What is That Smell?

This is a question I ask myself almost constantly (and, no, it's not because I'm the only female in a house of boys).  There really is an aroma to the air.  I think it has something to do with the heat.  I say that because there is a stronger smell in rooms when the air conditioning has been turned off.  And I don’t mean always bad smells, but some of them are overwhelming, which isn’t pleasant for people like me that are sensitive to smells (thanks, Mom!).

Let’s start with the perfume shops or stands in the mall.  Really no different from the perfume sections in US department stores.  But, I hold my breath as I pass those, too.  This dates back to the time I had an allergic reaction in the men’s cologne section of a store.  We must have stopped on the edge of it for some reason, and I began to sneeze uncontrollably.  My mom saw what was happening and moved me to a different part of the store presumably while my dad kept browsing.  The sneezing subsided and all was fine.  But ever since then, I’m overly cautious.  Back to the present, I’ve learned where some of the perfume shops are in the local malls and I try to take routes that don’t go past them.

Then there is the general aroma in the air.  It varies a little depending on where you are.  The beach, for instance, had a distinctly beach-y smell.  It was quite strong, but familiar, too.  There just seems to be a slight sent to the air anywhere I go.  I can’t put my finger on what it is, but I do think the heat is what makes it noticeable. 

There are also house smells.  There is a lingering smell at the bottom of the stairs after I cook.  I’m trying to figure out the right system of how long and when to have the vent fan that is over the stove on to alleviate the smell.  The fan seems overly loud (probably because I have it on full blast), so I hate to have it on too much.  Today I just avoided it by eating out (take that, lingering odor).  There is the indefinable smell at the top of the stairs thanks to that being the hottest part of the house.  There is the moldy smell in our master bathroom.  It is strongest after showering.  We think there is maybe a drainage problem or maybe a lack of water in a p trap problem?  (I’m obviously no plumber).  It does seem to be better when we run water in the tub for a while post shower.  The whole situation is also not helped by the A/C being turned off in that room since we’re not using it.

And the worst culprit of all…

…this soap that Stephen bought.  It is so incredibly strong.  Stephen knew it was going to be rough after buying and opening the 6 pack he bought.  It is the smell in the bathrooms.  It is the smell in the kitchen in the morning.  It is probably the smell at the top of the stairs.  I know what you’re thinking… Wouldn’t it be good to have a clean, soap smell?  It would if I thought this soap had a nice, clean, soap smell.  It has too much of a perfumed smell for me.

Oh well, these things happen.  Smells happen.  I’ll get used to it all.  It's called olfactory fatigue, and you can learn about it on Wikipedia.  And I’ll buy a different soap next time.