I love you, but you stink.

TheMrsC23

Dear Prudie,
I have a 14-year-old daughter whose body odor and room is very repulsive to me. My daughter takes a bath every morning before school but still always smells like she is on her menses, even when it isn't that time of the month. Her room has an even stronger odor and I can hardly stand going in there. I've spoken to her about it and she insists she can't smell it, though I feel she's become immune to the smell. My husband doesn't seem to notice it, not even her body odor. I've given her soap and shower gels telling her that they really smell nice in an effort to entice her to use them. After approaching her about this several times to no avail, I'm seeking your help in how to address this with her without her feeling that I'm always "on her case" about something. Please help!

—Malodourous

ReturnOfKuus

I wonder if she doesn't stink to anyone but her mother.

Wzz

has she tried giving the daughter deodorant and then opening a window?

i also think the mom is the only one who can smell this.

VarunaTT

She needs to stop giving her scented soaps and switch laundry detergents and othe scented things first.  Sometimes body chemistry reacts weird with that stuff and her daughter might not be able to help it.  DH and his father have a weird body odor as well. It's not bad, but it's different.  If we stick with a scent free body detergent and scent free body washes, it doesn't seem to come out as badly and I rarely notice it unless he's sweating or something.

TheMrsC23

It takes no time for the kiddo to get fun-ky.  And his room can be pretty stinky too, between the hamper and his shoes. 

Air freshners have come a long way in the last few years and if I pop one of those suckers in his room, it takes no time to smell like lilacs or apple cinnamon.

And the kiddo showers every night, which helps keep the funk at bay because he doesn't sleep all night in his room with a days worth of funk on him.

GBCK

I'm also stuck in the "who else can smell it?" holding pattern.

Methinks talking to a doctor might be wise if it's this bad.

NOLABridesmaid

Maybe mom is pregnant. Time to POAS.

Why not take to child to the doctor to see if she has some type of infection?