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    how can i get my male roomate to take bath more than once a week

    +2  Views: 1912 Answers: 10 Posted: 10 years ago

    10 Answers

    My grandfather (a doctor circa 1926) had a patient that dearly needed a bath unbeknownst to himself. The guy came in complaining of not feeling “right” and my grandfather wrote him a prescription.  the guy had it filled and it was for a bar of ivory soap.  Days later the patient showed up at the office just to exclaim how much better he felt………….

    mycatsmom

    Maybe he ate it. hee hee :-D
    Bob/PKB

    Your grandfather probably had a ton of interesting little stories about his patients, Julie! Mom was a nurse, and her stories about nursing school and working AS a registered nurse were always worth hearing.
    Tommyh

    This reminded me of an old joke about a guy who went to the Dr.complaining of constipation.The Dr. gave him a suppository & told him to put it in his back passage before he went to bed & come back in the morning.The guy arrived at the Drs in the morning & the Dr asked "How did it work?" The guy replied "Well we haven't got a back passage but we have a long hallway,but for all the good it did I might as well have shoved it up my a**!

    My college dorm room, which I shared with "Sally" smelled awful.  I knew it wasn't ME, because, well, the smell was never there before she moved in.  One day I ferreted out the smell, and found it to be coming from her closet, where her dirty clothes festered in a pile, and her socks overpowered ANYTHING you can imagine. 


    I was, like you, in a quandary as to how to approach the subject, and, in desperate stupidity, left a note that said, "Smell your socks".  She was a little shocked with my note, but got those socks washed, got herself a laundry bag, and that was the end of the problem.


    Tactful honesty SHOULD work in your favor.  Let your roommate know that his personal hygiene has been suffering and he needs to take better care of himself.  Suggest a soap and deodorant; if your budget allows, buy it for him.  Tell him you expect him to shower every day, especially if he has been working out or has a job that exasperates body odor. 
    Make sure he knows you are telling him this AS HIS FRIEND.  You can say a number of people, who shall remain nameless, have commented on his lack of PH and are concerned. 


    Concerned?  Yes, often, people who are abusing drugs or are depressed may forego their personal hygiene.  (Let him know this, too, if you feel it can help)


    GOOD LUCK!  

    hector5559

    I always think a good deodrent helps in thease matters ,like channel number 5,
    Bob/PKB

    I was thinking more along the lines of Old Spice. :D $$$$$$$
    ROMOS

    When I was a kid we got a bath every Sunday night, (whether we needed it or not)and on Friday nights I always got my dose of epsom salts from my Grandmother (to keep my bowels clean) HEY!!! I'm still around!!!
    And I always shower for Christmas.
    Tommyh

    I was thinking Phenol!
    mycatsmom

    Romos,We got the Sat night bath too. And my parents were big on enemas.I was quite little, so it was scary !!
    bustieone

    I was in an orphanage for six months as a kid, and we had to have caster oil every morning! I am still alive, they gave a bit of black licorice with it. I like licorice to this day, never had caster oil since then however...
    Tommyh

    Castor oil was an old favourite when I was a kid too.Everytime you complained about anything the castor oil bottle came out.You quickly learned not to complain.
    bustieone

    We should make sure our politicians get that at every Congressional meeting then!
    Tommyh

    Our politicians already suffer from verbal diarroea.Castor oil would only make it worse.We'd be getting it from both ends.

    Be upfront and tell him straight, your personal space is being invaded by a stench that is unpleasant. Especially living in a confined environment would only intensify the odor .

    Colleen

    Moderator
    Yup, your answer telling him straight about his stench is less rude than mine apparently ;)
    I'm so amused by it all :)
    itsmee

    I'll bet Dazy45 is impressed with the variety of answers here. I know I am.

    Spray him with lysol - not his eyes. Tell him he stinks to high heaven. Maybe you shouldn't spray him. Maybe that would hurt him ... My answer; I don't know. I'd move out.

    mycatsmom

    LOL . Spray him with Febreeze.
    Colleen

    Moderator
    Apparently your answer of spraying him with Lysol and telling him he stinks was less rude than my answer of telling him he stinks and is stinking up the apartment, LOL
    Fickle people here ;)
    itsmee

    One of those comments that struck me REALLLY funny ...

    Tell him he stinks and he's stinking up the whole apartment. He's not respecting you so why should you say anything less? 

