body odor complaint by my employer

Maybe I missed this information, but I didn't see anyone comment about sugar and starch in your diet.

When I was teaching at a college, I complained to a co-worker about the smell coming from my feet one day. He told me it was because I was consuming too much sugar.

If you eat too much sugar or starchy foods (which turn into sugar if they are not burned off) then your feet will have a sour stink. Smell your feet at the end of the day and if your feet or socks smell sour . . . you need to cut sugar and starch out of your diet.

DEFINITELY see a doctor and STOP with the bleach baths. Stonewashed jeans were all the rage when I was in high school (yeah, I'm that old). At the end of the schoo year a classmate was wearing a new pair of these jeans. It was hot so we had a fan on in the room to circulate the air. This classmate decided to cool herself off by standing in front of the fan. Everyone started gagging and telling her to get away from the fan because she had horrible B.O. Come to find out, this classmate decided to stonewash her own jeans using bleach, but she left the bleach on so long and didn't wash them out well enough to get the smell out.

I like to swim for my exercise each day. One day I was called because someone left sick and they needed my right away. I dressed straight from the pool to work. When I got in people could smell the chlorine on me, but as the day went on I started to stink.

Bleach and chlorine will make you smell worse!

Okay, I'm probably just repeating what others have already said but I'll try and break it down into more direct statements:

* Stop washing with bleach, you know just as well as I do that it isn't healthy and is only going to cause more problems.

* Do you have a BO problem? If you did then I'm sure that out of all people your wife would notice, maybe she's just being kind not telling you but I know that my long term girlfriend would tell me right away if I had an issue...

* If you do have a problem then go to the doctor

* Shave your armpits, it helps Nothing pussy or female about it, I don't have an odour problem no more but I still shave under my arms, I'm a fella - a very hairy one and it helps with sweating etc

* I know it sounds easy but try and not get down about the situation, stress will only make an existing BO worse and if you don't have one then the stress could possibly make you sweat more and you will develop BO!

* Finally, as others have said, if this is some sort of harassment/revenge case against you then contact HR straight away!!!

Hope that helps, and good luck with the situation.

reply to post by nobodysavedme


How much coffee or tea do you drink in a day? Do you eat really spicy foods? What is your meat to vegetable ratio?

All these things can affect how you smell. I wouldn't worry about deodorants causing cancer. Just don't over use them and look for ones made with organic materials if you're really that worried about it. And lastly, if the answers to these questions don't satisfy you, and changing some of these habits doesn't help, see a doctor.


And for god sakes stop using bleach on things. Or on you.

Originally posted by projectvxn
And for god sakes stop using bleach on things. Or on you.

Sorry... I know this is a serious thread but that line just made me smile.

Locaste Essential ( The Alligator Brand ) Cologne. Trust Me. Go to your Local Macy's $70 Dollars a Bottle But Well Well Worth It. Bring The Wife and get her approval on a Sample, As well as Get The Deadorant. and Body Wash of the Same Scent. Don't Risk Cancer with all that you are doing right now Bud.

Originally posted by Thiaoouba Prophecy
Don't Risk Cancer with all that you are doing right now Bud.

Dousing your skin daily in scented chemicals is harmless?

To the OP, dude don't worry about getting fired, nobody can fire you for smelling bad unless part of your job entails smelling nice.

First of all, have you and your wife, maybe even a few of your friends sniff you and your entire wardrobe, if anything stinks, throw it away or bring it to the professionals and have them get rid of the odors (why? the only clothes of mine that smell of BO are my most heavily used gym clothes and washing it cant even get the smell off). Now that you know your clothes don't smell, move on to your body.

Ok, since we know you shower everyday, all you need in the morning is a deodorant in the pits and get a nice fresh, citrusy/summer cologne spray (keep one with you at work).

There are so many, if I had to recommend one that was affordable and pleasant, I'd say Kenneth Cole reaction, I'll bet you can find a great deal on eBay or a package deal at your local department store.

