Thanks, @srparent15…maybe I didn’t explain well enough. Wasn’t referring to a dorm vacuum but rather the method for compacting clothes/bedding/ topper to haul it all to college.
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I bought S19 ad D19 sets of vacuum bags that came with a little hand pump, because we didn’t know if they would have a vacuum available in their dorms. Lots of options on Amazon for those.
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My kiddo is doing the same for her college. There have been a number of orientation sessions online and an upcoming meeting with the advisor that has been assigned to her. She’s also trying to figure out placement, which is a bit complicated by the fact that that she won’t be getting some AP results back until mid August. However, there is no sand or surf to distract her so your D wins the conscientiousness prize!
We live many hours away from the nearest IKEA. However, there are bags that look just like the FRAGTA (minus the logo) available on Amazon so we got a six pack and are good to go! I am still hoping to not overpack because if there’s less stuff, there should be enough room to store it in her dorm room. Under the best of circumstances, she tends to leave stuff lying about. I hope her roommate is tolerant of some clutter (yes, she filled out the questionnaire honestly!)
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D21 just realized she missed the date to fill out a roommate form for housing, now she will not be able to request her own roommate and has to go random. She is bummed but hadn’t found anyone yet so that makes it a little better. I know it is a good life lesson to remind her to check her email every day (I reminded her a week or so ago but she hadn’t checked her new email since then!) but still stinks to have this after getting the off campus “bad” dorm. I did read that dorm has bigger rooms and some have a good view so maybe she will get lucky there.
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There seem to be fewer options for tall narrow laundry baskets than there usually are at Target, fewer sterilite bins, especially in smaller sizes. Stock is just low in general. So, we (? lol) are continuing to shop now, trying to get everything together sooner rather than later. (If I left it up to the boys, nothing would happen until Aug.) I am also “shopping” in the house, trying to remember to see what we have here first before buying more, like the towels, desk lamp. I’m planning to pick up a cheap ($5) small fishing tackle box for medical supplies at walmart. I’d put little things like a needle and thread in there too, except they don’t know how to sew - whoops!
I picked up some backpacks at the North Face outlet store, though I don’t know what to think about the plastic board inside the back part (Borealis model). I might go back to look at others. The clerk said that right now they have their largest selection and that much will be gone by Aug.
Procrastinating on buying luggage. I don’t wanna. Lazy. Also, the rolling carryons I was looking at a few weeks ago at Target were not there the other day. Empty shelf!
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I got my older kids backpack laundry bags because space is such an issue in dorm rooms. They hold the clothes, as well as the supplies. Will do the same for D21.
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Can you please link the ones you got? I never heard of these.
Speaking of laundry bags and speaking of IKEA bags, we use IKEA bags for laundry at our house now (recommended by another parent!) and will have my son pack one to take to school for that purpose as well.
I see some negative reviews and photos, but my kids’ bags are still going strong after 2 years.
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Thank you! I ordered one for my son.
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Ohh lol you probably did and I missed that! Makes way more sense than a vacuum haha!
Honestly I admit when my son wasn’t too keen on the mesh laundry pop up bags that a lot of kids use at school because he thinks he has that many clothes (he does not) for his weekly laundry, I realized the other day that the ikea shopping bags would also make a great laundry bag if he chose so I’m going to have him take some for that too and he can maybe even use the zip ones also and use those like a backpack if he really does have that many clothes since those hold 50lbs.
In other news we got our dorm assignment today. So other than knowing the exact room location or really any other detail about the dorm, seems we are set. He got a desirable part of campus which is good too. So now we just continue to do shopping over the next 2 months (just under).
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I’m cracking up at ‘weekly laundry’… that is not a concept my two sons in college subscribe to 
Maybe my girl child will be different 
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I honestly can’t wait to see how the whole laundry segment of college unfolds.
S says he expects to do laundry weekly, including sheets and towels. He also plans on the bathroom (that he and 3 others share) to be cleaned regularly.
I’m trying to be supportive and not chuckle. But H and I do find this worthy of LA betting.
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From my experience in 4 years of boarding school and 4 years of college, it’s the rare guy that does weekly laundry. For many, monthly is a stretch. 
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S doesn’t do laundry weekly at home, so I doubt he would do it that often at school. Probably only do laundry when he is out of underwear and may even buy some to prolong doing it.
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Mine are complete opposites of each other. One does laundry literally every other day at home. I’m trying to get him to understand that he won’t have that kind of time (and $) in college and we need to buy more of whatever favorite clothes he keeps washing. The other one, I’m not entirely sure that he remembers how to do laundry at all.
At home, I use sensitive/scent-free detergent, liquid bottle. Thinking we should send the pods?
I just read a story that says you only need to wash your jeans once a month and that’s if you wear them a bunch! I’m guessing D will only do laundry when she runs out of underwear. And she has a lot of underwear so who knows.
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TMI tip from my older kids: Have at least 2 weeks’ worth of underwear. There isn’t always an available washing machine when you want it.
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Ok everyone, regarding the weekly laundry, and this is seriously no joke because I can hardly believe it myself. My son, the youngest son and child in this house, does his laundry weekly now. Surprises me too. And I don’t think it’s that he has a lot of clothes per se but that when he plays sports he changes a lot so his basket just gets full quicker and add in his bath towels and those just take up more space. As for sheets, not sure he will be good about doing those weekly and he definitely should!!
My girls however? They’re the worst!! I think they do wait until they run out of underwear to do it which means almost a month or no more than every two weeks. They definitely have a lot of clothes!!
Maybe the moral of the story is the less clothes you have then it’s true, the more one has to do laundry! Lol
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