Smells

[Lizzie48]

I was thinking, DH and myself toured Scotland in 2000, we booked B&Bs in advance through an agency, they were all very good, except the one in Oban!!! Oh dear, I smelt it before the lady opened the door, airwicks etc etc through the whole house, even our bedroom! My lips were so swollen, eyes etc etc, even DH found it overpowering! The breakfast tasted of perfume. After that we always asked to view the room first!

[Oma]

Lizzie my niece can't have any kind of plug in she can't breath and her eyes swell.
I don't like if rooms in hotels have them, I always think they are masking something.

[Daisy]

I never use things like air fresheners, or those plug-in things, because they always smell artificial to me, and they can be very bad for pets. The only exception is a small, solid Airwick in the cupboard under the stairs because it can smell dusty.

I always put a spray air freshener in the cloakroom and bathroom when we have visitors though just in case they feel the need. But even they might be removed next time we have certain visitors. A few months ago they must have emptied half a can of the stuff into both the bathroom and cloakroom and I could still smell it weeks later, even though I'd washed the tiles, cleaned round the lights, washed the shower curtain - it was awful. I'm sorry, but next time they come, they'll just have to open a window instead!

Lizzie, it must be awful to feel your eyes and lips swelling like that, and it sounds as though there was no escape from the smells, even in your bedroom.

Gem, the typical smell in a florists brings back lovely memories for me. When I was a child my Mum would always go to a particular florists and buy some fresh flowers for the house. I loved going into that shop and 'helping' her to choose. When De Caen Anenomies were in season she would always buy a bunch and put them in a little green glass rose bowl. I've still got that bowl and can always picture it with richly coloured flowers with black centres and green ruffs. I got all my wedding flowers from the same shop.

[Gemini]

Our cat sitter is very sensitive to washing powder smells. When she stays I give all her bedding a second short wash in just water.

[Grauntie Mag]

This is very interesting. I don’t like the smell of washing powders/liquids, I can smell them on people as they pass by. On holiday at present in Crete, and some places smell of orange blossom which I used to love, but I can understand why people must get fed up with the smell. We met some folk from Norway last night who were drinking a local brew, the lady insisted I try it. It was like toilet cleaner smells! It had pine needles in it apparently. 😝 Also, the smell of cigarettes and lipstick on ladies. It reminds me of a teacher when I was a mixed infant! Plenty of that here.

[Oma]

Oh goodness Grauntie
I couldn't taste that yuk.
Some smells revoke memories,
Daz washing powder does that ,it's a very strong smell and I think of my mother with the boiler out doing the washing when we were small , the smell lingered on clothes till the next wash.

[Daisy]

Grauntie, my DS2 is the same with washing products. They literally make his eyes water and make his face all red and blotchy. That local brew sounds awful, it was brave of you to try it. It's amazing how smells from our childhoods stay with us. We had a family friend who always used a particular type of bath cubes and I could always smell them on her. I ope you're having a lovely holiday, despite the pine needles. xx

[Sum1Ls]

I lost my sense of smell about thirty years ago after a virus. It gradually returned after about 36 months and I felt quite deprived without it. The first thing I could smell was when I was with Y6 on school journey and we walked through Swanage churchyard. Then suddenly the sweetest lovliest scent ever came into my nose. It was the lime tree blossom. I couldn’t move for about fifteen minutes just experiencing the scent. Then it was thyme, sage and. Mint that returned but even now it’s still quite random.
The only plus was that I couldn’t smell the grandsons nappies!

[Sum1Ls]

It’s the smell of coal that takes me back, not often smelt these days.

[Gemini]

Me too Sum1. I remember that smell from the coal fire of my childhood.

[Oma]

Oh yes coal fires how lovely 😁

[Daisy]

Yes, coal fires - lovely. Except when it rained on Mondays and mum put clothes to dry round the fire. It would hit me as soon as I walked through the door - that smell of half-dried washing. . I always vowed I'd never do that and got a tumble drier even before we had a washing machine.