone for a week or more without showering before, when hiking or in the army. I just like being clean. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-ok-to-smell/599075.md?page=2)