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College dorm essentials
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items I dropped off my kid at college last fall for the first time and spent a lot of time researching what was essential to comfort, style, and purpose. Here are some things that we moved into the dorm.
Sections
9
Personal care
Cleaning
Bedding
Tech
Desk
Eating
Personal care
Some essentials
This 4-pack of Burt’s Bees lip balm is great for the dry air that leads to chapped lips throughout the school year. One for the backpack, one for the desk drawer, and a couple extra to avoid running out.
Burt's Bees Moisturizing Lip Balm - Tropical Fruit - 4pk
These towels are affordable, soft, and colorful. Great option for the dorms.
Spa Plush Bath Towel Dark Mauve - Threshold™
Keep the cycle regular with this over the counter birth control pill.
Opill Daily Oral Birth Control Pills - 3 Month - 84ct
This Flamingo razor is portable, cute and affordable. Great to put in the basket for the showers.
Flamingo Value Pack Non-Disposable Razor with Handle - Lilac - 5ct
This basket is the perfect size for the shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste and whatever else your student needs to head down the hall to the bathroom. Affordable and durable option!
RÅNEN Basket
These washcloths work great, and can withstand a week's use before laundering.
Body and face washcloths
A durable toiletry bag is very helpful if your dorm room is down the hall from the showers and toilets. We chose this one.
The Cosmetic Case in Black
Cleaning
Small, efficient cleaning products are a must. Here's what's in my kid's room.
We didn’t get one right away but my college kid said they wish we had. A stick vacuum is a simple cleaning tool to help with dust and crumbs that doesn’t take up much space and is quiet and lightweight.
Teendow Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner V07 , Lightweight Rechargeable Vacuum with LED Floor , 35 Min Runtime, 2 Modes for Carpet, Hard Floors, Pet Hair
Perfect caddy to keep your dishwashing supplies when you go down the hall in the dorm to wash your cups and bowls.
Cleaning Caddy - up&up™
What’s the recommendation I saw more than any other to haul laundry to the laundry room in the dorm? A backpack! This one works great and has some pockets for the detergent and other products needed for the laundry room.
Backpack Laundry Bag Textured Gray - Brightroom™: Polyester, 3500 Volume, Multipurpose Hamper Bag, All Ages
A dish wand is essential for washing up your dishes; this one is durable and well-designed.
Dish wand
Great multipurpose microfiber washcloth for cleaning.
Envirocloth
Dorm washing machines get a lot of use, and we were told liquid is less harsh on them than pods or even strips. A little goes a long way with this detergent.
Liquid Laundry Detergent
Bedding
Dorm mattresses are. . .well, unique. Keep your college kid comfortable with these items so they rest well.
This mattress protector is affordable and effective for the dorm bed. We put the mattress pad down first, then this on top to keep the pad in place. Works great!
Twin/Twin XL Machine Washable Quilted Microfiber Mattress Pad - Room Essentials™: Polyester Protector, 180 Thread Count, OEKO-TEX Certified
Mattress toppers help cushion the mattress to make it a little more comfortable for sleeping. Here’s an affordable option that is working great for my kid.
Twin 1.5" Reversible Memory Foam Mattress Topper - Room Essentials™: CertiPUR-US, Cooling, Spot Clean
We love this sheet set for those odd shaped dorm mattresses. Soft, durable, and stylish color options to fit any college student’s style!
Utopia Bedding Twin XL Sheet Set 3PC Lavender
This pillow is such a comforting option for the dorm room. Pair it with the super soft pillowcase and night time will be so soothing for your student.
SquishPillow by Original Squishmallows Standard Firm Bed Pillow and Ultra Soft Pillowcase Cover
Dorm mattresses are XL twin. Don’t ask me why. But new sheets are needed so we headed to Target. This style has lots of colors and patterns so you’re bound to find one (or two) that you like.
Twin/Twin XL Microfiber Sheet Set Pink Metal - Room Essentials™: Polyester, 170 Thread Count, OEKO-TEX Certified
Tech
In our high tech world, high quality tech is so important. Here's what we landed on for college studying.
My college kid uses these every day to drown out the dorm noise and chill with a favorite podcast or some music. Bose quality is top notch and worth the cost.
QuietComfort Earbuds
| Bose
Sometimes you have to take a little time for fun. This game is a fun mini escape from homework.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure Nintendo Switch - Best Buy
This laptop has been a great investment for our college student. You want a computer with a faster processor, adequate storage, and portable. It’s been working great for us.
