DIY College-Budget Air Freshener?

I live in a tiny college dorm room where the heat is almost always on ungodly high. When it's not, it's ridiculously hot outside (I live in Wisconsin, it's either really really hot or really really cold out). Naturally, my room has a tendency to stink like my/whoever chills with me's sweat along with the smell of my coffee.

I've tried store-bough air fresheners and the cheap ones suck and the expensive ones are expensive. I'm also a DIY geek (hence my love for this website).

Is there any sort of DIY air freshener I could make on a college budget?

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5 replies since 26th March 2012 • Last reply 26th March 2012

Reply #1:

Try an oil burner, you put essential oil (few drops) in the top and light a tealight under, as the oil heats it dissipates into the air and smells really good. http://www.spiritualscents.com/c-15-oil-burners.aspx
I also just made mixed baking soda with some essential oil and made my own personalized carpet powder to vac up. It's really cheap and easy to do.
Vinegar will neutralize most smells so I would suggest you mix half water and half vinegar in a spray bottle and just mist everything in your room, that should help. You will want to leave the window open though because it will be very vinegary for at least 10 mins.
Also just washing the walls and surfaces down should help.

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Reply #2:

Sweet! Thanks. I'd love to have any sort of incense or oil burner, but we're not allowed to have any sort of open flame or heat source. I was so very tempted to break that rule a couple times this year. XP

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Reply #3:

Using witch hazel and essential oils as a spray might help, too. Witch hazel is great for eliminating odors and it has a light woodsy smell that will blend nicely with a lot of essential oils.

Carpet powder also works wonders if you have a good vacuum.

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Reply #4:

Thanks!
This may be a silly question, but how do you use carpet powders? Do have to leave them on the floor for a certain amount of time or do you just put 'em down and vacuum them up?

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Reply #5:

I like to leave my carpet powder on the floor for at least 30mins because I think the essential oils have more time to "soak in". Since I have a canister vacuum it makes the air smell good as well. Most powders you buy in the store will have directions on the container.

I have one of these lamps as well, and I have heard that you can put a few drops of essential oil on the lamp and it will heat up and disperse into the air.
http://www.amazon.com/Indus-Classic-Himalayan-Crystal-Pounds/dp/B000CDGR8Y

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