Your freshman year of college can be intimidating, especially with using communal bathrooms, or moving out on your own for the first time into an on or off campus apartment.

Communal bathrooms can seem invasive at first with having to share a bathroom by yourself and living in an on or off campus apartment can be exciting with buying everything that you need. Living on your own in a dorm, or apartment can be exciting to finally experience the taste of freedom that you always wanted with college, but don’t forget the essentials when it comes to your bathroom.

That’s where we come in! We are here to give you a list of the top essential items you may need for your bathroom no matter where you are living to help you stay prepared and on top of things. Whether you have to bring all your toiletries to one big communal bathroom, or you have the luxury of having your own bathroom, here are the top bathroom essentials when living at college.

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Treat Yourself to a Good Pair of Flip Flops

Don’t walk around the communal bathrooms without them!

If you are living in a dorm where you have to use communal bathrooms, or even if you just want to be sanitary in your own bathroom, buying a pair of flip flops is a bathroom essential. Walking around barefoot, especially in a communal bathroom can lead to the risk of getting fungal or bacterial infections, which cannot only affect the skin on your food, but also your nails. Worse case scenario, you could get an infection such as athlete’s foot, which can be painful and have an unpleasant smell. 

Depending on the brand of flip flops and how picky you are, flip flops can be pretty cheap to buy and they come in all sorts of colors and patterns! They also last a while, so they will get you through the school year and you can even use them throughout the summer when the school term is over. If you just buy a standard foam pair, it will be efficient enough to get you through the school year and survive communal bathrooms!

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Hair Towels are Essential to Wrapping Up Your Wet Hair

They are great for wrapping your hair up and getting from the bathroom to your room without your wet hair flopping everywhere!

Hair towels are super underrated when it comes to communal bathrooms, or just using your own bathroom in your dorm. They are great for hair of any length and they are easy to use as well. Wrapping your hair up in a hair towel can not only absorb the moisture that is remaining in your hair, but it can also keep the wetness from your hair off of your back and from spraying water everywhere.

Hair towels are great for absorbing moisture and to help your hair dry faster once you step out of the shower.

Purchasing a hair towel is also an efficient bathroom essential because they are comfortable as well! They are also a lot easier than using a regular bath towel to dry your hair, which can be heavy and fall off easily. Hair towels are also efficient because they are easy to wrap your hair up and also help to dry your hair a lot faster. So, don’t forget to purchase a hair towel to keep the wetness of your hair intact and dry your hair a lot faster than ever before!

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Waste Baskets are Optimal For On or Off Campus Bathroom

It is also easier to have one in your bathroom to easily dispose of bathroom items.

If you are living in an on or off campus apartment and have access to your own bathroom, don’t forget to buy a waste basket specifically for the bathroom. It doesn’t have to be anything too big, but no matter what size, they are very handy when you have to throw out empty toilet paper rolls, or other disposable items. 

When purchasing a waste basket, don’t forget to also buy waste basket liners to easily dispose of your trash. This makes it a lot easier than dumping your trash in another wastebasket and filling it up. They also come in different colors to match your bathroom in whatever style you wish to decorate it in!

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Don’t Forget to Purchase WashCloths to Use in the Shower

They can be healthier to use rather than a loofah, which can harbor bacteria and other germs.

A bathroom essential, especially when venturing off to the communal shower, or even using your bathroom in your on or off campus apartment, is buying plenty of wash cloths to use. Many people opt for loofahs, and while they are great to use in the shower, it is recommended that you use washcloths instead. Using loofahs can actually cause more harm than good and can be a breeding ground for bacteria, and can hold remnants of dirt, oil, and other grime that can actually cause infections if you have an open wound.

While it is recommended to use a washcloth instead of a loofah, if switched out often enough, loofahs can be okay to use as a bathing tool, but washcloths are ultimately the safest option when showering. They can easily be washed every day and they should only be used once, so it is recommended to buy multiple to make sure you have enough and don’t have to constantly do laundry. Overall, wash cloths are a bathroom essential that is perfect for students using communal bathrooms, or using a bathroom in their on or off campus apartment.

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Don’t Forget a Toothbrush Holder to Store Your Toothbrush

They are great to safely store your toothbrush to avoid any bacterial growth.

Getting a toothbrush holder is essential for your bathroom for many reasons. They help to let your toothbrush air dry out on its own to avoid the growth of any bacteria from a toothbrush cover. While getting a toothbrush cover seems important when moving into a dorm or on or off campus apartment, toothbrush holders are basically petri dishes for bacteria to grow because the moisture cannot escape and is being locked up after brushing your teeth, which helps bacteria to grow.

Researchers say that you should store your toothbrush in a holder of some sort, whether you want to go out and buy a toothbrush holder, or even use something such as a mug, in an upright position for the bristles and the head of the toothbrush to properly dry out in between uses. If you’re interested in buying a toothbrush holder, and some other bathroom accessories, do it today so prepare for the upcoming school year!

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A Bath Mat is Yet Another Bathroom Essential That You Should Invest In

Prevent yourself from slipping and falling as soon as you get out of the shower!

Although a bath mat isn’t needed if you’re living in a dorm room and sharing a communal bathroom with multiple students, it is important to get one for your on or off campus apartment. Purchasing a bath mat is perfect for when you exit the shower because it helps to dry your feet off to avoid any bacterial or fungal infections when putting your wet feet down on tile floor. Instead, stepping out onto a bath mat can help dry your feet and prevent you from slipping or falling upon exiting the shower. 

Bath mats are also great just to add decoration to your new place. They are a simple, and easy way to spice up your bathroom and you can make it match any theme you wish you make your bathroom. Overall, if you’re living on an on or off campus apartment, make sure to purchase a bath mat to not only decorate your apartment, but also to prevent you from slipping when coming out of the shower.

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Invest in a Small Shelving Unit Whether You Share a Bathroom Or Not

It will help to keep you organized throughout the semester, especially if you’re in a rush in the morning!

No matter if you live in a dorm, or an on or off campus apartment, buying shelving units are great for you when organizing all of your toiletries that you use. Whether it’s putting all of your toilet paper on one shelf, your deodorants and perfumes on another shelf, or putting your body washes, shampoo and conditioner on another shelf, shelves are a great way to stay organized. 

Putting all of your bathroom supplies on a small shelving unit can help you to continue to stay organized and to help you remember everything that you need when venturing down to the communal showers any time of day, keep you organized, or show what you need to stock up on. Shelves are the easiest way to keep yourself in check when it comes to bathroom essentials when going to college.

With this checklist of the most important bathroom essentials when surviving college, whether it be in a communal shower, or if you have your own on or off campus apartment bathroom, you will be able to start the year off with everything you need to help you start off the year right. Is there anything we missed? If so, leave a comment down below and let us know your favorite bathroom essential to survive college!

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