41. A special hospital smell brought home by parents

The vocabulary of smell is difficult for those outside of the flavors and fragrance industry. My daughters did notice a particular scent that would cling to me when I would return from work despite changing out of the scrubs. I think it was the mixtures of all the stuff that comes out of people: sweat, vomit, stool, blood, halitosis. Additionally, the smell of certain infections stays with you unless you shower, and shower would be the first thing I would do after arriving home. My wife, who works as a nurse anesthetist, would sometimes smell of anesthetic gas that persisted despite the scavenging devices in the operating rooms. Sometimes a shower and change of clothes is too difficult to complete prior to leaving the hospital