I have a slight problem with a work colleague. She is the sweetest girl but unfortunately the odour emanating from her armpits is not as sweet as she. How do I address this awkward hygiene issue?
Rexona, Ivanhoe VIC
Dear Rexona,
Tackling sensitive issues is never easy, particularly when it involves those you are forced to encounter on a daily basis. Once I worked with a guy who had particularly bad foot odour (imagine the acidic sting of blue vein cheese combined with wet swimwear that has been left in a plastic bag for three days) who would clear out the change room the minute his clodhoppers hit the vinyl flooring. The flawed and temporarily solution: an anonymous ten-dollars-or-under Kris Kringle gift of foot spray, which caused him significant embarrassment and the development of a complex that saw him waiting until everyone else was out of scent before he would consider removing his shoes. Now, the non-confrontational (read cowardly) approach is perhaps what you are searching for, however, I hate to remind you that Christmas is in December.
Personal hygiene is just that – personal – and you have to be prepared for the emotional onslaught that could follow. Using tact and sensitivity is the only way to ensure you won’t have a sweaty armpit draped across you while cradling a hysterical mess. Do as a friend’s mother did when you’d worn a certain windcheater one too many times for her liking: lean in; pat the other party on the arm gently; smile sweetly and say, ‘Gee, that jumper’s been very good to you, dear.’ Or in your case, replace ‘jumper’ with ‘stench’ and the rest of the phrase with ‘you’re emitting is burning my nostrils’.
Seriously though, come prepared with rhinoceros-strength deodorant, pull your colleague aside and say, ‘Excuse me, Stinky-Pits, I don’t mean to embarrass you but I think you might have forgotten to put deodorant on this morning. Here, use mine.’ Hopefully things will transpire well and when she offers your deodorant back, politely refuse, insisting she keep it. With any luck, this will pave the way to clean air and you can concentrate on more important things like running up the corporate credit card with boozy lunches.
Published on 20 May 2009 by Agony Uncle