Affiliate links are included in this post & we do receive a small commission if you decide to make a purchase. Rest assured, we only link to products we know & trust to use personally and professionally.Â
Moving your kid into a dorm room can be both exciting & scary. You spend so much time looking for the perfect color scheme & essential decor to create a haven that will become their new home away from home.
But guess what?
You’re probably still forgetting a few very important little things that they will need to keep their space somewhat sanitary. Even if they have a slob for a roommate (worst case scenario) — these items are legit must-haves that will solidify your status as the greatest parent of all time!
Life can get a little smelly from time to time. Try a great odor eliminator to keep foul odors at bay. But when shopping for an odor eliminator, you may want to choose an unscented option to make sure no one will be bothered by heavy fragrances or scents.
A few of our favorites include baking soda or these beautifully packaged charcoal odor removing bags. What else is great about these bad boys is that they can used in gym bags, laundry hampers, cars and even the fridge!
Things To Remember
Why? Let’s face it, what’s the likelihood that the shower will be cleaned regularly in the dorm room? Zero. This one is a no brainer. A good continuous shower cleaner will repel soap scum and water stains making clean-up effortless.
Before you get any bright ideas, remember that these products extend the time between cleanings — the shower still needs to be cleaned on a regular basis.
Related: How To Clean Your Bathroom Fast!
Life in college means everything will be done on-the-go — including cleaning. Keep something on hand that’s easily accessible and disposable. Having these bad boys around will make quick clean ups easier than ever!
My Personal Favorite
I actually LOVE Method cleaning products simply because they do not contain harmful toxins and more importantly, they actually work!
If you’re living by yourself, you have nothing to worry about but when sharing a space, doing the #2 in private can be challenging!
I’ve been a huge fan of this stuff for a long time and can honestly say it works like a dream! In a dorm room, a little bit of this stuff will definitely go a long way!
Bar soap equals a ton of soap scum so let’s prevent the problem altogether and stick to liquid bath soap. Wait a minute, let me back track — I went a little hard there.
Honestly, I do love a good sweet smelling bar of soap. So how about we simply cut back on our bar soap usage, to help extend time between cleanings… That sounds fair right?
We all know what happens when hair gets caught in the shower drain…the dreaded (and disgusting) slow drain. Let’s prevent that with a hair catcher. And it’s a good idea to keep some draino on hand so that you don’t have to wait on maintenance to (never) show up and unclog the drain.
So this is a tricky one, but in small spaces, it’s important to keep laundry odors from stinking up the whole place! A few little tricks you can do include simple things like:
Ok, before you get on me about how this is wasteful, let me say I completely agree! However, coming from a place of practicality and reality, the likelihood of college students washing their dishes after each meal is very iffy.
Save them the hassle by making sure there is a nice supply of disposable plates and utensils on hand.
Often overlooked but sooooo important. Speaking from experience, I’ll clean anything as long as I have a pair of gloves on hand. Keep gloves around to make sure yucky messes still get the attention they need.
Essentially your kid and their roommate will need to discuss chores and a whiteboard in a common space is a great way to keep track of everything. Heck, a whiteboard is essential to life in college so don’t get one — get as many as you can!