The Observer, November 10, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 10
A Fresh Perspective: Eliminate odor issues in dorm rooms
It's a fact of college life that every once in a while someone burns a bag of popcorn or some other microwaveable food and the entire building is enlightened to the most delightful sound: the fire alarm.
Now I was lucky to be living in a residence hall that did not have a fire alarm sound once in the first eight weeks of school. Unfortunately, that trend was broken about two weeks ago.
However, instead of the usual culprit–someone with sub-par popcorn popping abilities–the alarm was activated by one student innocently Febreezing his jacket.
Yep, Febreeze. One would think that such a common product would not produce such inconvenient results. After the incident, several of us pondered how does Fabreeze, of all things, set off a fire alarm? Also, what are we to do now to make our rooms and clothes smell better?
As an answer to the first question, many have theorized that the particular type of smoke detector is activated when there are particles near it that ought not to be there. I am not entirely sure how this works and am sure that someone out there does know how this could happen. So, instead of making unjustified conjectures about the workings of our fire safety system, I'll just assure you that the fire alarm was indeed set off by the fabric freshening agent.
The second question, though, causes a bit more thought. Many of us have struggled with keeping the distinct dorm odor under control and so after a little bit of contemplation we were able to compile a short list of alternative ways to keep your dorm room and clothing smelling fresh.
1. Line your closet with 99-cent car air fresheners.
2. Strategically place scented fabric softener sheets around the room.
3. Line a wall of your room with baking soda (still in the boxes!)
4. Buy scented soap in large quantities and place the bars strategically around the room
5. Buy your roommate deodorant, body wash, or perfume/cologne for the holidays.
6. Use plug-in air fresheners.
These were only a few of the ways that were thought of to alternatively make your room smell better. I am sure that there are numerous other ways out there, so get creative.
Davis is a first–year student and has yet to decide on a major. She is a member of the Spartan Tappers and the Case Camerata Orchestra and enjoys writing, reading, watching movies, and good debates.