Dell Plus Copilot+ PC 14" 2K 2 in 1 Touchscreen Laptop Intel Core ...
Even with a trackpad on the laptop, sometimes a mouse is just easier to use. Logitech makes a good one.
Logitech - M325s Wireless Optical Compact Ambidextrous Mouse
Is a Switch essential? Maybe not. But everyone needs a little break sometimes. This does the trick.
Switch 32GB Lite Nintendo Switch Lite
Desk
Some simple items for organization and personalization.
If there is anything I saw on every single list on the internet for college dorms, it was the Woozoo fan. Even for dorms that have A/C a lot of dorms are older buildings that may not regulate cool air very effectively. Or it might get too hot in wint...
IRIS WOOZOO 360° Oscillating Fan with Remote and Timer 3 Speed Settings
Keep the essential paperwork organized and safe in this great file folder.
7 Pocket Expanding File Folder Letter Size Teal - up&up™
Cute desk mat for my jellyfish-loving college kid.
Jellyfish Desk Mat
Eating
You don't need much for the dorm, but a few basics help with snacks, water, and quick bites.
Minimal dishes are needed for the dorm room but these bowls are great for morning yogurt or cereal. Easy to wash and dries quickly for storage.
1020ml Pale Raspberry Cereal Bowl Pink - Room Essentials™
This slim-designed Brita pitcher is a necessity for dorm fridges. Now it comes in a variety of colors to match your kid’s style.
Brita 6-Cup Denali Water Pitcher Dispenser Lilac: Filters Mercury & Chlorine, Hand Wash, 3-Year Warranty
A kettle is useful to boil water for tea snd ramen.
Aroma 1.7L Electric Kettle - Black
Get yourself a few eating utensils that are easy to clean, reusable, and cute!
Reusable utensils
Storage
Storing in a dorm room takes some smart space usage tricks. Here's what works for my kid's dorm room.
This bin helped us transport some of the items across the country that we wanted to have a little more protection than the travel bags. It’s kept in the room for bulky items.
Stacking Clear Bin
The three-tier cart is a versatile, cute space saving storage option that’s found in so many dorm rooms. My kid loves purple and this one fits right in with the decor.
3 Tier Utility Cart Lavender -Brightroom™
So many uses for the storage ottoman. This one is affordable and great for a step up to the lofted bed, a seat for putting your shoes on, and a place to stash your gadgets. We love this one from IKEA.
KJUGE Ottoman with storage - Knisa dark gray
IKEA’s shopping bags are a dream when you need to move a lot of stuff but this version has a zippered top so it’s even better for getting your clothes, bedding, and essentials from home to dorm.
Great investment that your student will use for years.
FRAKTA Storage bag for cart - blue 28 ¾x13 ¾x11 ¾ " 20 gallon
Bags
You need a few types of bags to get around campus and travel to and from home. Here's what works for us.
A laptop bag that's durable and functional is a must; we like this one.
Mancini Leather Laptop Messenger Bag | Nordstromrack
A backpack is useful for sports, overnight trips, travel, and just moving around campus. Adidas is high quality and knows how to design pockets and pouches for today's student.
adidas Saturday 2 Backpack
Other essentials
Miscellaneous items that make life just a little simpler and more comfortable.
Command hooks are a great addition. Hang your wet towel, jacket, backpack or anything that needs to be off the floor. These are sturdy!
Command Damage-Free Medium 2 Hooks and 4 Strips Slate Speckle
Germs galore in the dorms mean an air purifier is a must.
Levoit Core Mini Air Purifier with Night Light
You never know when you might need a screwdriver to assemble a new piece for your dorm. This small set has all the basics to get you through, and will carry over to the apartment once the days of dorm rooms is over.
I still have the toolset I was gi...
TRIXIG 15-piece tool set
My kid is in a rainy locale for college so an umbrella was essential. We chose this bright option with the automatic opener button for ease of use. It’s already getting plenty of use!
Mr. Pen Windproof Travel Umbrella, Purple
If college is in a cooler climate, a shoe mat for wet shoes and boots is a must. Place it under the hook for a coat to keep the drips contained.
Mohawk 1'7"x3'3" Black Boot Tray Black: Waterproof Shoe Mat Tray, Indoor/Outdoor, Polypropylene, Flat Pile