Moving into your university dorm room is one of the most exciting parts of any new school year. But it may be tricky to prioritize cleaning with all the exciting new friends, on-campus events, and new routines. Fresh Wave is here to help you manage a cleaning schedule that will make your dorm room smell good and feel good. That way, you can focus on what’s really important: studying and making friends.
Whether you’re a freshman just starting out or a seasoned upperclassman, follow these tips to set yourself up for a safe, healthy start to your school year.
How to Make a Dorm Room Smell Good
- Deep clean at the beginning of the year.
- Establish a cleaning routine.
- Use a natural air freshener to deodorize regularly.
What to Do When You First Move Into Your Dorm Room
Happy moving day! Preceding odors from previous students or long summer vacancies may be your first introduction to your new room. To make the room your own, you should start fresh by eliminating all odors. If possible, do this before you move anything into the room, so you can get into all the nooks and crannies.
To have a fresh start, open a window (if possible) and wipe down all surfaces and window ledges with a disinfectant to clear harmful and smelly germs. This will ensure the unfamiliar smells will not seep into your newly purchased school supplies, bedding, or clothes. Finish the job by spraying the Fresh Wave Odor Removing Spray throughout the room. This formula is the perfect air freshener for dorm rooms because it eliminates lingering odor molecules in the air without leaving behind an overpowering scent—perfect for small, shared rooms and communal spaces.
Making your dorm room smell good before you fully move in is an important step in academic success. Studies have shown that clutter can make us feel stressed, as though our work is never done. The first week of school is already stressful enough, so, start off this school year on the right foot by establishing a cleaning routine early on.
Freshening and Cleaning Throughout the Year
Throughout the year, your dorm room can start to accumulate odors. Student-athletes, gym users, or casual sports players, may bring home unwanted odors. Distribute Fresh Wave Odor Removing Packs into your backpacks and athletic gear to avoid trapping odors in your dorm room. College schedules are busy enough that sometimes you don’t have time to unpack and wash your stuff between classes or practice. The odor-removing packs act as a set-and-forget-it solution for bad smells.
Don’t let these bags sit too long, though. Developing healthy and consistent cleaning habits will have the most impact on keeping odors at bay in your dorm room. It will also ensure you don’t become known as the stinky roommate. Be sure to wash those dishes and throw dirty clothes into the wash to avoid odor build-up over time.
Shared laundry machines will give you enough trouble, but don't let lasting odors be one of them. You aren't the only one trying to wash our week-old grime, dirt, and strange liquids out of your clothes. To ensure your clothes are fresh and odor-free, use Fresh Wave Odor Removing Laundry Booster, which is specifically formulated to fight malodor in clothes and sheets. Between broken machines and trying to find an open machine, washing your clothes is already enough hassle. Don’t let persistent odors be another problem. Your career in college is a great time to incorporate small steps for establishing healthy lifestyle habits and wellness routines that will contribute to your lifelong mental and physical health.
For all those late-night study sessions and snack hours, your mini fridge will store everything. But messes are bound to happen when the space is tight and you have to share with other people. If open liquid spilled or forgotten food has gone bad, Fresh Wave Odor Removing Packs & Pods can prevent odors from seeping into the rest of the room. Just replace the pods about every 30 days to keep your fridge smelling fresh. These packs can also be placed inside closets to prevent dirty laundry odor from spreading.
Establish a Cleaning Routine With Roommates
Speak candidly with your roommate about a cleaning routine to make a priority and then stick with it! Your dorm room is your home base on campus, a refuge from stress, and a hangout spot for your friend group. The last thing you want to walk into after a long day of classes and exams is a pungent and persistent smell. Keeping it clean and fresh will create a relaxing and inviting environment for anyone who stops by between classes and on weeknights.
To make sure your space is ready to host impromptu movie nights and the occasional party, it’s important to keep your dorm room clean and smelling fresh. Splitting the cleaning duties with whomever you’re living with will divide the load and give you both a sense of ownership of your dorm room. Create a tidying plan that covers:
- Taking out the trash and replacing trash bags often.
- Emptying the fridge (get those food odors outta there!) and cleaning up any spills or stains.
- Disinfecting the furniture and any and all surfaces.
- Vacuuming with Fresh Wave Odor Removing Vacuum Beads in tow. Make sure no crumbs or messes sit on the carpet or floor for too long! The beads work with the airflow to ensure that your vacuum bag or canister doesn’t smell up your beloved dorm room. They work on full-size vacuums and smaller hand-held vacuums.
Dorm Room Air Fresheners for Hosting Friends
A dorm room is a hub for a lot of activity: people are always coming and going, poking their heads in, maybe even crashing on the couch for the night. If you feel a little weird about using a dorm room air freshener when people are hanging out, you can easily freshen up your dorm in a more discreet way.
When you’re hanging out with your friends, try lighting a Fresh Wave Odor Removing Candle. Candles make a great subtle air freshener for dorm rooms. They create a calming ambiance and effectively control odors from food, drinks, and snacks your visitors might bring into the room. If you decide to deodorize with a candle, use standard safety tips. Leave it on a flat surface away from drapes and hanging fabric, and do not leave the room while the candle is lit. You do not want to be the reason your entire dorm building has to evacuate when the fire alarm goes off. Make sure you check your dorm’s candle policy before lighting on in your room. Another option with the same effect is Fresh Wave Odor Removing Gels with 24/7 odor-absorbing power.
Whether you’re deodorizing scents in the air or protecting your clothing from malodor in the campus laundry room, Fresh Wave odor-eliminating products are the perfect accompaniment to any back-to-school shopping list. They are great to use in shared rooms because of their clean, subtle scents, and non-toxic formula. Fresh Wave Odor Removing Sprays and Gels will allow you to enjoy campus life to the fullest and develop some cleaning habits that will transfer well into your first apartment.
