# Worst smells in the world **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622 "2016-05-12T18:07:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/21 "2016-05-12T20:56:39Z")
Toast. I think it smells terrible and immediately ruins my appetite whenever I smell it. I am well aware that my mileage is varying on this one ---
**Author:** ![InsomniaMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ad7895/32.png) [@InsomniaMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InsomniaMama)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/22 "2016-05-12T21:05:49Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Rotten potatoes. Wow, 14 posts before the correct answer showed up. That’s some nasty funk. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/23 "2016-05-12T21:09:27Z")
heavily spoiled milk burning hair Someone else’s flatulence ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2016, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/24 "2016-05-12T21:23:44Z")
Axe cologne Patchouli Dead people The t-shirt worn for three straight days by a heavy smoker who doesn’t believe in deodorant that somehow ended up shut in car trunk for a week. Get back, honky cat! ---
**Author:** ![Periwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Periwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Periwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/25 "2016-05-12T22:12:26Z")
Packaging for raw chicken that was left in the kitchen trash overnight Decaying/rotting things Poop Vomit and strong cheese Strong BO Rubbing alcohol Mold ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2016, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/26 "2016-05-12T23:03:06Z")
Abercrombie & Fitch stores. What’s that _stench_ that pours out of the door of one of those stores? We call them Abercrombie & Stench. Smoker’s breath - especially from cigars Boiling tar A homeless guy who sleeps on the sidewalk in front of bus station next door. I really don’t think he has ever bathed in his life. ---
**Author:** ![Last\_Glacial\_Maximum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Last\_Glacial\_Maximum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Last_Glacial_Maximum)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/27 "2016-05-12T23:56:58Z")
One dozen nite crawlers forgotten in a container and then found one week later {after having sat in the hot sun}. I guarantee the smell will clear the area for 100’ in all directions… . ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/28 "2016-05-13T01:29:06Z")
skunk some sewage urine bagged wet grass cuttings that have been left in the garage all week rotting bait politicians; any variety. Although you could argue that with skunk already being listed … ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/29 "2016-05-13T01:48:23Z")
Dog farts ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/30 "2016-05-13T02:06:07Z")
Durian ---
**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:** [May 13, 2016, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/31 "2016-05-13T02:10:11Z")
Decomposing flesh Burning rubber Halitosis from gum disease Baby shit Burning hair Vomit ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/32 "2016-05-13T02:15:55Z")
> [@ddsun](#): > > Fresh concentrated skunk spray. Oh my god, this. I would have listed potentially dozens of other smells of this thread had been created a few months ago. My dog got sprayed in the face at point blank range and ran into the house saturated and dripping with the oil. It was otherworldly. I mean, a totally different league than anything else I’ve ever experienced. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/33 "2016-05-13T02:16:05Z")
Rotten potatoes. Far worse than decomposing flesh. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/34 "2016-05-13T02:27:52Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Durian Seriously, combine all the smells mentioned so far in this thread and all the smells yet to be mentioned, then multiply that by a factor of 1 million, and you have durian. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/35 "2016-05-13T02:57:49Z")
Didn’t read the whole thread. One time I washed some clothes and when they were done and I opened the washer, the worst smell I’ve even come across in my whole life wafted out. I can’t even describe it–it was the kind of smell that makes your tongue curl up in your head. After some investigation, I looked in the rubber gasket that lines the opening (front-loader) and there was a dead lizard in there. If you think rotting mammal flesh will make you gag, it’s nothing compared to rotting reptile flesh. I guess he got in the laundry basket. I lived out in the country and routinely found scorpions, snakes, and whatnot in the house. Poor little guy, he didn’t have a chance. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2016, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/36 "2016-05-13T03:00:08Z")
Rotting vegetation of any sort, including vegetables. Cooking spinach. Cooking beets. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/37 "2016-05-13T06:11:05Z")
Wet Dog Wet Dog Food Wet Dog Food Puke Warhammer Nerd Wall Squid (Don’t ask) Festival Port-a-Potty Lactose-Intolerance Farts ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/38 "2016-05-13T08:01:49Z")
Selenium or Telurium will make you _really_ smell… ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/39 "2016-05-13T11:29:19Z")
Burnt aluminum (boiling water kettle left on stove while you fall asleep, wake up from the stench…) ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622/40 "2016-05-13T14:10:01Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > Rotten potatoes. Far worse than decomposing flesh. This is interesting. I was away from the house for several weeks and I thought I had buttoned everything up, but apparently a bag of potatoes escaped unnoticed. I have to say that I didn’t think it smelled _horribly_ bad, (like poop smells bad). However, it just seemed like it went straight to the vomit section of my brain. It was definitely not fun to get rid of. For me, some things can smell really bad but not make you want to vomit, other things don’t smell as repulsive, but are insta-hurl. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-smells-in-the-world/754622.md?page=3)