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Bad smell from flatmate's room

LegacyUser

We live in a 3 bed apartment, our flatmate who moved in about 6 months back has had a bad smell coming from his room from within days of moving in.

It smells like musty stale air, however it's also very pungent. If he goes in and out of his room, it lingers in the hall and can be smelled in the kitchen etc.

He works from home and probably spends 23 hours a day in his room - he pops out to the shop, or for food but he never seems to go out for a walk or do anything else (obviously Covid makes this more expected). He seems to shower every day. He puts on a wash of clothes about once a week.

I myself stayed in that room for several months before he moved in, so I'm pretty sure it's not the room. He's Indian and only eats traditional food. I don't know if this has something to do with it or not. It is not a spicy smell or anything that smells like a flavour or scent. I can only describe it as stale and musty and quite nauseating.

I've spoken to him about it on 2 or 3 occasions and told him it smells very bad. He was surprised to hear it the first time, and has been baffled as to what might be causing it since. He said he leaves his window open, and has now begun also leaving his door open to air out the room. However this does not appear to have improved things.

He's been very good about it, saying to please tell him and when I did say it to him if cleaned, sprayed some freshener etc etc.

I thought him leaving the door open would be the solution, ie to get some air circulation. However now it's just spreading the smell more.

At this stage it's getting a bit unbearable - I've been upfront about it and he appears to have gone to efforts to fix it, yet it's not improving. It's affecting myself and my other flatmate whose patience is even more shot than mine.

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced similar?

Thanks

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Neyite

Dead mouse in the cavity wall or under floorboards? Or possibly some sort of mould? Or something could have spilled on a carpet /mattress and gone rotten? Or sometimes people might clean their clothes but not their jacket or coat so it gets stinky from being put away damp. Or stinky shoes?

The only thing I can suggest is a full deep clean of the room taking out everything and putting it back in checking everything first, steam cleaning the fabrics of curtains, carpet, mattress and see if that helps.

Airyfairy12

Does he let his clothes dry in his room? Damp clothes if left for a few days can smell really bad. Does he leave food in his room? old food, especially fruit & veg can smell very strong when left out for a couple of days. Does he smoke in the room? Stale smoke and stale nicotine can smell very musty and pungent too.
He probably cant smell it himself because he's sitting in it all day every day

ulster

I once went for a viewing in a place with two indian women. I would have been replacing one of them. they had destroyed the place. Like it literally stank and was filthy. I was shocked. Yer one's room, the one I would have been renting was an ensuite and it was literally covered in grime. The carpet in the bedroom.was all hairs and no idea where that would have come from. Even in work, there'd be pungent smells in the lad's jacks, like it's not something that would be generated from bog standard irish canteen food.

Sorry I digress, but getting back to your problem....

If it was me personally I'd be considering moving out. Unless you're really attached to your other flatmate/the flat.

In the alternate case, yeah maybe getting a deep clean, maybe getting the landlord involved if you guys can't sort something like that between you? I think I might offer to pay for it to be thoroughly cleaned if it could be a once off.

shtpEdthePlum

The first house I went to rent with my partner had been occupied by an Indian family and there was an incredibly strong smell. I don't know if it was bad, but it wasn't just food smells. The windows and doors were all thrown open (possibly for days as it was summer but it was freezing) and it was a one room style apartment so ventilation was good throughout.

We had put the deposit down upon viewing but when we arrived, it was obvious from the smell that it hadn't received the cleaning we had been assured would happen. We insisted on getting the deposit back from them and found somewhere else.

Ahh 2001 when there were actually places to live.

Sorry I can't be of more help OP, it could literally just be that you're not used to their smell. People from different countries have very distinct smells to each other. You could ask him to keep his door closed and window open. As another poster said, the only way to really isolate what's causing the odour that's bothering you would be to take everything out.

I'm incredibly sensitive to smells and understand how that affects a person, so I hope you figure this out.

Airyfairy12

ulster wrote: »

I once went for a viewing in a place with two indian women. I would have been replacing one of them. they had destroyed the place. Like it literally stank and was filthy. I was shocked. Yer one's room, the one I would have been renting was an ensuite and it was literally covered in grime. The carpet in the bedroom.was all hairs and no idea where that would have come from. Even in work, there'd be pungent smells in the lad's jacks, like it's not something that would be generated from bog standard irish canteen food.

Sorry I digress, but getting back to your problem....

If it was me personally I'd be considering moving out. Unless you're really attached to your other flatmate/the flat.

