# Synthetic or "chemical" smells you love **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 10, 2014, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953 "2014-02-10T06:36:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/41 "2014-02-11T02:15:14Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Printer’s ink and “machine shop” are two, dare I say, happy, warm and embracing smells. > > Like\*\* Busy Scissors\*\*, I dig that first tingly whiff of methylene chloride, but by the third whiff, it’s done a complete 180 and becomes unbearable. > > For the people jonesing for the old grit-free white Gojo, Amazon sells it. I agree with you, I have had considerable exposure to both and it brings on good feelings. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/42 "2014-02-11T02:25:21Z")
> [@Dobbs](#): > > No love for Hoppe’s 9? > [http://www.hoppes.com/bore-cleaners/no-9-solvent](http://www.hoppes.com/bore-cleaners/no-9-solvent) Oh yes I do love it, fits right in with the machineshop smell **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/43 "2014-02-11T02:27:30Z")
I like the smell of diesel exhaust because it reminds me of Disneyland. Also like the smell of a new motorcycle, the first few times you ride it when it’s still working out its packing material. And the “after-smell” of Safeguard bar soap (you take a big ol’ whiff from the box it came in, then kind of let it roll around in your nose for a bit.) ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/44 "2014-02-11T04:13:24Z")
Bus exhaust, varnish, shellac, solvents, glues, rubberized treads, and many of the others mentioned above (especially the garage/tool shed smell). ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/45 "2014-02-11T04:13:35Z")
Gasoline. MagicMarkers. Nail polish remover. Burning coal. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/46 "2014-02-11T04:55:42Z")
> [@Busy\_Scissors](#): > > . . . Weird one, as I’ve never smoked, but I quite like the smell of cigarette smoke outside in the fresh air. Just bumping this to second it. Tobacco smoke, up close and strong, is not so nice, but at a little distance, especially in cold air, it’s oddly pleasant. I kind of like cleansers, like Windex. The ammonia is nice…ah…when not too awfully strong. The key to many of these aromas is diffusion! ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/47 "2014-02-11T05:08:26Z")
> [@Dobbs](#): > > No love for Hoppe’s 9? > > [http://www.hoppes.com/bore-cleaners/no-9-solvent](http://www.hoppes.com/bore-cleaners/no-9-solvent) Especially with a dash of black powder. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/48 "2014-02-11T06:56:49Z")
3in1 oil ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/49 "2014-02-11T07:03:55Z")
Burning leaves. Herbal Essence shampoo. Mimeographed papers reminded me of bubble gum. I think most of the smells mentioned are ones that people associate with pleasant memories. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/50 "2014-02-11T07:25:07Z")
Napalm. Nothin like the smell. Better than coffee! ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/51 "2014-02-11T08:01:35Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I’m an ex-regular now occasional smoker, but I know exactly what you mean. The smell of someone lighting a cigarette in the next room or the car in front of me is great at first. Just the first few puffs, but it gets stale (and old) very quickly. FTR, that smell has little to do with how it tastes. > That’s ozone. Copy machines do that as well. > It sounds like you like the smell of (petroleum based) solvents. I’m guessing you like the smell of things like WD-40 and nail polish remover/acetone as well. Oh, no doubt about it. Most hydrocarbons. Even emissions like car exhaust. Speaking of, and I know the smell is added since it’s odorless actually, but the smell of natural gas. I meant to being up acetone. Also turpentine. A lot of solvents are inexplicably beyond pleasant. I suppose there’s a nostalgic element to some of these odors now, but even then, I remember taking in deep, nosefulls because damn it just smelled good! I don’t particularly love the smell of burning rubber, but the memories/era it brings back is great. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/52 "2014-02-11T08:08:40Z")
Ooh, and speaking of the great drug store smell, also small hardware stores like Ace/Aco, or craft stores like Michael’s. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/53 "2014-02-11T08:12:24Z")
Murphy’s Oil Soap, lighter fluid or kerosene, and benzine! ---
**Author:** ![jrsone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jrsone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jrsone)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/54 "2014-02-11T14:29:43Z")
I used to love the plastic smell of opening a new cassette tape. I also love the smell of opening a new pair of shoes. Also, sunscreen. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/55 "2014-02-11T16:03:50Z")
I think I’d love the smell of rubbing alcohol if it didn’t remind so much of going to the doctors to receive shots as a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/56 "2014-02-11T16:07:31Z")
I love the smell of diesel; it reminds me of my high-school boyfriend who drove an old Mercedes. I also like to smell ink; I was a newspaper reporter long ago and the smell of ink pervaded the building when the presses were running. It reminds me of how much I loved that job. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/57 "2014-02-11T16:11:47Z")
I love the smell of ink too. But over a decade of doing press checks and working in the offices over some massive web presses has made that smell remind me of parts of a job I couldn’t stand anymore. Or maybe it was my coworkers I couldn’t stand? But yes. The smell of a press room in and of itself? _sniiiiiiiifffff_ ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/58 "2014-02-11T16:15:21Z")
When I was a kid I used to love the smell of catalogues - those big 1,500-page mail order catalogues (Littlewoods, Janet Frazer et al). When a brand new one was delivered I couldn’t resist having a good old sniff. And creosote. It’s no longer sold here, but I still have an old tin in the shed, which manages to make the whole shed smell. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/59 "2014-02-11T17:04:20Z")
I love all the smells mentioned, except for burning rubber. And has anyone mentioned dry-cleaners’ smell? Also the smell when it’s very cold outside, and it has just snowed. And the smell of some vitamins. And the beach/ocean smell. ---
**Author:** ![RedBloom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dbc845/32.png) [@RedBloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedBloom)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953/60 "2014-02-11T17:28:54Z")
Cigarettes/cigars Car air freshners The smell of exhaust on someone when they come in from the outdoors Permanent markers Glue Perfumes (pretty much any) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synthetic-or-chemical-smells-you-love/680953.md?page=4)