People Are Sharing The Oddly Specific Smells That Instantly Take Them Back To Their Childhood

Yahoo

06-04-2025

It's often said that scents can trigger nostalgia better than any other sense. And there are certain smells that have the power to transport us instantly back to childhood, unlocking memories buried deep in the mind. The scent of crayons, fresh-cut grass, or your favorite cereal can create flashbacks to long-forgotten moments.
Recently, Redditor Still_Ad8722 wanted to know what some of those scents were when they asked: "What's an oddly specific smell that instantly takes you back to childhood?"
The thread got over 1K comments. Below are some of the top and most often repeated scents that people said reminded them of their childhood:
1."Those permanent markers that smelled like fruits!"
—Electronic-Count3283
"Mr. Sketch! They changed most of the scents, and added new ones. My nephew just got some, and I spent like 10 minutes sniffing them and getting very irritated that my experience was not nostalgic in the slightest."
—bluesky747
2."[Bath & Body Works] Cucumber Melon — but my bestie wore out Cucumber Melon sooo much I low-key hate it. Sun-Ripened Raspberry is still dear to me as no one abused it in my life."
—JenevaConvention
"I loved the Sun-Ripened Raspberry scent, it was my favorite body spray from the 90s. Add some Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner, and this scent combo takes me back to my high school days."
—Adventurous_Tie_5532
3."Several years ago, my grandmother's house went up for sale. I lived in this house with her as a teenager, her final five years. I toured it with the real estate agent. When I walked into the bathroom and opened the closet, I got hit with the smell of powder. This smell had been there and been a defining aspect of the closet for as long as I could remember, back to being a small child. I hadn't even thought of this smell in close to 30 years. Talk about a blast from the past. I couldn't believe the smell was still there after so long. That was almost as shocking as being hit with the smell when I opened the door."
—shavenyakfl
4."The smell of pipe tobacco and the aroma of pipe smoke. My granddaddy smoked pipes. My grandaddy was a lovely man."
—Thin-Pie-3465
"Mine too. 🥹"
—Joyballard6460
5."It's the smell of chlorine and sunscreen on a hot day. It instantly takes me back to summer break, jumping into the community pool with a dripping popsicle stick still in my hand."
—sssuperstark
6."School soap and brown paper towels. Kids always smelled like school soap and brown paper towels."
—freepromethia
7."New books, reminds me of Scholastic book fairs!"
—intherapy1998
"Similarly, the distinct newsprint scent of their book order forms."
—HermioneJane611
8."Dial antibacterial hand soap"
—anonymity012
"My grandparents always had Dial, unlike my parents who bought Dove. I've been a Dial lady since it was my choice.
The same goes for bread! Mom had white, but both my grandmas had wheat, and that's how I roll now."
—juswundern
9."Mimeograph copies in elementary school (1960s). When they weren't dry yet, they smelled so good!"
—MobiusMeema
"Mimeographed test papers. That purple ink had a smell I'll never forget."
—ReadySetGO0
10."The plastic smell…like from a Barbie case."
—amoodymermaid
11."Avon Timeless perfume and cigarette combined."
—twinkletoestravels
"Skin So Soft is the one Avon smell that I can recall. Everyone used it as mosquito repellant."
—epicenter69
12."Warm chocolate. My school was near a chocolate factory, so at random intervals, we would get the sweet smell of warm chocolate through the windows. It was pretty great!"
—chirpingphoenix
13."Old school paste in a jar with a brush to spread it with. Ah, the late 1960s."
—DynamoDeb
14."IDK if anyone else's local Blockbuster also smelled like popcorn, but popcorn smell brings me back to those days."
—online-optimism
15."Money and cigarettes. My grandmother worked at a bank and chain smoked. Loved that woman, but she always came home from work smelling like money and cigarettes. I spent every summer of my childhood with her and it takes me right back."
—Jen_the_Green
16."White Diamonds perfume. My recently deceased mother always wore that. Sometimes, you could taste it; that stuff is so strong. 😅🥲"
—schmassidy
17."Bonner Bell Lip Smackers! The flavored lip balm (Dr. Pepper, Orange Crush, Cherry, Watermelon, etc.) that you hung around your neck with a lanyard. 😍"
—WordGirl1229
"My best friend in grade school never went anywhere without her Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers. She was so sophisticated in my pre-teen mind!
Thanks for the memory!"
—Crafty-Shape2743
18."Vinyl and engine exhaust fumes from the school bus."
—TheWrongTrousers
"School buses are air conditioned now, so our kids never got the opportunity to smell their route."
—epicenter69
19."Elementary school cafeteria. Wow. The food was sooooo gooooood! And what was in the air? Fresh bread rolls every school day. Like warm yeast rolls."
—Scarlettbama
20."Baloney sandwich in a plastic baggie."
—JayboDaHo
You can read the original thread on Reddit.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.