In the alternate case, yeah maybe getting a deep clean, maybe getting the landlord involved if you guys can't sort something like that between you? I think I might offer to pay for it to be thoroughly cleaned if it could be a once off.

I dont mean to go off topic and get into discussion but what does being Indian have to do with it?
Ive lived with plenty of smelly Irish people, one used to leave pots full of mince meat on the kitchen counter, id come home after a weekend the house would be stinking, bins left over flowing too.
In college I lived with a girl from Galway whose room literally smelled like poo, turned out she'd regularly poo the bed because she wasnt bother to take herself to the bathroom, she once slept in my room because she wasnt bothered changing her sheets.

Smelly, dirty people come from everywhere.

YellowLead

It’s only his room and not him?
Have you spent time with him in a different room and there is no smell?
It could be breath or clothes or perhaps BO if he doesn’t use anti perspirant?
Unchanged bedclothes maybe never washed can rack up a serious stink.

Rubberchikken

What people eat could affect the smell coming from their pores.
Spicy food, or traditional food as the Op mentioned, could contribute to a smell that might be unpleasant to someone else.

Op you handled it well.by mentioning it to him and he has attempted to solve it so that in itself is good.

I'd be fir keeping the bedroom door closed if possible, the window open and maybe getting a good room air freshener.
Check he's not drying or airing his clothes in the room.

TheW1zard

Indian people think we smell, we think they smell. That's the way it is.

Rubberchikken

mod note

TheW1zard wrote: »

Indian people t[[B[/B]B][/B]hink we smell, we think they smell. That's the way it is.

Generalisations aren't necessary

Thanks

Rubberchikken

LegacyUser

Sounds like he's being very understanding and trying to help. When you mention the smell do they say they can smell? if no then they aren't likely to be able to pinpoint it on their own. Have you gone into the room yourself to try and pin point the source. If the smell started from when they moved in it's not likely to be damp clothes or food but something they own. Maybe they've an item of clothing they don't wear much or something in a bag or box that they don't notice smells as they are use to it. Get them to take everything out of the room and check if the smell is still there, if not then give it a deep clean then help them check each item before it goes back in the room.

Thelonious Monk

I eat more garlic and chillies that probably most Indian people and have never had such issues in decades of living with others.

Dial Hard

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I eat more garlic and chillies that probably most Indian people and have never had such issues in decades of living with others.

Cumin can be an issue. It has a very strong smell, clings like a mofo to soft furnishings and has a cumulative effect if they're not cleaned/freshened every time it's used. Unfortunately it also tends to smell very much like BO/stale sweat when it lingers.

Thelonious Monk

Dial Hard wrote: »

Cumin can be an issue. It has a very strong smell, clings like a mofo to soft furnishings and has a cumulative effect if they're not cleaned/freshened every time it's used. Unfortunately it also tends to smell very much like BO/stale sweat when it lingers.

Never noticed that, but then I enjoy the smell of spices coming from a kitchen. Cumin as I'm sure you know is widely used in Indian cooking.

PetitPois89

Would he be using mothballs perhaps? Certain Asian cultures use mothballs and they can smell pretty rancid.

hellyeah

As others have said bed sheets, manky duvet can get serious smell in room if not washed / replaced regularly especially if there spending 23 hours a day in said room.

zoobizoo

I live with an older relative.

He rarely changes his socks.

The odour wafts out once the room door is open.

Socks and therefore the shoes are the issue.

Have a nosey in his room if you get a chance.

lalababa

Indian food/cooking is notoriously pungent for westerners. No. 2 on the list would be incense burning.....the rest would be the usual-socks shoes clothes linenðŸ€”
Also some people need to look up the word racism in the dictionary and actually cop the **** on.

Larbre34

Other people are a whole deal.

Gekko

Sweaty socks and shoes - and maybe feet - can stink out a room easily

LegacyUser

Hi OP,
Unfortunately I know exactly the smell you are talking about. There are an Indian family living next door to me, and during the summer, if I was in my garden, I would know they had opened their patio doors just by the smell that hit me all of a sudden, and I would be yards away from their back door. It is unbearable, happens all year round but the summer is the worst as they can leave their door open for the majority of the day. The only thing I can do is go back inside to be honest, and it stops me from even hanging washing on my line.

This particular family never once open a window..

Absolutely no generalisation or racism intended in this post, I am speaking purely on my experience.

spaceHopper

Neyite wrote: »

Dead mouse in the cavity wall or under floorboards?

My money would be on this he's used to the smell and hasn't noticed. Work with him, we all have to much junk do a clear out and check all the vents lift carpet.... is it an old house converted or modern apartment.

cloudatlas

A humidifier may help. I have a bowl of water on my radiator with olbas oil in it. I also burn vanilla candles in my room.

