Ok, so you’re off to college. You’ve undoubtedly packed your jeans, laptop, and iPad. But what else will you need to get your year off to a great start? There are some surprising items you will not want to be without.
In this post:
5 Surprising Items You Will Need At College
1. Wrinkle Remover Spray
Most universities severely limit the kinds of electrical appliances allowed in dorm rooms. Irons are almost always not permitted due to fire regulations. But how can you avoid going to class or on that important date looking like a wrinkled mess? The answer is a bottle of wrinkle remover spray. One bottle will last a long time as it doesn’t take much spray to effectively remove wrinkles. Trying to avoid unnecessary chemicals? Make your own inexpensive wrinkle remover spray. It is just as effective as the commercial sprays. The best part about it is you know exactly what is in it.
Homemade Wrinkle Remover Spray Recipe
To make an effective and inexpensive wrinkle releaser you will need a large spray bottle, water, and fabric softener. Fill the spray bottle with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon of fabric softener. Shake bottle to mix well. The finished wrinkle remover spray will be slightly cloudy. Cheap fabric softener works just as well as more expensive name brands for homemade wrinkle remover spray. Light blue softeners work best for this.
Items needed:
- Spray bottle
- Liquid fabric softener
- Water
Instructions:
Fill a spray bottle with cold water. Add one teaspoon of liquid fabric softener. Shake the bottle to mix well. The mixture will be slightly cloudy. To use, hang clothing on a hanger and spray on the wrinkled parts of the clothing. Then pull the wrinkled areas flat where you want the wrinkles to disappear. Reapply a couple of times if wrinkles are really creased. Let dry.
2. Flip Flops
Let’s talk for a minute about college showers. If you live in a dorm, chances are that you will share a shower with more people than you ever imagined. Don’t count on having a private bathroom. You need to arm yourself, or more specifically your feet, for some pretty disgusting conditions. Shower shoes are a must because you don’t want to be barefoot in the shower after the guy down the hall who is harboring a nasty case of athlete’s foot. Sure, an expensive pair of shower shoes will also do the job but who has extra cash? An inexpensive pair of dollar store flip-flops will do just fine.
You can actually buy shower shoes, but all they are just cheap flip-flops with holes in the sole. So if you want your flip-flops to look like actual shower shoes, just poke some holes through the soles!
3. Bed Risers
Ok, we’re not talking cinder blocks here. Cinder blocks are prohibited in most college dorms. Bed risers will help create added storage space in your dorm. Add some under-bed plastic storage bins, and you just created some much-needed extra storage.
4. Tupperware and Ziploc bags
Tupperware plastic containers and Ziploc bags are a necessity for keeping snacks and leftovers under wraps and free from bugs. Storage bags and containers will also help contain food smells and avoid attracting mice and other critters.
5. Earplugs
From tuning out the loud music in the next dorm room to muffling your roommate’s snoring, earplugs can make dorm living more tolerable. Earplugs also make it easier to block out noise and study or get sleep when you need to. Yes, you could potentially use your AirPods or earbuds as earplugs, but they may fall out, and you don’t want to lose them by having them fall down a crack between the floor and the wall to be lost forever. Foam earplugs stay in your ears better and are cheap to replenish if lost.
6. Duct Tape
Duct tape really does have a million uses at college, and you may just discover a million and one. Duct tape can help fix many of those pesky problems you will encounter in the dorms: From repairing broken items of every sort to tucking electrical cords safely out of the way to hanging things on the wall, duct tape is the college students all-purpose miracle solution. Bring a roll to college this fall and you’ll be glad you did. Just don’t use duct tape on your roommate!
