So, living in a college dorm, I’ve run into a bit of a problem. I have two bags of dirty laundry hidden in my closet–unfortunately, they smell a bit like Pine Sol sans lemony goodness. The room doesn’t smell bad, per se–just not particularly good. I’d like to remedy this situation immediately, and cheaply (hey, I said I’m in college).
Does anyone have tips for making my room smell nice? Something that sends out a pretty powerful odor which still smells good, but isn’t very conspicuous.
Um, do your laundry?
Yes, and wash those sheets, too.
Haha, you beat me to it.
Hmm, three loads or so of laundry will run you $1 per load to wash, and probably $1.25 a load to dry. That’s a cheap and easy solution. Not to mention, the ladies might run away screaming if they catch a whiff of your dirty bags of laundry. 
I too have to ask why you just don’t do the obvious.
P.S. Air freshener or baking soda or anything else isn’t going to fool anyone. Your room is still going to smell like stinky old dirty laundry, which you are trying to cover up with air freshener or baking soda.
When you do your laundry (do your laundry!) smell the room again. Does it still smell? Then try that new Febreze air stuff. Works wonders.
Plain ole Baking soda. On the dirty clothes, in your sheets, in your shoes. Sprinkle everywhere. Odor-destroying goodness at 53 cents a box. Febreze is a lot more expensive, but you can apply it to your carpets and furniture. This should be a temporary measure until you do your laundry.
Do not use anything to mask the smell (candles, incense, cologne, etc) as you’ll only make things smell worse.
Asses
There are numerous complications, so I only get to do laundry once in a while. But I’ve often walked into a friends’ rooms, and remarked ‘wow, this room smells really nice.’ I ask them, and they respond with ‘I dunno…’
Laundry is in the wash as we speak, by the way :wally
Besides doing the laundry, you should clean your room reasonably often–vacuuming, wiping off dust, keeping surfaces and textiles clean. Then keep your window open as much as possible. Fresh air is a good scent!
Basically, cleanliness smells good. Stale, unwashed, dusty–those are bad smells that cannot be masked. Air fresheners and perfumes will only go so far, and often smell fake to some noses.
I think Febreeze should be a college staple. It absolutely works wonders. It doesn’t just cover up odors, it really gets rid of them. It has its own subtle scent, but it’s great for spraying down clothes you’re not quite sure are wearable again (they are, just spritz them down a bit and hang them up) or for getting the reek of tobacco out of your car, or numerous other unwanted scents. It is truly an amazing product.
I wasn’t just talking about the fabric febreze, but the air stuff. It’s so cool.
Those Glade Plug-In doohickeys were great when I was in a college dorm. I don’t know what it is about dorm rooms, it’s just hard to keep them nice and fresh.
I’m just dying to know what complications (numerous!) keep you from walking down the hall and throwing a load in once in a while. Yes, sometimes the washers are in use, and yes, sometimes you’re broke. But it sounds like you have a more serious set of complications in mind, so…tell all!