Give yourself and your clothes a few sprays in the morning and keep one at work, don't forget to do a sniff check with your wife and kids before you leave the house (hey it doesn't hurt right?). And if you really want to seal the deal, ask your boss if you're smelling ok for the workplace, if he gives you the OK, there will never be any doubt on your part.

You shouldn't have any problems with odor any longer.

As for myself, I have sweaty feet and usually my shoes and socks smell if I'm in them all day, especially if I don't wear socks with certain shoes like loafers or deckshoes. I had some major issues with smelly shoes when I used to work in the restaurant but I never had issues with body odors because deodorant kept me all good, I didn't even start wearing cologne for the first 23 years of my life until this year.

Good luck and keep us posted on what is going on with your coworkers.

Hi OP

You need a bit of support, and I'm not talking about advice on grooming products (Sheesh. All those who felt grooming advice was an appropriate response, please leave the room. SMH).

I've been a professional manager for over fifteen years, and I had to deal on more than a few occasions with this kind of BS.

Firstly, body odour can be raised as an 'issue' in a way that race, religion etc can't be. Secondly, in my experience it was always a female who made the complaint [people might not like that, but I'm not being sexist. It was always a hallmark of the 'BO in the workspace' issue.] Generally it was also part of a bullying campaign of one kind or another. Couple of other things to bear in mind:

a. In my experience, when seriously challenged and reminded of the legal implications, the 'BO' complainers ALWAYS, always shut up
b. Modern deodorants are excellent. And it doesn't matter how fat or diabetic or whatever you are (not saying you are any of those things, but if you were it wouldn’t be a factor. Bullies sometimes play on this 'folklore' but that doesn’t make it real). Quite simply, if you are using deodorants, there is no case to answer

So I think you are being bullied. And I think you have rights under employment law. I think if you went to a citizen's advice bureau or a lawyer, they would be outraged. You also - under the freedom of information act (or its equivalent in the US) - have the right to know who made the complaint and the specific nature of it since it potentially affects your right to work and therefore you need a fair forum in which to answer to those complaints. Etc, etc.

I also think your manager is a weak, shameful, pitiful character.

In short, get some advice for peace of mind, and then go kick your manager's ass. He/she drichly deserves it.

NB: caveat: if you turn out to be one of the ‘stenches’ from ‘Land of the Dead’ I reserve the right to edit my comment!

I don't know if this is a serious thread or not, but I'll respond anyway.

I don't recommend covering up smells with more smells. There's no reason for you to stink in the first place unless something unusual is going on (like kidney/liver failure causing ammonia buildup), in which case you probably wouldn't be feeling well enough to work to begin with.

You shouldn't be loading your body with chemicals or using bleach. The smell from excess deodorants are what often cause people to complain of BO in the first place. Some people wipe their underarms WAY too much with scented deodorant. And they stink --- bad.

Some various tips:

1) Clothes. Sometimes mold builds up inside washing machines, and the smell becomes noticeable after the washed garment becomes wet. Consider doing an empty load in the machine with a cup of bleach. And when washing clothes, make they get dried completely.

2) Feet: Don't walk around the house in your socks or barefoot and then stick them into your shoes. When you walk around the house in your socks, you pick up all matter of dirt. Then when you put on your shoes, your feet start sweating, and bacteria and rot set in because of dirty feet and socks. If your shoes stink, get new ones, and use slippers from now on instead of walking around the house in your socks.

3) Underarm deodorant: I recommend using 'unscented' solid antiperspirant, and not making too many swipes. Additionally, you can sterilize your underarms first by rubbing some rubbing alcohol into your armpits and then using a sterile paper towel to dry them, else flapping your arms for about 15 seconds (it evaporates very rapidly, especially the 90% stuff). It will keep your underarms odor free for several hours longer. If a man stinks, it's almost always their underarms, their butt crack, or their feet, meaning that all three need focus during a shower.

