Living in a dorm doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the comforts of home. Here are seven dorm-friendly appliances that are cost-efficient and useful no matter what sort of campus housing you’re living in.
Often campus dormitories have a hefty rulebook for students to follow for the safety and security of everyone living there. One of the most extensive sections of these rulebooks is what can and cannot be contained in students’ personal living spaces. However, there are many appliances that students can use in place of things that are banned from their living quarters. By getting these simple appliances, students can make their campus life more enjoyable.
The best dorm appliances have multiple uses, even for things the appliance manufacturer might not have intended. Other appliances might only serve one purpose, but even those can be crucial in making a dorm room feel homey.
1. Mini Fridge
Some college students have full kitchens, some only have kitchenettes and others eat their meals in dining halls. Regardless of the eating situation at your school, having a mini fridge can be a huge help. They can be used for leftovers, fruits and vegetables, desserts, drinks and more. Students can even find one to match their room aesthetic!
There are tons of options for all price ranges, size requirements and storage necessities. While it may be necessary for some to have a cooled and frozen section, the door space for drinks may be more important to others.
2. Brita Water Pitcher
Once students secure a mini-fridge for their room, it’s time to start thinking about what to put in it! A filtering water pitcher is a must-have for students living in a dorm. Having an in-room water pitcher removes the need to leave your room for water from a fountain or dining hall. In addition to this, filtered water can be used instead of tap water for food, watering plants, humidifiers, etc.
3. Keurig Machine
Keurig has an extensive collection of coffee makers for casual drinkers to coffee connoisseurs. Within these collections, they have come out with machine designs to fit every coffee drinker’s space.
College students should look into getting the Keurig “K-Mini Single Serve Coffee Maker,” the company’s slimmest brewer, with a width of less than 5 inches, perfect for any tight dorm space. The brewer comes in six fun colors, branching out from their typically neutral tones. The brewer uses normal K-pods and produces the same great-tasting coffee.
4. Electric Water Kettle
One of the top rules regarding appliances in dorm rooms often relates to flames and open heat sources. Students are not usually allowed candles, hot plates, or any other appliance with an exposed heat source. This means that students have no way of boiling water, whether for drinks, cooking food or cleaning items. An electric water kettle solves that problem. These plug-in kettles can often hold around a liter of water, come with automatic shutoff settings and provide hot water for many purposes.
5. Vacuum
The cleanliness of your living space can make or break your tranquility when spending time there. A small vacuum is a magnificent (and crucial) appliance to help clean up messes quickly, keep things cleaner longer and help clean things that otherwise would not be touched. Vacuums can be used on dorm carpets, rugs and more.
Live in a space with no carpeting? There are still vacuums for you to use! Check out these hardwood vacuums for non-carpeted areas.
6. Essential Oil Diffuser
Candles are great; they help brighten up dark spaces, fill a room with a pleasant scent and offer a lot of people a general sense of joy. But when you live in a college dorm, having a candle is out of the question. To combat this, students can bring an essential oil diffuser into their space. An essential oil diffuser can offer the pleasant scents of candles while also offering some aromatherapy, which every student desperately needs.
Students can collect some of their favorite essential oils and use them for different scenarios, helping them focus, get more sleep, or even be happier.
7. Fan or Noise Machine
Rarely do students get to live in their own private space. Dormitories are intended to house large amounts of students, not to mention the number of roommates students might live with. Every student comes from a different background, with different living expectations and habits. Often, this can cause problems in regard to the noise level of their college home.
A noise machine can help alleviate some of the issues with rowdy roommates. It is hard to do anything after a fitful night of sleep, especially schoolwork. White noise machines can help students block out the noise around them, tune out some of their stressful thoughts and sleep soundly through an entire night. Noise machines can help them wake up refreshed and ready for the day ahead.
A box fan or oscillating fan can be the perfect solution for students who want a noise machine that also serves as a room cooler. They provide both white noises and some cool air to help students have the comfortable sleep they deserve.
Students shouldn’t have to sacrifice comfort and happiness because they live in a small space. Including a few of these simple appliances in your dorm room can help you live better while you are in college. Being away from home can be hard enough, and students need to have a healthy living environment to perform their best in classes.
While some of these appliances may not be the most glamorous, they each serve their own purposes and can improve much about one’s living space. If you or someone you know is about to move into a college home, consider purchasing some of these items to make your days easier and happier.
