Dorm Room Storage Solutions

One of the tiniest rooms you’ll ever have to deal with is the dorm room.  It out-smalls even the smallest studio apartment, as it’s not only tiny, but you have to share it, to boot. 

You’re going to need some inexpensive and creative storage solutions to make the dorm room livable for the next several months.

Closet Space

The typical closet in a dorm room is three to five feet wide with one rod.  Think vertical to make this work.  There are closet rod ‘doublers’ to double your hanging space.  They cost under $20 and are well worth the cost of admission. 

If you need more drawer space, consider a hanging sweater bag to take advantage of every single inch of closet space.  For under $15 you can add enough room for folded items to make up to an extra drawer full of clothing storage.

Beds

Consider leg extenders for the bed to expand valuable storage space under the bed.  Shorter boxes can not only help you move, but pull double duty to hold extra linens, shoes, accessories and more that can be stored under the bed.  You can invest in sturdy plastic bins or there are more flexible canvas storage bags that slip right under beds.

Walls and Doors

Walls and doors aren’t just for decorating, think grid systems and hook racks to make every inch of space count.  Use adhesive hooks if you can’t put any holes in the walls.  They can hold everything from a grid system to organize accessories and supplies to bulletin boards that can keep paper clutter to a minimum.  A bulletin board can be spruced up with ribbon and paint to make it not so plain-Jane and become part of the wall décor.

Laundry

A full sized hamper can take up valuable floor space, even if you hide it in the closet.  Consider a laundry duffel bag that can slip under the bed or in a corner.  When laundry day comes, you can just cinch up the top and sling it over your shoulder to hit the Laundromat.  The bags come in a variety of patterns and colors and cost under $25, and Walmart carries some for as little as $10.

Shower Totes

For as little as $5, you can find a shower tote to hold your bath necessities for the trips to the shower room.  They’re convenient and inexpensive, and store bath items in one location to slip out of sight when not in use.

Think outside the normal storage box for dorm room solutions.  There are a variety of inexpensive, useful storage fixes to take you to college and beyond.