‘I don’t smell!’ Meet the people who have stopped washing

[firemonkey]

A growing number of people are eschewing soap and trusting bacteria to do the job instead – and an entire industry has sprung up to accommodate them

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeands...topped-washing

[Schmosby]

Over time, my skin has adjusted. I don't smell.

I don't that's a judgement you can make of yourself. You get used to your own smell, other people are not so lucky.

I'll stick with washing, as I don't like that sticky oily feeling.

[Indigo_]

Technically, they haven't stopped washing, they use only water and no soap or products. If you washed yourself regularly in water I doubt you'd be overly smelly anyway.

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I don't know how people can even show their face in public when they haven't washed properly. If I even break a sweat I don't feel right until I've had the chance to wash up and probably change clothes too. Admittedly I'm probably more hygiene obsessed than is considered normal or healthy, it's just part of my condition.

[limey123]

^ I'm also highly conscious of how I smell and shower at least once a day. Feel really icky without doing this. Also use deodorant and dowse myself in Joop. Luckily I sweat very little, even in extreme heat.
I think these people may think they don't smell bad, but as others have already said, that's to themselves, not to the rest of us!
Where I lived before there was some kind of tramp character who used to come into the Coop to buy stuff. You couldn't imagine the place emptying of people any faster. Man, he stunk! The staff kept a can of air freshener behind the counter to spray right after his visits! Yuck.

[Toxic]

I've heard about this before

I don't really understand it, during my unemployed days I really didn't have much to get washed for and after a few days it was certainly noticeable!

I'd be up for it if it saved time but if you still have to "wash" yourself with water I don't really see what it achieves Might as well just carry on having my daily shower with the normal stuff!

[Consolida]

I can't imagine not having a proper wash with soap for a couple of days, let alone 15 years like the guy in the article!

I know I can be rather obsessed with cleanliness because I'll wash my hands with anti-bacterial soap numerous times a day.

Also, I shower and wash my hair every day, using soap/shampoo all over. I'm sure it can't do my skin much good but it would be unthinkable for me to use only water.

On the odd occasion when I had left the house without showering (to give my son a lift to school) I would worry that my car might break down and I'd be stranded somewhere looking unkempt and smelly. When a neighbour stopped to talk to me I couldn't get back indoors quick enough as I felt so skanky having not showered.

I've got a real aversion to the smell of BO and don't even find my own, my son's or my husband's sweat remotely pleasant to my nostrils. Fortunately they are both pretty fastidious

There is an older guy in the neighbourhood with a long scruffy grey beard who obviously doesn't bathe very often or wash his clothes. He is a lovely and friendly fellow, but the smell that emanates from him literally makes me gag. Even after he has left a shop the smell lingers on...

[Dougella]

The article does say that they all still wash their hands with soap, which is really important to stop the spread of germs!