Other than that the mattress or the bed base may need to be cleaned. Vinegar and bicarb soda on the bed base.

There may be a dead mouse somewhere, we've dealt with that in my flat, stank to high heaven for ages and nothing we could do, went away eventually.

Otherwise keep the doors closed and maybe burn incense or do something in the hall way.

zoobizoo

spaceHopper wrote: »

My money would be on this he's used to the smell and hasn't noticed. Work with him, we all have to much junk do a clear out and check all the vents lift carpet.... is it an old house converted or modern apartment.

There's no way someone wouldn't notice that smell. I've had dead mice under floorboards before and it isn't something one gets used to.

LegacyUser

Unfortunately OP, theres lots of possibilities but it's good your housemate is taking your concerns seriously.
Are you sensitive to smells generally? I am, and this sounds really icky but sometimes I find going into someone elses bedroom that it smells like breath (really stale) if the window hasn't been open. If he's working there all the time and sleeping there too, just having the window open won't fix it, air needs to be circulating. If its an old cooking smell (spicy odour really clings to clothes etc) that's really hard to remove. Is the room en suite? Could be something bathroom-related. I think its likely to be a combination of things and might be tricky to sort, but best of luck.

suicide_circus

Some people just have a strong smell off them. I've a very pungent friend, he is fit and healtht, he washes daily like everyone else but if he sweats or farts it's utterly eye watering. Apparently Europeans can smell bad to east asians on account of our consumption of dairy which is largely absent form their diet so it could be a dietary issue. Not sure what you can do about it, sorry!

Princess Calla

I think there's a thread in the diy forum, I read it just recently.

The poster was saying an awful smell would come from one particular room but not all the time....they did everything stripped it out etc but still couldn't fathom the smell, plus the smell wasn't always there.

Turned out to be the lightbulb of all things....I think a higher watt bulb than was recommended was put in and was burning the fitting (but it wasn't a burn smell they were getting)

LegacyUser

Hi OP, I (female) lived in numerous house shares over the years but there was an Irish lad who moved in with myself and another girl for a few months. Within a week, we noticed a very strong, musty, musky (even damp) smell from his room. He showered frequently, washed his clothes regularly, left the windows open but there was still a prevailing odour no matter how we cleaned or aired the house. I had to share the bathroom with him but the smell seemed to creep and linger in there too. We ensured the hallway window was opened daily with a pot of essential oils and also used bicarbonate of soda to try and absorb the smell, bleached the bathroom regularly. I had a discussion with my other housemate at the time but she had the same experience on a previous occasion. Some guys just have stronger body odours than others, its not pleasant but we just lived with it. When he did eventually move out, it took about a few weeks for the smell to go.

The Mighty Quinn

Previously lived with an Indian girl. Can relate. Honestly, per Dial Hard's comments earlier, I think it's the cumin. It's unpleasant.

DoozerT6

Having shared with guys before, it could be poor laundry/room hygiene habits. Does he change and wash his clothes and bed sheets regularly? I once shared with a guy who had the smelliest feet known to man. You could smell it as soon as you walked in the front door; smelly socks and dirty underwear. It might be a start if he was prepared to wash every piece of clothing he owns to start with, Febreze mattress/duvet/pillows/carpets/curtains etc, air out his room daily, change sheets weekly, shower daily and perhaps moderate the spices in his food for a while to see if that helps?

A friendly honest chat with the above suggestions might be called for. I'd be morto if my flatmates told me I had an unpleasant odour coming from my room. You can't police your flatmates every personal habit, but an unpleasant smell affects everybody in the house and you are quite within your rights to politely ask him to try to remedy it.

doughef

DoozerT6 wrote: »

Having shared with guys before, it could be poor laundry/room hygiene habits. Does he change and wash his clothes and bed sheets regularly? I once shared with a guy who had the smelliest feet known to man. You could smell it as soon as you walked in the front door; smelly socks and dirty underwear. It might be a start if he was prepared to wash every piece of clothing he owns to start with, Febreze mattress/duvet/pillows/carpets/curtains etc, air out his room daily, change sheets weekly, shower daily and perhaps moderate the spices in his food for a while to see if that helps?

A friendly honest chat with the above suggestions might be called for. I'd be morto if my flatmates told me I had an unpleasant odour coming from my room. You can't police your flatmates every personal habit, but an unpleasant smell affects everybody in the house and you are quite within your rights to politely ask him to try to remedy it.

I think he’s done all this ?
Maybe have a look at the start ...