4) Showering and appearance: The armpits should be directly under the flow of water for at least thirty seconds per arm while rubbing. Use a wash cloth and non-smelly body wash when showering. Make sure you don't have dandruff. Check for it. If people see a bunch of flakes on someone's head, some of them will assume you're dirty, too. Use normal shampoo and conditioner so your hair looks decent, and not bar soap on your head like some idiot men do. And have a neat haircut, and be clean shaven, and make sure you wash your face. Some people also look at teeth. If you have chipped orange front teeth people can subconsciously make assumptions about you. Get them fixed.

5) If you're in a job where you should have clean-looking shoes, make sure that's the case. Some men change their clothes and shower every day while putting on rotted, filthy looking tennis shoes without realizing it.

6) People might be doing this just to mess with you.

Originally posted by Thiaoouba Prophecy
Locaste Essential ( The Alligator Brand ) Cologne. Trust Me. Go to your Local Macy's $70 Dollars a Bottle But Well Well Worth It. Bring The Wife and get her approval on a Sample, As well as Get The Deadorant. and Body Wash of the Same Scent. Don't Risk Cancer with all that you are doing right now Bud.

The answer to BO is not to pile more odors on top of the ones you already have, save perhaps a very lightly scented underarm deodorant. The answer to BO is to find out why you smell to begin with, and taking care of the problem instead of trying to overpower the BO with some heavy cologne.

Originally posted by davespanners
Please please please don't bath in bleach, it is not good for you!

Here is a page that explains some of the causes and solutions to your problem which can range from applying Driclor which you can get from the chemist to having an operation to stop excessive sweating.. Go and see your dodctor it's nothing to be ashamed off

I agree with this: a friend of mine had the same complaint all through high school, though I never noticed it - apparently certain smells aren't sensed by everyone.

Eventually he narrowed it down to dietary issues: things like garlic and such his body just couldn't breakdown so it was sweated out from every pore on his skin.

Please see a doctor and stop with the bleach!

Also shave your armpits, I've heard it helps a lot.

And don't believe everything people say about you, sometimes people like to play games or mess with people in the workplace, which is immature, they are called bullies.

i've been through similar. my difference was from spending too much time in the woods, would stink even with multiple daily sponge bath and solar showers or dips in the creek.

it was actually more than that. one day a buddy told me what i'm telling you.
before you do anything even remotely drastic, get off the chemicals, synthetics, foaming agents etc.....

go to any healthfood store, or some chain grocery stores and get a bottle of this.

dr. bronners soap.

try the liquid or bar, my all time fav. is the peppermint.

soaps

you must go all the way, natural or organic, conditioner, anti- persparant, shaving cream etc

the garbage we put on our bodies is not good for you.

i am serious, how could it hurt to try?

Hey this is Googolplex, someone has given me a number and taken away my kaname

Yea, stop the bleach, that is way over board, I know some foods will cause bad body odor, like raw garlic, never raw or cooked if this is problem. I was in the hardware store and this dude had eaten raw garlic, it was all I could do to get away from him.
I know I have B.O. I think it smells great, my daughter thinks different, my pherome's must be to much for her not getting perverted or anything.
But to they say women get off on women's phermones on a man rather than just man.

So to not get to far off the point, what do you eat, I eat a lot of fruit so I'm kind of fruitie.
The body oder can be very bad, my brother was sick, and man I told him something was following him around, he could not smell it, but it was bad, I spent 20 bucks on air stuff Ozome, no bleach that's what my brother did, that's sick.

Some people just don't get it though, this one girl had stinkie feet and told me it was hereditary, which is plain stupid ,sorry but it's bacterial and a couple of cans of scholl's foot powder will fix it, but you must be persistent.
Not to be bad guy but if I weret o hit the sack with a lady and her feet stank, I don't think things wouldn't go very far, well maybe.

Really though this sounds like a harrasement lawsuit or something.

Oh yes, the one smell I can not stand is womens bo when they try and cover it up with perfume, but I do not judge, avoid maybe , but not judge.

