I know, every now and then, we have encountered people that smell bad. It can be a friend, family, or an acquaintance. But how would you tell them that they smell bad without hurting them?
In my teenage years, I often went on a groupdate. I remember, there was a time when my friends and I went on a group date. When we arrive at the meeting place, the guys were already there. There were 4 of us and 5 of them. After a little introduction, we have decided to watch a movie and dine after. I went to buy a snack and this guy named Lester volunteered to come with me, I think he likes me, lol! And I like him too(flirt). Lester is cute, he is tall, like 5'7 tall. While we were buying popcorn, he slightly rubs his chest over my shoulder because many people buying snacks at that time. I smell a bad odor, body odor to be precise. I am not sure if it was Lester because there were many people but just to make sure, I pretended that someone pushed me towards him. It is Lester, definitely. I was a bit disappointed because I like him.
When we went back to our group, I secretly told my friend about what I found out. I told her to act normal, not to be obvious that we were talking about Lester. But this friend of mine is vulgar and bitchy that she abruptly said about the topic in a not so loud voice. I covered her mouth to stop her but it was already heard by many. I feel bad about it. I feel embarrassed about what happened. It ruined our group date.
Let's go back to the question, how would you tell someone that they smell bad? Here are some suggestions that might work;
It's really hard to do nicely. Try not to drag it out too much but try not to be really blunt and abrupt either. Like don't just blurt out “hey you smell awful" but a whole long discussion about hygiene is probably not needed either.
Tell her/him in a friendly manner. It might sting initially, but when she sees that you're willing to spend more time with her as long as she bathes, then she'll know it was nothing personal.
Try to ask him/her what brand of shampoo, soap, or deodorant she uses. When she asked why,? Tell her to change her brand. She probably gets the message.
It might be better to talk to a friend not directly to her. It's her friend's problem anymore, not yours, lol! But kidding aside, her friend knows her better than you do so it might work.
These suggestions might work but it all depends on the situation if she's a friend or just an acquaintance. I'm not an expert on these, but personally, if my friend smells bad, I would take her to a convenience store and will buy a hygiene pack for her. She will definitely get the message because she's my friend who knows me.
Let me know your thoughts on this by simply leaving a comment below. Thank you!
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Yeah its really hard to tell them and I would adopt your methods