Smelly socks are socks that have acquired a foul odor due to prolonged wearing on feet. Their odor, which is complex and remains the object of study, is a mixture of ammonia, fatty acids (in particular, isovaleric acid), [1] and lactic acid. [2]
Odorous socks are a strong attractant for some animals, including dogs and mosquitos. They have proven useful in controlling the behaviour of these animals.
Although the odour of smelly socks is often associated with feet, it arises independently of contact with human feet in various foodstuffs such as dairy products, cheeses, sausages and fish sauce, and is naturally present in several plants. [3] [4] [5] [6] The smell has also been noted in building and automotive air treatment systems, where it is described as "jock socks odour" or "dirty socks syndrome".
Several technologies have been developed to incorporate materials into sock textiles which reduce or eliminate the strong smell.
Compounds which cause socks to smell intensively include: [7]
The intense smell commonly results from bacterial action upon sweat which accumulates due to confining footwear. [8] It has also presented itself as a problem among users of prosthetics. [9]
Smelly socks may be a source of air contamination in aircraft and dwellings. [10] [11] Their distinctive odour is commonly used as a reference.
A 1996 Popular Mechanics article describes "jock socks odour" complaints as one of the magazine's most frequent queries with regard to automotive air conditioning systems, attributing it to fungal growth within the auto. [12] The term "Dirty Sock Syndrome" is used to describe unpleasant odours that arise in building heating and cooling systems. [13] [14] High-efficiency heat pumps in the southeastern US have been noted as frequent offenders. [15]
The odour is a diagnostic feature of a serious medical condition, Isovaleric acidemia.
A widespread consumer perception of the odour in the medication metformin, frequently used to treat Type 2 diabetes, may have contributed to patient refusals of the treatment. [16]
A test of olfactory abilities deemed useful in Japan employs detection of "sweaty socks", along with two other odours, as a useful metric of these abilities. [17]
When fresh, alkyl nitrites or "poppers", smell fruity, but when stale their aroma seems like smelly socks. [18]
Several technologies have been developed to address the problem by modifying the composition of sock materials. In February 1997, The Daily Mirror reported that a new fabric had been invented by British scientists to eliminate smelly socks. [19] Disinfectant treatments such as silver nanoparticles may be applied to socks to prevent them from smelling. [20] The United States Air Force Academy issued a 2009 request to vendors that included socks incorporating antimicrobial silver yarn technology. [21] This technology has encountered some opposition; a study conducted by researchers at Arizona State University examined the possibility that the silver particles could be released when the socks were washed, posing environmental concerns. [22] In 2000, the University of California announced a joint venture with private companies to develop socks that would reduce the problem by incorporating halamine compounds, a relatively stable form of chlorine. [23] In 2005 Dow Corning proposed the incorporation of alkoxysilanes as a preventive measure. [24]
Researchers reported, in 2011, on a technique to permanently block the development of pathogenic germs, which can cause odour in socks and other clothing. [25] A team led by Jason Lockli of the University of Georgia reported in the American Chemical Society's Applied Materials and Interfaces that the anti-microbial treatment of "smelly socks" could "offer low cost protection for healthcare facilities, such as hospitals." [25]
In a study of the odours most likely to attract mosquitos, smelly socks were found to be the most effective, topping the list along with Limburger cheese. [26] Their strong odour will also attract other dangerous wild animals such as bear. [27]
Because this smell is so effective at attracting mosquitos, its use has been explored for mosquito control in places where malaria is prevalent. [28] An imitation foot odour has been synthesised at the University of Wageningen. The synthetic odour is then used to bait traps which attract the mosquitos and so divert them from biting people. The synthetic mixture of ammonia, fatty acids, and lactic acid is effective but not as good as real sweaty socks. The composition of the authentic smell is still being analysed to determine the remaining active ingredients. [2] A project in Kenya funded by Grand Challenges Canada and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation involves harvesting smelly sock odour with cotton pads that are then used to bait traps. [28]
The East African jumping spider or vampire spider preys upon mosquitos which have fed upon blood. It is attracted to the same smell for this reason and this has been demonstrated using an olfactometer which was loaded alternately with clean and smelly socks. [29]
