# What is that smell in old people's homes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2005, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527 "2005-11-24T02:37:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/1 "2005-11-24T02:37:49Z")
Are they rotting? Does anyone else notice there is a certain smell when you enter old people’s homes? It always seems to be the same smell. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/2 "2005-11-24T02:49:41Z")
Ya mean that beef broth whiff? ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/3 "2005-11-24T03:45:09Z")
Stale Ben-Gay. ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/4 "2005-11-24T03:58:33Z")
Moth balls and medical ointment. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/5 "2005-11-24T04:03:04Z")
Dust ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/6 "2005-11-24T04:14:47Z")
Embalming fluid and Clubman hair tonic. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/7 "2005-11-24T04:53:36Z")
It’s all those tubs of scented powder they get from the grandkids for Christmans every year. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/8 "2005-11-24T04:56:38Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Are they rotting? Does anyone else notice there is a certain smell when you enter old people’s homes? It always seems to be the same smell. What does it say about me that I laughed out loud when I moused over this topic? Seriously. - Peter Wiggen P.S. The answer? It’s Death’s cologne. ---
**Author:** ![VegemiteMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/df788c/32.png) [@VegemiteMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VegemiteMoose)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/9 "2005-11-24T04:58:14Z")
That my friend is the smell of wisdom. Well, wisdom and pee. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/10 "2005-11-24T06:15:22Z")
> [@VegemiteMoose](#): > > That my friend is the smell of wisdom. Well, wisdom and pee. That’s wrong. Amusing as all hell, but still… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/11 "2005-11-24T14:50:51Z")
Unfortunately, he is correct. When I visit Florida, my grandparents live two houses down from an even elderly couple and the smell of urine os so overwhelming that I can barely drive past it without gagging. One might also argue that the smell, that you smell, is the early stench of death. I believe that death is a gradual process and that it gives off an oder. ---
**Author:** ![Ezstrete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ea924/32.png) [@Ezstrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezstrete)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/12 "2005-11-24T16:13:20Z")
> [@Surbey](#): > > Unfortunately, he is correct. When I visit Florida, my grandparents live two houses down from an even elderly couple and the smell of urine os so overwhelming that I can barely drive past it without gagging. > > One might also argue that the smell, that you smell, is the early stench of death. I believe that death is a gradual process and that it gives off an oder. As one of THEM let me say that the odor [which emanates from your imagination] is,if it exists at all, the product of years of mental and physical labor spent creating,developing and perfecting the toys which the CHILDREN of today somehow feel are Theirs… Even the media which they use to ask others of their own ilk such unkindly questions is an inherited phenomenon. AND-----------if one takes away the underarm deoderants,cheap cosmetics, hair spray and aftershave etc you’d all smell just like us----or even worse. If you want to know what ALL ages really smell like----visit your local basketball court locker room EZ ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/13 "2005-11-24T17:01:05Z")
Urine, cleaning products, cabbage and hanging in a cloying pall over everything else “Flowers of the Forest” air freshener. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/14 "2005-11-24T17:29:38Z")
According to the Belgian singer Jacques Brel in “Les vieux”, it smells thyme, cleanness, lavender and yesteryear’s words. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/15 "2005-11-24T17:34:56Z")
I agree with the poster who said it’s the aroma of “Pre-Death”. My dad doesn’t have it yet, but my mother-in-law certainly does. She’s older…makes sense! ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/16 "2005-11-24T17:39:18Z")
My guess is that it’s products that used to be common in days of yesteryear, especially for grooming and for the home, that are uncommon or rare now; talcum powder, mothballs, hair tonic, strong floral-scented perfume, old brands of aftershace, and the like. My parents are in their 70s, and although there’s no general “old person smell” in their house, they use a LOT of talcum powder, for some reason. I noticed the same with many others around their age and older. I also noticed that there’s a direct dorrelation with age and strongly scented soaps. I would imagine that 50 years from now, “old person smell” would be much different than it is now. ---
**Author:** ![PinkShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/76d3ee/32.png) [@PinkShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PinkShoes)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/17 "2005-11-24T17:43:31Z")
When we bought our house from an old couple in their mid-80’s we couldn’t imagine how stuffy the house was. They had no heating or air conditioner system, had painted all the windows shut and they wouldn’t open, had no ceiling fans. I would think they just opened their front or back door for ventilation so when we had a look through of the house that’s what we smelled. I think it’s not enough ventilation. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/18 "2005-11-24T17:44:25Z")
> [@Ezstrete](#): > > As one of THEM let me say that the odor [which emanates from your imagination] is,if it exists at all, the product of years of mental and physical labor spent creating,developing and perfecting the toys which the CHILDREN of today somehow feel are Theirs… The question could’ve been asked more politely, but I think you’re taking this a little too personally. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/19 "2005-11-24T18:00:19Z")
I don’t have anything to add except a link to the [last conclusions](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=306689) on this question. **Ezstrete** seems to have taken offence that last time too, but I don’t think you should. ---
**Author:** ![Ezstrete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ea924/32.png) [@Ezstrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezstrete)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527/20 "2005-11-24T18:29:22Z")
[QUOTE=Nanoda] I don’t have anything to add except a link to the [last conclusions](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=306689) on this question. **Ezstrete** seems to have taken offence that last time too, but I don’t think you should.[/QUOTE It’s apples and oranges of opinion-----and whose ox is being gored! It was asked in a public forum and that does not prevent me from reacting as a member of the 85+ “stinking generation”. EZ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-that-smell-in-old-peoples-homes/332527.md?page=2)