Dorm Room Deodorant

I have some serious issues with smell, and living on a hall where all I can smell is old wood, dirty laundry, and what the Area Director has cooked for dinner is generally unacceptable to me. I've tried everything--febreezing (this includes other human beings as well as rugs and bedspreads), unlit scented candles and room spray. None of the scents really seem to last or go beyond a five foot radius. Light one of my three dozen scented candles, you say? Not in this dorm room... or anywhere on campus for that matter. Most dorms have a no candles for any reason at all policy--a good thing on my campus, considering how we have a rather lengthy history of buildings going up in flames like matchstick houses.

I had all but given up hope. It was a dark future of smelly gym clothes and the overpowering scent of ramen ahead of me, but I was more than willing to singlehandly keep the Febreeze company alive.

Until, of course, I discovered Glade Wisp Flameless Candles.



People, these things are magic.

I can't even tell you how much my life has improved since making that $9.50 investment at Target. I'm fairly sure you can find them for a bit cheaper at CVS or Walgreens, but most of the "starter" packs come with the candle itself and your fragrance of choice. I ended up getting a great deal on Apple Cinnamon because it went on sale after the holidays. It doesn't smell anything like Apple Cinnamon to me, but it's an absolutely delicious smell. I can't even describe it, but it's wonderful.

In case you have the tendency to be an idiot about these things, Glade has set up a really nice demonstration on how the flameless candles work and how you put them together. I suggest making sure you have it set to the lowest setting before you put the fragrance in, because it actually will release a visible cloudpuff of fragrant poison in your face. Just a warning.

All kidding aside, my little flameless candle that could has lasted me about a month set on one of the lower settings. I get compliments on it all the time, which is a nice change from, "Did a bottle of Febreeze explode in here?" The little "candle" holder is made of frosted glass that has some substance to it and doesn't look like the tacky express rolled right on through your room. The only complaint that I have is the imitation candle flicker. It's a little hokey and too orange to be actual candlelight, but I have had several minutes of amusement pushing the thing on and off. So there you go.

Glade Wisp Flameless Candle: $7.99 at Walgreens