# Name a scent that, whenever you smell it, it takes you back to your childhood. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 24, 2015, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484 "2015-02-24T03:40:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/61 "2015-02-24T20:59:00Z")
My grandmother’s house had well water with a very high mineral content. Anytime I get a smell of water like that I’m right back in her kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/62 "2015-02-24T21:21:25Z")
No mention yet of meconium, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/63 "2015-02-24T21:24:09Z")
Bondo and paint thinner. Takes me right back to my dad’s old body shop. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/64 "2015-02-24T21:50:52Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > Honeysuckle. > > Wood smoke. > > Firecracker smoke. > > Mowed grass. This. Also, that funky sugary chemical smell of the gum when you’d open a pack of TOPPS Cards or Bazooka Joe gum. ---
**Author:** ![DoperChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@DoperChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoperChic)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/65 "2015-02-24T23:35:58Z")
My now deceased mother suffered from pretty severe bouts of depression as I was growing up. On her better days she would clean, often using Pine Sol. Coming home from school I could often tell what sort of afternoon I was going to have based on the smell of the house. Pine Sol = good day. No Pine Sol = mom in bed. So to this day, I have a strong love-hate relationship with the smell of Pine Sol. I can’t bring myself to even buy any cleaning products with a similar scent. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/66 "2015-02-24T23:39:45Z")
Cedar for me. I spent many summers at a camp that was in the middle of a cedar forest, even met my wife there. The smell immediately brings me back. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2015, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/67 "2015-02-24T23:55:07Z")
> [@funky\_little\_lee](#): > > Creosote–they used to use it to protect the planks in the boardwalk at the shore. It induces a whole set of smells, like cotton candy, french fries, salt air, etc., so strongly that just for a second, I’m back there. I thought I would be the first to name creosote. I think it goes back to the time my father put in a picket fence, and painted it on fence posts. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/68 "2015-02-25T00:05:20Z")
Smudge pots from the citrus groves surrounding our neighborhood Automobile exhaust from leaded gas The ocean - we were 10 miles from the beach Fresh lavender, from my Great Aunts’ garden Dill, from when my Aunt would can pickles Coppertone sun “tan” lotion ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/69 "2015-02-25T00:14:56Z")
Bactine Solarcaine Black raspberries crushed with sugar in milk The first puff of smoke from a freshly lit Marlboro (both parents smoked) A light waft of skunk on a hot night Murphy’s Oil Soap Avon Roses Roses Roses perfume Every single one of these causes an immediate pang in my heart ---
**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:** [February 25, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/70 "2015-02-25T00:36:47Z")
None of these are associated with my childhood per se, but there are three scents I strongly associate with particular people: 1: Hot electrical insulation. My paternal grandfather had a huge model train set in his basement, and whenever it was running, it smelled “electrical”. That smell is very nearly the only thing I remember about him. 2: Apple cider vinegar. My maternal grandmother often used it in the kitchen (and Grandma in the kitchen was always a good memory, as she was an excellent cook). I still don’t use any other vinegar, myself. 3: Tomato plants. No, not the fruits (though I love those too), but the smell you get from rubbing the leaves. My mom is an avid gardener, and I always associate that smell with her. ---
**Author:** ![Thylacine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thylacine/32/1143_2.png) [@Thylacine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacine)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/71 "2015-02-25T01:20:32Z")
I recently bought a jar of lime marmalade and the first time I opened the jar I could smell morning grandmother. It was a lovely place/time/person to be unexpectedly returned to for that moment. I get why she always ate it, it is really delicious. ---
**Author:** ![BaldDudePeekskill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@BaldDudePeekskill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaldDudePeekskill)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/72 "2015-02-25T02:00:56Z")
The clean smell of my mom ironing our weeks school shirts on a Sunday evening. Bittersweet, actually…as a child that smell was the smell of the weekend ending, and it was not eagerly anticipated. But now, it brings me back to an easier time of life. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/73 "2015-02-25T02:15:43Z")
Dried yarrow flowers. And I have no idea why. Mom claims she’s never used them, but they are so deeply and instantly a “Mommy” odor to me. Best we can guess is that they kinda sorta smell like wheat germ, which she used a lot? But actual wheat germ doesn’t trigger that nearly so much as yarrow flowers. _shrug_ ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/74 "2015-02-25T02:36:22Z")
Ice cream stands. It’s kind of a combination between hot dogs roasting, ice cream melting on the pavement, and the warm sun shining on people standing outside. The smell of a smoker’s hands and jacket after they’re done smoking, as well as the tobacco-y smell before they light up. Reminds me of my dad. Not the smell of a cigarette while it’s being smoked, though, that’s just gross. And petrichor. I loved playing out in the rain as a kid. The smell of the air right after a light rainshower takes me right back. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/75 "2015-02-25T02:44:06Z")
Oh, and the smell of a well-read, well-loved book. It’s been so long since I read a non-ebook that I forgot. ---
**Author:** ![Marlonius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Marlonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlonius)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/76 "2015-02-25T02:44:50Z")
A certain brand of mildew in the basement takes me right back to my Grandfather’s basement workshop where I used to follow him around. The scent gives me all the details from the squeak of the door and the grey painted stairs to the multi-coloured “Indian Corn” cobs he had hanging in the stairwell for some unknown reason. And not to leave my other grandparents out, the smell of propane takes me back to their kitchen and the smells of Grandma cooking. Their small town was not on a natural gas pipeline and everyone had a propane tank next to their house. So…I love the smell of mildew and propane. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/77 "2015-02-25T03:08:21Z")
Shalimar by Guerlain ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/78 "2015-02-25T14:07:05Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > Shalimar by Guerlain My mother has worn that perfume my entire life, and it momentarily discombobulates me if I smell it and she’s not around. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/79 "2015-02-25T14:13:49Z")
Colorforms. Ditto/mimeograph machines. Mom wore Arpege perfume and I bought a small bottle of it after she died. Reminded me so much of her I had to get rid of it. My dad smelled like work and smoke and Dad. A wonderful smell that is so comforting. The slightly stale/moldy smell of cottages or sheds when they’ve been opened after being closed up. Oil based interior paint. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484/80 "2015-02-25T15:13:05Z")
Eighty posts before someone mentions Proust’s _Remembrance of Things Past_? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-a-scent-that-whenever-you-smell-it-it-takes-you-back-to-your-childhood/713484.md?page=5)