# Weird smell in elevator... any ideas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 15, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-smell-in-elevator-any-ideas/168798 "2003-04-15T02:55:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kansas\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kansas\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kansas_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-smell-in-elevator-any-ideas/168798/1 "2003-04-15T02:55:28Z")
The superintendant in my apartment building are stumped by a strong smell in the building’s elevator. It’s hard to describe, but it smells a bit like body odor (BO) and/or stale air. They claim that they search the entire elevator shaft (4 floors) and found nothing. They thought that maybe someone had thrown a raw piece of chicken down there! The building is old (circa 1940s) and the elevator is one of those quaint ones where you have to pull over the (200 pound!) door. Any ideas on what this could be? Does mold have a smell? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-smell-in-elevator-any-ideas/168798/2 "2003-04-15T03:29:37Z")
In movies, people are always transporting dead bodies though the elevators… ---
**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:** [April 15, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-smell-in-elevator-any-ideas/168798/3 "2003-04-15T03:34:28Z")
It could be mold/mildew from an old leak in shaft. It could be roach/rat/aardvark dander/droppings mixed with stagnate water at bottom of shaft. It could be urine (dog or human) in the elevator car. So many things it could be… ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-smell-in-elevator-any-ideas/168798/4 "2003-04-16T06:36:06Z")
Is the floor covered with carpet? ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-smell-in-elevator-any-ideas/168798/5 "2003-04-16T07:20:32Z")
SARS???