Dogs are strongly attracted to the scent of socks that have been worn by humans. They may self-medicate themselves during attacks of separation anxiety by focusing on these items. [30] The attraction is used in dog training, where the odorous socks may serve as a distractant or as a lure during crate training. [31] [32]
Smelly socks have been used to repel deer. Benefits include they are cheap and accessible, require little effort to put out each morning, and are quite effective at keeping deer out of one's flower garden. [33]
The smell of dirty socks was the most unpleasant of the smells provided in the movie Polyester which featured Odorama in the form of scratch and sniff cards. [34]
At Fort Siloso in Singapore, the liquid scent of smelly socks is part of the exhibition which provides tourists with a sensory impression of its historical use during WW2. [35]
The plant white plume grevillea (Grevillea leucopteris) has long white flowers whose stink resembles that of smelly socks, causing the plant to be known as "smelly socks grevillea" or "old socks". [36] Another plant with a similar smell and name is clary sage (Salvia sclarea). [37] The herb valerian has a musty smell of this sort too. [38] Mushrooms of the genus Amanita often have a strong odor which may also seem like that of smelly socks. [39]
Some people experience erotic arousal from smelling well worn socks as a fetish. [40] [41] It is one of the most widespread forms of olfactophilia. In a 1994 study, 45% of those with a foot fetish were found to be aroused by smelly socks. [42] Those aroused by smelling socks may be aroused only by a certain type of sock, those worn by a particular person or type of person, or in specific scenarios, such as being dominated or instructed to smell socks.
Smelly socks are favoured for use as a component in the making of powerful charms or spells, especially in voodoo or magic of African origin. [43] [44] They may be worn around the neck as a cure for a cold. [45]
Smelly socks were used as the basis for a marketing campaign for British Knights sneakers. Viewers were invited to send in their socks which would then be assessed for smell by a panel of judges which included a dog. [46]
Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a family of small flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word mosquito is Spanish and Portuguese for little fly. Mosquitoes have a slender segmented body, one pair of wings, three pairs of long hair-like legs, and specialized, highly elongated, piercing-sucking mouthparts. All mosquitoes drink nectar from flowers; females of some species have in addition adapted to drink blood. Evolutionary biologists view mosquitoes as micropredators, small animals that parasitise larger ones by drinking their blood without immediately killing them. Medical parasitologists view mosquitoes instead as vectors of disease, carrying protozoan parasites or bacterial or viral pathogens from one host to another.
Methanethiol is an organosulfur compound with the chemical formula CH
3SH. It is a colorless gas with a distinctive putrid smell. It is a natural substance found in the blood, brain and feces of animals, as well as in plant tissues. It also occurs naturally in certain foods, such as some nuts and cheese. It is one of the chemical compounds responsible for bad breath and the smell of flatus. Methanethiol is the simplest thiol and is sometimes abbreviated as MeSH. It is very flammable.
Foot fetishism, also known as foot partialism or podophilia, is a pronounced sexual interest in feet. It is the most common form of sexual fetishism for otherwise non-sexual objects or body parts.
N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, also called diethyltoluamide or DEET, is the oldest, one of the most effective and most common active ingredient in commercial insect repellents. It is a slightly yellow oil intended to be applied to the skin or to clothing and provides protection against mosquitoes, flies, ticks, fleas, chiggers, leeches, and many other biting insects.
Body odor or body odour (BO) is present in all animals and its intensity can be influenced by many factors. Body odor has a strong genetic basis, but can also be strongly influenced by various factors, such as sex, diet, health, and medication. The body odor of human males plays an important role in human sexual attraction, as a powerful indicator of MHC/HLA heterozygosity. Significant evidence suggests that women are attracted to men whose body odor is different from theirs, indicating that they have immune genes that are different from their own, which may produce healthier offspring.
Smell-O-Vision is a system that released odor during the projection of a film so that the viewer could "smell" what was happening in the movie. Created by Hans Laube, the technique made its only appearance in the 1960 film Scent of Mystery, produced by Mike Todd Jr., son of film producer Mike Todd. The process injected 30 odors into a movie theater's seats when triggered by the film's soundtrack.
