One unforeseen downside of the pandemic is that because it’s safer to eat in your room than in the dining hall, the dorm rooms end up smelling… well, like the dining hall. To combat this problem, my roommate and I purchased an oil diffuser so the room can smell like fun scents instead. Here’s a ranking of the different scents we have (this list goes from worst to best).
- Lavender
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I don’t know what it is about this specific bottle of lavender essential oil, but it simply does not smell like lavender. It does smell good, but I have no idea what exactly the smell is, so it gets last place. My roommate Mikky’s input: “It just smells like clean.”
- Sweet orange
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This one smells like orange soda, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but you can get orange soda from the dining hall, so it somewhat defeats the “clean smell” purpose. Mikky’s input: “It smells better than the previous orange essential oil we had, but it does still smell oddly like orange soda.”
- Eucalyptus
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This one smells like a restaurant, which isn’t a bad thing either, but it isn’t really how I want the room to smell. Mikky’s input: “It smells like Japanese green tea.”
- Lemongrass
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I like this one a lot, but sometimes the lemon can be a bit too strong for me. Mikky’s input: “This is my favorite scent! I love lemon.”
- Tea tree
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I hadn’t even heard of this scent before we bought these essential oils, but it smells absolutely wonderful. Mikky’s input: “I like this one now, but it had to grow on me. It smells like a fresh, woodsy forest.”
- Peppermint
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This one is absolutely my favorite scent. Peppermint is said to reduce headaches, and when we’re staring at a screen on zoom all day, that added benefit is really helpful. Mikky’s input: “Minty fresh!”
If you’re also having issues with your room smelling like dining hall food, an oil diffuser is a great way to solve that problem. Just make sure your scented things meet university requirements (candles and incense aren’t allowed!) and you’re good to go.
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