Congratulations! You’re off to college and moving into a dorm room. You know what that means? Well, a lot of things actually. Like staying up late…studying and eating junk food for breakfast! It also means sharing a bathroom with strangers! Yay, right? This was the one thing I dreaded most about living in a dorm room. I couldn’t stand showering in those little stalls with flimsy curtains. Forget about other stuff, I waited until the middle of the night!

Sharing a bathroom with strangers- especially when the idea freaks you out- requires some planning. The fact that you have to stand in line for showers and, sometimes, sink space, means you’ll need to be prepared. It really stinks to get to the front of the shower line only to discover that you forgot your shampoo or razor. It’s also kind of gross to get all clean, only to walk barefoot across a grimy floor back to your room! Can you say “foot fungus,” kids? Check out my favorite dorm room basics to help make sharing a bathroom with strangers a little easier!

Dorm Room Basics for Sharing a Bathroom with Strangers

Affiliate links are included in the handy collage of recommended products. Click on the pictures to go to the product pages!

Shower Caddy to carry all your supplies: This is pretty much THE must-have item. I love the Vessel from Quirky, pictured in the upper left corner. It’s easy to load up, not as bulky as a plastic caddy and hangs perfectly on the shower wall with its own suction cup. They didn’t have that when I went away to college. I had to sit my plastic caddy on the floor. It got all grungy pretty fast. Blech.

Super cool bath robe. You’re going to need a bath robe when you share a bathroom with strangers. Unless, of course, you prefer streaking naked through the halls or risking a tiny towel. The thing is, you can’t go off to college in a granny robe! You need something that makes a statement! Pottery Barn Teen makes some really adorable robes that are perfect dorm room basics.

Tooth brush holder. You don’t want your toothbrush hanging out on the grimy counter where your roommate has all her makeup spread out, do you? Bobble Brush, on the middle left,  is a whimsically designed toothbrush stand that keeps your toothbrush upright, bobbing, and grime-free. It’s practical and cute, something that all dorm room basics for sharing a bathroom with strangers should be!

Flip-Flops. Don’t let someone else’s grungy foot fungus become YOUR grungy foot fungus! Get a pair of cute flip flops. Wear them in the shower and keep them on your feet as you walk back to your dorm room.

Makeup Bag. Tote all your beauty essentials in an easy bag! I love the Lay-N-Go Beauty Bag (bottom left) because you can lay it open, toss in your necessities, then pull it shut.

Room spray! Shared bathrooms get pretty stinky pretty fast! Carry a great room spray that also doubles as a body spray. That way you can discreetly de-stink the air without offending your room mate.

These items are just a few dorm room basics that make sharing a bathroom with strangers a little easier. Which is your favorite?