    Bob/PKB

    Being disrespectful in retaliation and approaching the roommate confrontationally may not be the best way to handle a situation. Some other method may work better or be a better starting point.
    Colleen

    Moderator
    Honesty is the best policy. Stink is stink. He must smell himself.
    Bob/PKB

    Honesty is fine, but it doesn't need to be confrontational.
    Colleen

    Moderator
    Telling him to take a bath because he stinks is not confrontational. It's honestly telling him that he needs a bath. Telling him you are going to bind him and toss him in the tub IS confrontational.
    Colleen

    Moderator
    I'm back because it took someone else messaging me to point out to me that you are reading what I said all wrong. They said you think I would say it in mean, angry, nasty manner and that's why you think it's confrontational. This person knows me a heck of a lot better than you do Bob. They know I would not say it that way. I would just say it in a straight forward, matter of fact way. Not emotional, just, take a bath, you are smelling up the place. I would treat them like an adult, not a child. Treating an adult like a child and sugar coating your words or creating a lie to get him to take a bath is condescending in my opinion. I could never lie to a person and tell them a number of people, who shall remain nameless, have commented on his lack of PH and are concerned. I'm sure that would make him feel worse thinking that a lot of people are offended by his stench and not just me. No sense blowing it out of proportion if he's not around others in a closed environment where his smell permeates into everything so all one can smell is his smelly body odor. Keep it simple. Dude, you're ripe, you need a bath.

    Tell him you'll take a shower with him .that'll do it. I'm kidding  :-D


    When we were in K-marts last week, several people walked by us, and they smelled ssssooooo bad. No, they were not together. It was a random thing. They smelled like B.O. and dirty, rumpled clothing. ......and like they had eaten cigarettes and cig smoke for brk , lunch , and dinner.

    Tommyh

    JULIE!!!! I'm surprised at you.LOL
    mycatsmom

    Tommy,dude, I was married to an Italian-Stallion; and this ain't my first rodeo.
    Tommyh

    Hahahaha!
    ROMOS

    Works for me, I never wash any other way.
    Tommyh

    Ahh! Shuddup! Brag!Brag!brag!

    Buy him a rubber ducky. ""

    mycatsmom

    ssooo cute !
    itsmee

    Put him in the tub with ducky.

    No need to be rude but politely tell him bathroom is free and shampoo, soap etc are in there. Tell him you will have shower after him as you have something to catch up. He can't say he does not want to have a shower! He might even thank you!

    Colleen

    Moderator
    Pffft. It's rude to walk around stinking and expecting others to put up with it. And even with your scenario he can still say he does not need a shower. Telling him he stinks let's him know for sure he does need that shower or he needs to live outdoors.
    itsmee

    I like that, Colleen ... let him know he can live outdoors.
    sawali

    By being blunt,the relationship is ruined and you still want to co-exist in the same space? He will hit you with something that you do and does not like. IMHO that's a step after politeness fails.
    Colleen

    Moderator
    You've not had many roommates in your life have you? Or were you the roommate that didn't like baths? This is not a relationship as far as I can tell. They are roommates, that's it and he has no respect. He's not a kid, he's a man. Blunt works better than sugar coating words for an adult. I'm sure his odor is blunt. I'd kick him out and get a clean roommate.
    Bob/PKB

    sawali, I agree with your tactful approach. Getting nasty about it right off the bat doesn't sound like the best way to make your point.
    Colleen

    Moderator
    Nasty? No, blunt. Dude, you smell, take a bath. He's a man. He should know to bathe. Why treat a man like a child?
    sawali

    Colleen, your being is rude unfortunately, as you play holier than thou. Taking a jab at me was not necessary. I have my approach, a peaceful one in solving problems and you have your own. To say room mates have no relationships is foolish because there is constant interactions among them eg doing fair sahare of house work etc.
    Bob/PKB

    Yep, Colleen, that remark questioning sawali's personal hygiene was unnecessary. If someone else made that remark, (s)he'd be getting an email about hurting people's feelings and facing suspension. We all know that.
    Colleen

    Moderator
    No, they wouldn't bob. People, especially you, say a great many things around here that are nasty and rude and get away with it because it's their opinion. Remember that whole slew of insults you tossed at me one day? You know, when you pulled out your thesaurus to call me every rude and negative name in the book? You did not get suspended for that, did you Bob? People thinking they need to put kid gloves on to deal with a stinky adult I have to wonder about. Why should she have to lie and blame nameless friends in order to say something to stinky man?