Trimethylaminuria (TMAU), also known as fish odor syndrome or fish malodor syndrome, is a rare metabolic disorder that causes a defect in the normal production of an enzyme named flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3). When FMO3 is not working correctly or if not enough enzyme is produced, the body loses the ability to properly convert the fishy-smelling chemical trimethylamine (TMA) from precursor compounds in food digestion into trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), through a process called N-oxidation.
Geosmin ( jee-OZ-min) is an irregular sesquiterpenoid, produced from the universal sesquiterpene precursor farnesyl pyrophosphate (also known as farnesyl diphosphate), in a two-step Mg2+-dependent reaction. Geosmin, along with the irregular monoterpene 2-methylisoborneol, together account for the majority of biologically-caused taste and odor outbreaks in drinking water worldwide. Geosmin has a distinct earthy or musty odor, which most people can easily smell. The geosmin odor detection threshold in humans is very low, ranging from 0.006 to 0.01 micrograms per liter in water. Geosmin is also responsible for the earthy taste of beetroots and a contributor to the strong scent (petrichor) that occurs in the air when rain falls after a spell of dry weather or when soil is disturbed.
Stainless steel soap is a piece of stainless steel, in the form of a soap bar or other hand-held shape. Its purported purpose is to neutralize or reduce strong odors such as those from handling garlic, onion, durian, guava, salami, or fish.
An electronic nose is an electronic sensing device intended to detect odors or flavors. The expression "electronic sensing" refers to the capability of reproducing human senses using sensor arrays and pattern recognition systems.
Benzyl salicylate is a salicylic acid benzyl ester, a chemical compound most frequently used in cosmetics as a fragrance additive or UV light absorber. It appears as an almost colorless liquid with a mild odor described as "very faint, sweet-floral, slightly balsamic" by some, while others smell nothing at all. There is debate whether the odour is caused solely by impurities or a genetic predisposition. It occurs naturally in a variety of plants and plant extracts and is widely used in blends of fragrance materials.
Skunk is a malodorant, non-lethal weapon used for crowd control by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and marketed to militaries and law enforcement around the world. It was developed and is manufactured by Odortec, with two supporting companies, Man and Beit-Alfa Technologies. The liquid's strong odor is marketed as an improvement over other crowd control weapons (CCWs) such as rubber bullets and tear gas used by the IDF against Palestinian protestors. The IDF has been criticized for its tactics during deployment, including common use against people, businesses, and neighborhoods not involved in protests as a form of collective punishment.
An odor or odour is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds that are generally found in low concentrations that humans and many animals can perceive via their sense of smell. An odor is also called a "smell" or a "scent", which can refer to either an unpleasant or a pleasant odor.
The sense of smell, or olfaction, is the special sense through which smells are perceived. The sense of smell has many functions, including detecting desirable foods, hazards, and pheromones, and plays a role in taste.
Odour is sensory stimulation of the olfactory membrane of the nose by a group of molecules. Certain body odours are connected to human sexual attraction. Humans can make use of body odour subconsciously to identify whether a potential mate will pass on favourable traits to their offspring. Body odour may provide significant cues about the genetic quality, health and reproductive success of a potential mate.
Digital scent technology is the engineering discipline dealing with olfactory representation. It is a technology to sense, transmit and receive scent-enabled digital media. The sensing part of this technology works by using olfactometers and electronic noses.
Foot odor or bromodosis is a type of body odor that affects the feet of humans.
Limburger is a cheese that originated in the Herve area of the historical Duchy of Limburg, which had its capital in Limbourg-sur-Vesdre, now in the French-speaking Belgian province of Liège. The cheese is especially known for its strong smell caused by the bacterium Brevibacterium linens.
Fredros Okumu is a Kenyan parasitologist and entomologist, who currently works as director of science at the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) in Tanzania. His primary research interests concern the interactions between humans and mosquitoes.
The smell of freshly cut grass is an odour caused by green leaf volatiles (GLVs) released when it is damaged. Mechanical damage to grass from activities such as lawnmowing results in the release of cis-3-hexenal and other compounds that contribute to a grassy or "green" smell. cis-3-Hexenal has a low odour detection threshold that humans can perceive at concentrations as low as 0.25 parts per billion.
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