If you have ever lived with a pregnant woman, or if you have been one of them, you may have realized that they could be perfect members of the Justice League or join the Avengers. Being able to identify the scent of blueberries from the neighbor's cake is, of course, an extraordinary capacity for those who hardly notice any difference between wines.
It smells weird, she says while still inhaling air, humidity? It smells wet.
He will go to the bathroom and quickly detect a slightly wet towel that you would need to have under your nose to reach the same conclusion. But why does it smell like damp? If the water has no smell, are you sure it is water that smells? And why do pregnant women have that sensitivity? Is it bad that it smells like humidity?
Pregnancy has made me sensitive, we listen to some mothers, who experienced situations that they had never experienced before. And they are right, since the natural hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy can make them hypersensitive. Although some women feel congested, the opposite is common.
There are many hypotheses about it. One of the rarest, conceived in 1990 by Paul D. MacLean and published in the book Triune Brain in Evolution says that mothers' hypersensitivity modifies the neural circuits of fetuses, creating what was called measurable evolutionary leaps: a slight but measurable increase in our intelligence generation after generation.
But for now, the only consensus that exists is that pregnant women are able to smell more because the membranes of the nostrils are irrigated with more blood due to the action of hormones. It is also those that modify the chemistry of the rest of the body, helping the baby in its development.
Why wet towels smell like humidity If the water doesn't smell?
Different from why pregnant women are able to detect the smell of the wet towel at impossible distances is the one that moisture smells. Something that, in fact, does not happen. And yet we keep calling that characteristic smell of wet cloth musty smell. If so, the sea and rivers would have a similar and unpleasant smell, which fortunately does not happen.
But it is to leave a damp towel for a few hours, or leave the clothes in the basket for more than a day, so that a strong and unpleasant smell permeates the house. Where does it come from? And already put, why does wet earth smell if neither water nor dry earth have a smell?
The answer to both are bacteria and fungi that grow in humid environments, and that provide that unpleasant and characteristic moldy smell. In many houses they also appear in the form of black spots on walls, ceilings and joints that are usually wet.
The bathroom, due to its water sources (and sometimes difficult ventilation) is one of the main sources of moisture. When showering with hot water we increase the temperature and the concentration of water in the air: humidity. And this steam in suspension perches on walls, ceiling, floors, glass, tile joints ...
In order for fungi and bacteria to reproduce, they only need those two ingredients that we are giving them: humidity and temperature. That's why they proliferate in the bathroom.
Here and there, hundreds of articles claim to have the solution to eliminate the musty smell. "How to eliminate the musty smell", they declare in their title, and complete an article based on masking the smell produced by bacteria, letting them run freely! It is the equivalent of letting a fruit rot by applying deodorant on it.
That is to say, it's not enough to stop smelling since bacteria and fungi will continue to reproduce supported by moisture. A single bacterium can give rise to less than 24 million in less than 24 hours if conditions permit.
What you have to do is eliminate them. But how to eliminate bacteria and fungi? Regularly using products that contain a disinfectant component such as Star 2in1 bleach for surfaces or Neutrex for clothing.
Above all, remember to apply these three tips:
Ventilate the bathroom behind the showers
A healthy habit will be that of wide open the windows of the bathroom at the end of our shower , and thereby decrease humidity and temperature. Otherwise, we risk that germs reproduce quickly.
Help an air extractor that all the mass of humid and reheated air be carried away to prevent it from being possessed on the surfaces. Something also useful in kitchens, place of the house where important temperatures and humidity are also reached.
Drying of textiles
In addition to surfaces, wet fabrics are another great focus. Especially shower towels, clothes when leaving the washing machine, and tea towels after use. Put them in the open air as soon as possible until they dry, it is advisable. Just as it is not to fold them and store cloth (of any kind) if it has moisture.
Remove bacteria and fungi
In addition to the mentioned habits, what you have to do, in general, is Eliminate bacteria and fungi actively. Using products that in addition to detergent (for cleaning) contain a disinfectant, such as Star 2in1 bleach for surfaces, or Neutrex for linen.
Ideally, dry and sanitize furniture and walls, at least once a week. Thus we will anticipate the appearance of fungi that spoil them and saturate the environment of that smell of humidity hard to remove In addition to winning in health.
Luckily, having a pregnant woman nearby will warn us of bad odors in time to prevent bacteria. Time when we can put that towel with a bad smell in the washing machine or disinfect the bathroom, especially the joints between tiles.
Images | Pregnant woman, Woman with discomfort, Cleaning gloves
