BO

my g-son and his g-friend both teach in secondary schools.... and have in the past commented what a smelly lot they can be.... "and when they take off their blazers ... !!!!"

i asked what they did about it... during tutor group time personal hygiene is regularly brought up... comparison of deodorants etc sprays / sticks ... how you actually need to wash before applying ... etc ...

but crucially the subject is raised up near a weekend of holiday with a laughing gentle reminder (!) that don't forget that their blazers will need washing as well as their body and shirts ...

apparently works till next time ...

Some clothes, particularly synthetics, can hold the sweaty smell even after washing. It’s not immediately noticable, but if ironed, the smell can be released and it may happen with warmth of body. When my children were teenagers, I can remember school shirts getting very stained with sweat which wouldn’t wash out.

I’m not sure what the solution to getting sweat stains and smells out of clothes, but I suspect the practice of washing at lower temperatures may not help.

Perhaps girl’s mother should check clothes after washing to make sure they’are not contributing to the problem.

Another thing worth mentioning is her clothes and whether they are being laundered effectively. We're told to wash cool to help the environment but sometimes a 30 or 40°wash doesn't cut it.

With my son's things - since teenage hormones have kicked in - I struggle in hot weather. Have tried hotter washes, the dettol anti bac laundry liquid, adding vinegar, washing soda etc to no avail and sometimes I just have to wash his stuff twice to get the stink out. (And I can't mix his clothes with ours as the smell permeates everything)

I was just thinking the same thing Riggie - cold washes are very popular to 'save the environment' and cold washes do not kill off the bacteria.
It's the bacteria that causes the BO.

and Farmor

Riggie I like a combination of Vanish Platinum powder and Dettol laundry liquid added to all DH’s washes. Does the trick for me, might be worth a try for you. Haven’t tried the Dettol alone.

Supposedly 30 degree washes don’t shift bacteria - don’t know whether this is true or not but have never got as good results on stains at 30 so I stick to 40 or above if need be.

Your poor boy though being a teenager is no fun in some respects!!

My 10 year old grand-daughter has the same problem. She is obviously starting puberty early being tall for her age. She is very embarrassed by BO despite showering every day and wearing clean clothes daily and has said to her Mum, my DD that she is scared of her friends noticing. She uses a very gentle deodorant recommended by her GP, not sure what it is called. I don’t think it’s anything to do with how often clothes are laundered or how often she showers but just part of body changes. Most girls at this age are very active through the day which won’t help if they are sweating (or perspiring to be more ladylike!)

Back in the 60s we had an elderly customer in the cafe I worked in who explained that at the end of the summer she would sponge the collar and armpits of her summer frocks before she put them away. It did explain why my grandma's bedroom always smelled so weird. Good old days with no washing machines or maids to sort it all out for you.

My son can pong but he refuses chemical deodorant but uses pit rok and other natural stuff and that seems to work so if chemicals is the issue there is a lot of natural stuff out there instead

Apologies if this has been mentioned before, haven’t read all the responses properly. I was wondering if your granddaughter drinks enough in a day. We found with ours that she was dehydrated and that made the odour so much worse. Worth checking perhaps.

I wouldn't advise an anti-perspirant - there have been health risks associated with it. A deodorant should be sufficient.

Thank you ladies. I have read all your replies. I feel that I can do no more for my DGD. It is now up to my DS and DiL to help her. They have always been very loving and 'soft' parents, and will talk endlessly about any problem but not actively tackle it. I think they need to take DGD in hand , show her what to do and insist she does it. Asking ' Have you used your deodorant?' is not going to get us anywhere. But how can I get this a cross to them without them taking umbrage. I will have to think of a way, but really would dare anything for DGD

BB perhaps you could say a friend was telling you about her granddaughter who has this problem and who found x x x worked. So it made you think of your GD and did they think x x x would work for her too?

Good idea OldMeg I can't understand how they can let her leave the house smelling bad. My DD and an aunt have already remarked on her smell. I just don't want her to go back to school like that

Thanks for raising this topic. But mine is slightly older.......
DH. Smells of BO. I wonder if it is the medication he is on....he to showers each day and when you walk into the bathroom emidially after it smells. Of his BO ...I brought him deodorant soap (shield) to no avail. .........
People have mentioned the smell to me ....why me and not him? I have learned to stand down wind from him.......... I have woken at night to his smelly armpits..........he refused to use a deodorant when I last raised the subject saying they are sticky! .....................
He can be unreasonable at the best of times leaving me reluctant to mention his BO.............

Good answer girls. This is my way forward.... I will try the detox liquid (? Available in supermarkets I hope). And hopefully this will help to reduce the BO trail.

Some deodorants for men contain silver - whether that is a sales gimmick or not I don't know, but it does seem to work

get someone else to tell him …..

I found that deodorants and anti-perspirants started to make my armpits itchy.
I guessed it might be because of the aluminium.
Now I use PitRok. It's made of natural crystal, isn't sticky and stops me ponging.

At one time I had a very physical job and hoped to get by with just a good wash every day - it wasn't enough, but the PitRok sorted me out.
Sorry to sound like an advert.

Is that the brand name?
I have been thinking of getting one of those deodorants, but wanted a recommendation.

BBbevan, I think you'll need to take the tough love approach with the parents and tell them their daughter will be the subject of nasty comments and maybe bullying, if she keeps being smelly.

Also tell your DGD the same thing and ask if there's a particular reason she hasn't been using the deodorant.

PitRok is a brand name. I think there may be others similar.

Halo sports wash will take really properly bad BO smells out of sports kit. If clothes are super bad its worth a go. You can get it in Sainsburys or online.

I used to find that at Primary school it was the washing part that alot of the class felt they could miss out on. The boys especially used to compete with copious amounts of deoderant, usually Lynx, but things did improve when the school nurse came in and did a whole programme on personal hygiene, which could be followed up by the class teacher. It was certainly needed by some of the girls who were starting puberty very early. It was a bad day when she stopped coming in due to 'cuts'. But equally, however much one talks to children about the subject, it's not much good if their clothes are not washed regularly. There were alot of very grimy shirt collars and food stained sweatshirts in each class, which was down to lack of parental responsibility. Not all the children were like that of course and whereas some of them would arrive looking pristine, they would invariably return home looking unkempt. But their parents would make sure they turned up again in clean clothes. The school nurse was a godsend because she was viewed as someone impartial, and the children listened. I used to keep a supply of clean clothes and sanitary products in a cupboard just in case. But children need to be taught how to wash, just like everything else. So don't give up - keep talking!

Absolute ‘gold star’ post, grankind!