<p>What has worked best? Daughter will have linoleum floor with an area rug.</p>
<p>will she even have room for the vacuum cleaner? Can she borrow a vacuum cleaner from the dorm? Is there regular room cleaning available? would a dustbuster do instead?</p>
<p>My son and his roomate used a broom and dustpan. No area rug. </p>
<p>Many colleges have vaccuums available on the floors for students to use.</p>
<p>The one you borrow from the hall office.</p>
<p>At some schools (not all), the hall director will have a vacuum in the hall office and students can check them out with their RAs. If you're worried about your daughter not being able to borrow one, a carpet sweeper for the run and a Swiffer duster for the floor should be just fine.</p>
<p>Back when I was a hall director, I loaned out my personal vaccuum all the time (I worked at a school that didn't have one for each set of buildings). Some of my students also borrowed my housekeeper's vacuum.</p>
<p>A dustbuster if she has a rug (and for spills, etc. those things definitely come in handy), and a swiffer. A vacuum will take up too much space in a small dorm room.</p>
<p>There usually is one available for the students on every floor (and I doubt it gets used more then once a year or so)</p>
<p>I would recommend a dust buster, especially since she's going to have an area rug and will need something to pick up crumbs, etc.</p>
<p>
[quote]
What's the best vacuum/floor cleaner for dorm room?
[/quote]
One they will use ;).</p>
<p>DD and roomie bought both a power broom and a dustbuster. I'm not holding my breath that either will ever be used, though...</p>
<p>DS has a DirtDevil hand vac. I think the only time it gets used is when the girls on his floor borrow it.</p>
<p>Son tried a carpet sweeper last year (and guys next door borrowed it a lot too!). But, he said it was not that great. This year I am sending him a Bissell upright bagless vac stick (small, but it does plug in, not battery-op) that has an attachment for small crevice cleaning also. We will see how that works-it was less than $25 at a Wal-Mart. No, he did not spend all of his time cleaning--but every once and a while, he did use the sweeper- I guess when the crumbs just got too unbearable on the floor!</p>
<p>At my son's dorm last year, sometimes an enterprising bright student would get the hall to go in on common items (for example, kitchen equipment), such that each tenant chipped in a few bucks...</p>
<p>Even if it ends up broken by the end of the semester, no one will be out much more than the cost of splitting a pizza.</p>
<p>Maybe this can be something worth looking into (your daughter's opportunity for "leadership" in her new digs?)</p>
<p>Fell asleep with the tv on one night and woke up to the infomercial. Ordered the "2 for 1" special before I had my coffee! :) I absolutely love it for quick jobs -- it works on hardwood floors, carpet and tile. I'm sending the 2nd one to school with my D. With any luck, she'll actually use it. </p>
<p>Also saw them at Walgreens one day ... didn't pay attention to the price, but there wouldn't be a shipping charge.</p>
<p>My suite usually swept once a week and vacuumed every other week. We checked out a vacuum in the building and bought a cheap mini broom and dust pan. It worked well, but I think we're getting a Swiffer this year. No need to buy a vacuum in most cases.</p>
<p>The dust swiffers work really well on hard floors. I use it on my wood. But those "tape" swiffers for carpet are crap.</p>
<p>Agree about the tape swifters....</p>
<p>Realistically speaking, if the floor ever gets cleaned at all, it's going to happen because there was some horrendous spill (or because the RA is coming for the pre-checkout inspection in ten minutes), and it's going to be wiped up with a wet towel or undershirt, which will probably end up in the trash bin immediately thereafter.</p>
<p>Here's a fabulous one. Try the Oreck Quick stick. Its a light vacuum and handvac in one. Our daughter is a freshmen this year and we bought one for her (we've had one in our house for a while). If folds up and can fit under the bed. Its just under $100. <a href="http://oreck.com/small-home-appliances/electrikbroom_quickstick.cfm%5B/url%5D">http://oreck.com/small-home-appliances/electrikbroom_quickstick.cfm</a></p>
<p>You need a few good cleaning tools in a dorm room. For spills (coke, beer, misc. I’m not judging) you need a quick and mop that can do double duty as a broom. I’m partial to the swiffer sweeper, can soak up some small messes and grab a lot of dust and debris off the floor. I don’t know about the rest of you but my son tends to leave a lot of crumbs around. Then you need something to get at the food and little bits and pieces left on tables, in the beds, chairs, etc… Those little vacuum cleaners people use for their cars is good for that job.</p>
<p>[Swiffer</a>, Free Cleaning Tips For a Clean Home | Swiffer Canada](<a href=“http://www.swiffer.ca/]Swiffer”>http://www.swiffer.ca/)
[Best</a> Handheld Vacuum Cleaners Reviews - A consumer’s guide](<a href=“http://www.best-handheld-vacuum.net/]Best”>http://www.best-handheld-vacuum.net/)</p>
<p>I sent my son to college last year with those, and they seem to have served him well.</p>
<p>the cheapest one you can find at walmart…even if your D uses it…she will be asked by some boy (like my son) to borrow it (before inspection or a parent visit)and they will suck up all kinds of things they shouldnt like elastics, paper clips, money… and its broken</p>