Top of the plops: Worst smells named and shamed

A survey of more than 1,000 people revealed the stench of babies’ nappies, smoking, bin juice and wet dogs are among people’s least favourite fragrances - with some even putting air fresheners, Brut aftershave and cut flowers on the list.

The top 10 worst smells as voted for by the British public were:

1. Baby poo

2. Sewers on a hot day

3. Bad breath

4. Wet Dog

5. Breaking wind

6. Human sweat

7. Rotten food

8. Smoking

9. Smelly feet

10. The “juice” at the bottom of your bin

Unusual or unlikely answers included air fresheners, petrol fumes, fresh bread, cut flowers, hairdressers’ shops, the seaside and Brut 33 aftershave.

More than 1,000 people responded to a poll organised by refuse management firm BusinessWaste.co.uk, asking what smells offended their noses the most. The firm’s customer services manager Mark Hall said: “Some of the popular responses are awful and pretty much as expected, but who knew there was somebody out there who was offended by air fresheners?!

“The unusual answers made us gape in amazement. Fresh bread is one of the universally loved smells, but there’s really no accounting for human taste.

“Also, respect to the one person from the 1970s who dislikes Brut 33. We’re still splashing it all over even if he isn’t.”