What causes body odor to smell like mildew and be strong enough to permeate a bedroom?

Answer 1

I've smelled this on many men -- vegetarians (though cheese-eating), omnivores, those who exercise regularly and shower regularly, those who don't. I have no idea what causes it or how to treat it, except maybe go heavy on the moisture absorbing items like powders, de-humidifiers for closets, active-charcoal satchels, etc. I personally have four general categories of body odor:

- onion-like: typically located in the armpit after exertion, a strong but addressable source of odor. Strong up close, but it doesn't seem to travel far. Men and women alike get this.

- mildew-y: tends to be much more pervasive -- gets in clothes, spreads in rooms and other enclosed spaces (like cars). Transfers more readily to surfaces, possibly because the source of the odor tends to be a larger surface area of the skin rather than specifically the armpit.

- fart-y: a crude way of saying it, but some people sweat and it smells like feces. I'm guessing this has to do with specific bacteria on their skin and hygiene.

- old Asian man: it's a specific acrid smell that I think has to do with how much fermented soybean is in the diet?

Other very specific odors like genitals, backside, feet, breath or hair doesn't count for me, because they're so specific to the glands on that body part. Or am I wrong...?