    Sawali, how many jabs/swipes/rude comments have you take at me? A LOT. You were not suspended. How may trolls have you sent onto this forum to do your dirty work for you? A LOT. You were suspended the last time you did it. (updating because I just checked my records, I did not suspend you actually, I told your troll friend I would suspend you if he came back, no more troll after that). Stop acting mortally wounded because I asked a question. It was an honest question. You want the grown man to be treated like a child. Why? I can only wonder if you relate with him some how. As for your idea of roommates, some are like that. Others are lazy, do not do their fair share of house work, keep to themselves and do not bathe. Thus they disrespect the people they live with so deserve no respect in return. Telling them to take a bathe is peaceful enough.
    Bob/PKB

    Nope, Colleen, not this time. Deal with what you said and the way you said it. Don't try to turn the tables and put the spotlight on someone else. THIS thread is about what YOU said. Making an excuse of "you do it, too" is a very childish response to being called out for something.
    This conversation is about what YOU said and the way YOU said it. Someone who knows you real well messaged you rather than simply post a comment? Some nameless person you fault me for suggesting? Good grief, Colleen, watch out when you backpeddle. I'll be blunt, "Dude, your answer and comments stink on this one. Clean up your act."
    NO, he doesn't necessarily smell himself. Some people have little or no sense of smell.
    Most likely, NO,he doesn't get ordered to live outdoors. When people share a place, both of them quite often have a say in what goes on in the place.

    Colleen

    Moderator
    Yes Bob, someone messaged me because they do not want to get into it here. They are non confrontational like you claim to be. The things is, they really are non confrontational. No, I do not have to deal with what I said according to your opinion. I do not accept your version. It's not true. I know what I said and what tone I would use and it would not be as you continue to try and put it, period.
    You told dazy to blame it on nameless people. You used nameless friends to call me every name in the book that day that I mentioned here already..."I showed this conversation to a few of my friends and this is what they said about you". Remember that Bob? So, it's OK for you to use nameless friends but I can't? The thing is, this friend who messaged me is real and not made up. I do not pretend that others say what I want to say. I can do my own speaking. Now I'll be blunt; You're not the boss of me, you can't tell me what to do. I will not do things or say things your way to appease you. I am a straight forward person. I do not see the need to sugar coat words or make up stories for an adult. There is a difference between children and adults. Children need sugar coating. A stinky adult knows how often he should bathe. I'm not going to lie and create stories and imaginary people to tell someone to shower or bathe. That's your way, not mine, dude.
    Bob/PKB

    Whatever. Live by the sword, die by the sword.
    Colleen

    Moderator
    Remember what your parents told you Bob.
    Bob/PKB

    They also taught me never to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person....
    Colleen

    Moderator
    Well you're lucky I'm not one of those people. You are still following their rule. :)
    Bob/PKB

    WHOOOOOSH. Have a good day.
    sawali

    BobPKB, you and I know full well that the word'sorry' is missing in some dictionaries and Colleen owns one. So expecting that is asking toomuch. I need to repeat that our approach to deal with the situation in the question is different from hers. It is a first step. Bluntness and rubbing the wrong way only hurts others but matters not to Colleen. So let's forgive her and feel sorry for her because 'peace' is becoming more distant.
    Colleen

    Moderator
    I have nothing to apologize for. My opinion stands. My question stands. I did not say you had bad bathing habits. I just asked a question. All you had to do was say no. My approach has been echoed by a couple other people here. Neither one of you have got on them about it. Now, go continue to feel sorry for yourself. I have no need for your sorry nor your forgiveness but if it makes you feel better, go pray or whatever you do. This is now six days old. Time to move on.
    Bob/PKB

    Just acknowledging your comment, sawali. Perhaps I should consider how I would want someone to tell ME if the situation were reversed, that someone had a problem with me and was having trouble wording it. I agree there is no need to be rude in this situation, but it's just my opinion. Also my opinion is WHAT I consider rude, and nobody has to agree with me. It's MY opinion. Since this question requests what amounts to an opinion, it's pretty much up for grabs. I hear what you are saying and understand what you mean. I don't have any concern for the comments made here; they are nothing new.

    Hmmm. It sounds like you're the controlling type.

    itsmee

    Who is? Me with the Lysol in my holster?











    Does he have a girlfriend? I suspect not as women are very blunt, tactless even on matters of personal hygeine.

    Colleen

    Moderator
    No one should ever have to tell another person they stink. People should be aware of their bathing habits and their own body odor. The person who waits to be told that they stink and need a shower/bath is the tactless one.
    itsmee

    Well, I think that this is the last word ~

    THE PERSON WHO WAITS TO BE TOLD THAT THEY STINK AND NEEDS A SHOWER IS THE TACTLESS ONE.
    nomdeplume

    I don't think there is much doubt that women have a much better sense of smell than men. Also one's own smell may not always be obvious to oneself.
    Colleen

    Moderator
    What grown adult truly believes that bathing one time per week is enough? Seriously. One time per week is not even enough for kids and they do not have the same strong smelling body odor as adults. I know when I smell after sweating from doing manual labor. Women's noses are not that much more keen than men's. Men do not want stinky women so I know a man's nose works. My thought also is, if he only bathes once a week, he probably hardly ever washes his clothes. I'd get a new roommate.
    itsmee

    In my family, I am known as THE NOSE. I smell everything. Its a good thing and it's a terrible thing. The stinky room mate wouldn't last two days ... one day. Yuck.


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