I have a phobia that I always smell. I take at least two showers a day. Once you have tried everything above you might want to try to detox. I'm sure others have mentioned that but I just skimmed through. Detoxing can do wonders for the body. I recommend a colon cleanse and kidney cleanse combo. All the toxin build up resides in the colon. And a healthy kidney can help cleansed the blood.

First things first though. Drink a gallon of water over a 24 hour period. Flush the system out. The next day, find a sauna and sit in it for 15 minutes, shower, then hit the sauna again for 15 minutes. 30 minutes total with a shower in the middle. The shower washes away all the junk you sweat out. Oh yeah, shower once your done also.

PS...do you smoke?

Originally posted by juniperberry
See your doctor. It might be a symptom of something very wrong.

Personally, I can smell those with diabetes and it's kind of disgustingly sweet and not in a good way.

I agree with juniperberry... I worked with a guy who had a bad case of diabetes and it was difficult to walk into his office because of the odor gives off. See a doctor and have him run a blood test to see if your sugar levels are too high. If that's not it, something else could be physically wrong. I feel bad for you because I can understand how you could get so self-concious about working next to your fellow employees. Hope everything works out for you.

With diabetes its not only to high of blood sugar that causes the odor.
It can also be ketones and its caused by just what the doctors want diabetics to do and that is lose weight.
When diabetics go on a low carb diet(or to much insulin) and the blood sugar levels get to low the body starts burning fat and the side effect of that is Ketoacidosis.

The problem is while they may scrub the ketones in there sweat from there body, the lungs release the same ketones.
Even mouth wash will not stop that odor as its not coming from the mouth but from the lungs.

People on a Atkins diet of no or very low carbs can also get Ketoacidosis.
In fact the test for the atkins diet to see if its working is to check for ketones in the urine..

If its a sour and acetone smell its likely ketone bodies.
Some people that have problems with hypoglycemia can also have this.

Ketone bodies consist chemically of three substances (beta-hydroxybutyric acid, acetoacetic acid, and acetone)

Originally posted by ANNED
With diabetes its not only to high of blood sugar that causes the odor.
It can also be ketones and its caused by just what the doctors want diabetics to do and that is lose weight.
When diabetics go on a low carb diet(or to much insulin) and the blood sugar levels get to low the body starts burning fat and the side effect of that is Ketoacidosis.

The problem is while they may scrub the ketones in there sweat from there body, the lungs release the same ketones.
Even mouth wash will not stop that odor as its not coming from the mouth but from the lungs.

People on a Atkins diet of no or very low carbs can also get Ketoacidosis.
In fact the test for the atkins diet to see if its working is to check for ketones in the urine..

If its a sour and acetone smell its likely ketone bodies.
Some people that have problems with hypoglycemia can also have this.

Ketone bodies consist chemically of three substances (beta-hydroxybutyric acid, acetoacetic acid, and acetone)

Those ketone's can be very hard on the kidneys, as I also believe the sugar it self, my brother who is diabetic, only weighted about 120, that ketone acidosis is the body eating it self, I think the fat break down is bad part.

With him the high sugar (500) does not seem to cause odor, ever hear of the death smell at like the local old folks home, not good.

Some I'm sure you are aware of is a lot of these smell are contagious, due to being cause by bacteria, I only condone good bugs like maybe a mild yogurt bath, with dash of keifer.

As many have said already, this is indeed a medical issue (some medicines even can contribute). I would suggest get some collegues in on it. talk to those around you that you are having some sort of medical issue your trying to track down and to let them know if you smell off so you can trace what is going on, when it seems to happen most, etc...

I have worked with a woman whom smelled absolutely horrible, but she explained to me the medical issues going on with her and I personally had no problem with her after that..

reply to post by nobodysavedme


This is tough. I know someone in a similar situation. They pong all the time and it's off putting. It's hard for them (and you) and it's hard for those around you. Don't blame those around you though, look for some solution, but don't get angry at those around you, they have noses and it's as unpleasant for them as it for you being told.

Go to someone in the medical profession and see if it's diet related. I hope you find a solution.