<p>An extremely naive question - do colleges furnish towels in the dorms?</p>
<p>I noticed an ad this AM in the paper for "super plush micro-cotton towels" and thought that make a good graduation gift for a HS senior - if needed for upcoming college.</p>
<p>Alas, my own college experience was so long ago, I barely remember where I went let alone what was furnished in the dorms.</p>
<p>None that I know of furnish towels.</p>
<p>They don't supply any linens -- no towels, washcloths and no bedding (we've now gone through XLong Twin and double at the same college in different years). Most kids also like some form of eggcrate to soften the mattress.</p>
<p>OK, thanks for the info. Maybe I'll go shopping to find out what micro-cotton is. Sounds nice to me!</p>
<p>No linens furnished any school I know of. Start saving those 20% coupons for BBB and Linens n' Things because they never expire. We used them all of last summer each time we went shopping. Another suggestion for a gift (we ended up buying one over Christmas Break) was a featherbed topper. She had the egg-crate mattress pad, but was still getting backaches. The featherbed added about 3 more inches of softness and she never complained again.</p>
<p>Yes, the kids definitely need something on top of the mattress! Memory foam is also good.</p>
<p>Another vote for memory foam. My son says it's like sleeping on clouds.</p>
<p>I bet your son isn't going through menopause; I bought a memory foam mattress topper and it lasted about 3 days.</p>
<p>^seems like a safe bet....</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>And speaking of linens, your student probably won't need</p>
<p>"dorm size" sheets. Find out before you buy any. Usually</p>
<p>twin sheets are fine.</p>
<p>My D loves her featherbed topper at home, and both Lands End and Company Store sell nice xl twin featherbeds. We'll order one once D is in college and have it shipped directly to her.</p>
<p>Gotta second the feather bed topper. My D used one at college this past year and loved it. Hers was hypo allergenic, so obviously not real feathers. We purchased this one at Linens 'n Things. (Or BB&B? - can't remember - it was a blur of purchases once we arrived and started stocking up!)</p>
<p>D is a warm body and found the feather bed worked well the entire school year - her college is in the northeast, so very cold winters but warm at the beginning and end of the school year.</p>
<p>Read the housing literature before buying bedding.</p>
<p>One of my kids lived in on-campus housing that had standard twin beds; he then moved to an off-campus apartment building that had full-size beds. Twin sheets don't fit on those beds, so we had to buy new sheets.</p>
<p>The other kid attends a college that has twin-long beds. So we bought even more sheets. </p>
<p>If you find yourself shopping for twin longs, the selection will be better later in the summer than it is now. Stores that sell bedding know that kids are buying things for college then.</p>
<p>There is a linen service at some schools. I think U of Portland and maybe Trinity U offer it so it isn't unheard of. Not a Naive question at all. :) I am now totally grossed out by the fact that I never had anything more than a bottom sheet between me and all the other students who had used my dorm bed before me. ick ick ickity ick. Thank you for saving my kids from the same fate.</p>
<p>If you buy the stretchy jersey cotton ones, the twin size will (barely) fit the twin xl dorm beds. Very cheap at big box stores or Target.</p>
<p>I haven't heard of any schools that provide towels. However, many offer "linen service." Back in the dark ages, my alma mater offered "lovely" (?) laundered gold sheets every two weeks.</p>
<p>Just my opinion, but I'd investigate personal preferences before I bought any personal items for someone. It's not even a question of fussiness or being spoiled. As an example, my D can only sleep on white really high thread count cotton pillowcases--she even brings them on sleepovers and when she travels. Some people can have odd unexplainable quirks, tactile issues, or even allergies. I have silk charmeuse pillowcases and they give her the creeps. My aunt bought her some towels and, of course, my D thought they were too thick. They were expensive but not very absorbent. I bought her very inexpensive thin white cotton towels in Ikea and it made her happy. Space is at a premium in a dorm room so it's probably better for her in that sense, too.</p>
<p>My D won't touch foam and is allergic to down, so I got a "featherbed" with the "fake down fill" from the Company Store online. (They have good quality bedding that will last--Big Memorial Day sale going on now online at companystore.com)</p>
<p>All twin/twin xl sheets are not the same--if you are getting a mattress topper (foam and/or feather) you will need sheets that can accommodate the added depth.</p>
<p>It's a matter of preference, but I think good bedding is an investment. I shopped online for sales (and used coupons) but I went for quality. I figure my D will feel better and maybe sleep better if she has a pleasing sleep environment.</p>
<p>I hear that some dorm mattresses can be a little less than prisitine-looking, so I plan on using some disinfectant spray on my D's mattress before dressing the bed! (Can't help it--I was raised by a germaphobe and it rubbed off on me!) I also got one of those mattress pads that encase the mattress and discourage dust mites--important for people with allergies--just something else to think about. </p>
<p>Happy shopping...</p>
<p>When they provided sheets in the '70s they didn't provide towels. JCPenney has good quality XL sheets at a reasonable price, a friend did L&T or BB&B for her kids and those sheets wore out quickly. Wonder if sheets last longer for guys who never wash them, or girls who keep the dirt out... The mattress pad a school may provide will probably be as flimsy as a sheet- buy one.</p>
<p>One more vote for the memory foam..my D said all her friends would congregate on her bed as it was so soft...ok maybe that's one reason not to have it :)</p>
<p>I bought a plastic cover last year to encase the dorm mattress and was very glad I did. That thing was nasty looking, so we scrubbed it,sprayed it and encased it. We also bought 2 foam pads from Target for $15, covered them with a fitted sheet and placed them over or under the mattress pad (cannot remember). She loved that soft feeling so much I bought 2 more for her bed at home.</p>
<p>cmbmom, Where did you buy the plastic cover? I assume it was in an XL size.</p>