Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Describe The Best Smells On Earth

You know that smell right before it rains? It's earthy. It's gorgeous. I have a distinct memory of leaving school and getting into my mother's car just as a giant storm cloud rolled in. The smell was rich.

Then it poured. It was splendid. The smell after the rain was fantastic too. Can you tell I have a thing for rain and doom and gloom?

There are so many wonderful smells out there, though! People told us all about their favorites after Redditor loganmcau asked the online community,

"What's the best smell on earth?"

"It smells amazing!"

"Vanilla. It smells amazing."

Gyngerkittle

It does! Just steer clear of wasps.

"The lumber section..."

"The lumber section at Home Depot. Oddly satisfying."

ooperbang6

So true! What is it about it?!

"The immediate smell..."

"The immediate smell after a light drizzle. That would be an air of change for a second for people far from nature."

wombraider420

A lovely and soothing smell! I love it too.

"Eucalyptus oil mixed into hot water splashed on the hot rocks of a woodburning sauna in the early fall."

pizzapopcorndog

Oooh. Specific, but it must be amazing. Now I need to go to a traditional sauna.

"Freshly baked bread. Someone should bottle that smell and turn it into a perfume/cologne."

[deleted]

I don't think I'd wear it, but you do you!

"I swam..."

"I swam for 12 years and taught swim lessons for another 8, the smell right when you open the door and smell the warm chlorine air smells like home and nostalgia to me."

Sunglass-sketch1964

Ah, yes! This makes me want to jump back in a pool. It's been a while.

"Fresh linen blowing in the summer breeze, as you walk by someone's house."

1Cabbage

There is something to be said about crisp bed linens – magical.

"When it's been winter..."

"When it's been winter for months and you get that one warm day in the beginning of the year that smells like spring."

deidara2613

But wait! It's just a fake out... and now it's cold and gray again...

"Especially..."

"Campfire. Especially on a cold fall morning. Getting home and back to the daily grind but you still smell that smoke."

Extrasherman

Not a big fan of camping but I have to say there is something beautiful about that smell of a campfire and coffee in the morning.

"I think a lot of people..."

"I think a lot of people who gave an answer here consciously/subconsciously thought of a happy moment in their life."

"Mine is the smell of jasmine flowers along the streets in my hometown as I was on sitting on the back of my dad’s scooter when he picked me up from school. They smelt like happiness."

daddythecrab

This just gave me second-hand smell happiness as I envisioned the scene. Thank you!

Oh, dear – there are so many smells we've been missing out on! And there's too little time to smell them all.

Have some suggestions of your own? Feel free to tell us all about them in the comments below!

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Donald Trump
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

People Bring Receipts After White House Claims Photo Of Trump Asleep During Oval Office Event Was Just Him 'Blinking'

After President Donald Trump appeared to fall asleep during an event on maternal health in the Oval Office on Monday, people brought the receipts when an official White House account claimed he was simply "blinking."

The event was used to launch moms.gov, a new federal resource hub focused on prenatal care, nutrition, and postpartum support, along with information on employer fertility benefits and expanded childcare options, including assistance for stay-at-home parents.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dr. Mehmet Oz
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Dr. Oz Just Made An Alarming Comment About Fertility Rates That Sounds Straight Out Of 'The Handmaid's Tale'

Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump's administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, made an alarming comment about fertility rates, declaring that 1 in 3 Americans are "under-babied."

In the United States, infertility affects roughly 9% of men and 11% of women, while globally the figure is estimated at about one in six people.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump Jr.; Donald Trump
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Don Jr.'s Old Tweet Praising His Father For Avoiding War With Iran Just Resurfaced—And It's Aged Like Milk

As President Donald Trump's war with Iran rages on, his son Donald Trump Jr. is facing criticism after an old tweet he wrote praising his father for avoiding war with Iran resurfaced.

Back in April 2024, the president's eldest son wrote the following on X:

Keep ReadingShow less
Images of Savannah and Nancy Guthrie
@savannahguthrie/Instagram

Savannah Guthrie Shares Heartfelt Video Of Her Missing Mom On Mother's Day: 'We Miss You With Every Breath'

Today co-host Savannah Guthrie's mother, 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, was declared missing on February 1, 2026, after she did not routinely arrive at church that morning, and a well-check confirmed that her home was empty and the door was left wide open.

Due to her need for multiple medications, including for her pacemaker, and her limited mobility, the Pima County Police Department deemed her case a high priority, soon welcoming the help of the FBI.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Robert Jeffress
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Fox News

Trump Backs Pastor's Claim That He Has A 'Better Understanding' Of The Bible Than Pope Leo—And People Are Furious

On Saturday, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump chose to promote an interview with controversial anti-LGBTQ+ Baptist minister Robert Jeffress by posting a clip from Fox News on Truth Social. In the interview, Jeffress repeatedly stroked Trump's ego, flattering him incessantly.

A Fox News contributor, Jeffress was on to talk about Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to the Vatican to give Pope Leo XIV a crystal football.

Keep ReadingShow less