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
"Especially..."
"Campfire. Especially on a cold fall morning. Getting home and back to the daily grind but you still smell that smoke."
Extrasherman
"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.
@bfgilme/Bluesky
@agent672/Bluesky 
@everyonel9vesmikey/Bluesky
@_oRyca_/X
@jointheunionus/Threads
@MarkRuffalo/X
@joannefirth/Bluesky
@F_Don8/X