There is a common thread with the dorm rooms we have moved in and out of. To put it plainly, they are dirty. I’m sure some are better than others but you will feel much better if you give the room a once over prior to moving everything in. It won’t take long, but a good ten minute clean will change everything. We feel like we have things dialed in now and all of these are great to have on hand.
DORM ROOMS ARE DIRTY
No question about it. But it’s not hard to get things feeling good and ready to move in. If you know what you are walking into, you will be much more prepared.
MY GO-TO BAGS
I take one or two of these pouches on almost every trip we go on. A great investment and they last forever.
Definitely keep this with you (in your purse or tote bag) because things get hectic and you’ll want to access this whenever you need it. Tucking a couple of trash bags in here is really important.
After you move in, chance are good you might need to do a Target or Walmart run for one more storage piece or little rug for under the desk, etc. You’ll want to have a measuring tape on hand and I love being able to jot things down on post-it notes.
*Definitely leave a little post it note love note tucked away for your child to find. When we were moving Riley out of her freshman room, I spotted I note I had left her. It meant the world to me that she had kept it.
HOLD THE DOOR
So many of the dorm doors slam shut and one of our daughter’s locked automatically. It was such a pain because we would have things in our hands and it would slam shut. I promise you, a doorstop is key. And the kids can use it throughout the year to invite a sense of community. Doors were wide open in our day – but things have changed a bit. Let’s do what we can to keep community alive and well.
THE FLOORS!!!!
A Swiffer mop is so helpful. Worth every dime. This kit has both the wet and dry cloths ($19). And you can tuck the Swiffer mop away under one of the beds (maybe they will use it ;). Even if they don’t ever use it again, you’ll have it for move out when you need to leave the room looking good.
GLASS CLEANER
We used the glass cleaner on the mirrors and windows. Windex is always a good go-to our you can use Truly Free which is toxin free.
WIPE DOWN THE FURNITURE
An all purpose cleaner is really important for wiping down the furniture. We use this one (in our home as well) but you can go with the wipes as well.
MUST HAVE
You’ll need a roll of paper towels, that’s for sure. And they are great to leave behind with your college student.
A FEW TOOLS
Ryan always brings his took kit. He ends up using it every time for something. This time it was getting the beds unlofted. They were being stubborn and he needed a couple of tools. This kit is a nice basic set and something you can give to your child when they have their own place.
All in all, moving in and moving out can be exhausting. While it’s really fun, it can also be high stress and you want to be efficient with things. A quick ten minute cleaning session will make everyone feel better. You have to do that once the room is empty again so it’s nice to know what you will need.
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER
And while this is definitely not a necessity, my daughter and her roommate had a stick vacuum freshman year ($40). They kept it under one of their beds. It was hugely helpful for keeping the rug clean throughout the year. If you have girls, you know there is a lot of hair shedding that goes on. It also was sooooo nice to have at the end of the year. After everything was moved out, we could vacuum the floor and be done. If you don’t have a vacuum, Riley said this was really handy to have and recommends.
*You may want to take a pair of disposable gloves. It’s not that bad, but some of you may just feel better about that.
As always, I am happy to answer any questions you may have.
WE HAVE YOU COVERED
- Complete List for Girls – tried and true and what Riley loved
- Complete List for Boys – much more paired down (complete blog post here)
- Cleaning supplies for moving in/out
