Old ladies and old men smell

When I was a child I remember thinking that old people smelled funny. I am old today and don’t think I smell funny. But then as my sight and hearing have diminished so has my olfactory sense. Perhaps smells exist that only an acute child’s nose might ferret out.  

The truth is looking back I believe the world was different in many ways and the smells of my childhood would be thankfully rarer today.

Cheap perfume and cheap cologne. Many old people pre febreeze thought that dousing themselves with perfume and cologne would ‘cover up’ the smells. 

Old people body odors aren’t easily covered up.

The key is washing and when I was young showers were uncommon and baths were work. Today I and all my friends shower daily. We all use soap.  Water is not rationed here, Yet when I was younger it was often not so readily available as today and old people often bathed only once a week.  It was not uncommon to for people to avoid full immersion and simply clean themselves with a hand towel,  Not as effective but better than not.  Soaking was a luxury of time and heating. In the north where I was houses were cold and drafty and the electricity to heat water wasn’t free. There were homes too that didn’t have hot water so to bath one had to boil water for the tub. This was common in the northern reserves and some of the farms.  Wood smoke often covered body door effectively so it wasn’t as apparent in the country as the city.  

Later in life I became aware that though many old people were bathing regularly it was their clothing that smelled.  I remember old cigar smoke and cigarette smoke in men’s jackets and that few ‘dry cleaned’ clothing then.  

There was also a lot more sweating and physical labor when I was growing up. Not an effete gym crowd but rather real working men and women who even if they were professional had to lift and haul and push things, ie sweat.  

I also imagine that the stoical old were asexual by their sixties and coupling wasn’t the sensual slow endeavour of today.  Men and women in their 80’s are intimate today and living longer with more sexuality and sensuality so actually considerate of others.  In the past the old were often just surviving and dying with a variety of smelly diseases that didn’t get checked by doctors early.

I don’t think I smell off but if I demented it would likely be a tell tale indication. The physical disabilities of the elderly make wiping and washing difficult, painful and even dangerous.  Slipping in the bathroom is common.  Efforts are being made to make bathrooms friendly and safe for the elderly.  

I remember my fastidious grandmother needing help to strip the bed and put on new sheets.  Alone she’d not have been able.  The family provided assistance in the past but the ‘smelly’ old ones were commonly the widowed and alone.  

I think multi culturalism will affect this scenario because different cultures have different attitudes to body odour, elderly, washing, soap and community. The Chinese were once the fastidious and the English were by comparison disgusting. Now the English are obessessive and the Chinese continue to believe in the merits of cleanliness.  But what of the middle eastern and southern raised in desert climes where water was a costly commodity. There are complaints of different ‘food’ smells in apartments ‘offending’ neighbours but what of body odors and clothing smells.  

I dont notice it. I’m an old person.  I wonder what children would say.  I doubt today the kids would think the old smell collectively but is anyone asking.