Survival guide 101: Communal bathroom hacks for students

There are many things to look forward to if you’re moving into a college dorm for your freshman year, be it the lifelong friends you’ll make, or the general dorm life experience unique to your campus.

However, part of that on-campus experience entails a communal bathroom, where you may want to proceed with caution. 

The communal bathroom often unravels your peers’ questionable bathroom habits, from hair clogging up the drains to improper disposal of used feminine products, or any other unpleasant sight you run into when performing your daily ablutions.

So, how can you maintain a pleasant communal bathroom experience?

Here are some suggestions for college students:

Avoid peak hours

Be the first to use the shower. Source: Shutterstock

One thing you can do to make using a communal bathroom more tolerable includes figuring out the peak and non-peak hours. This way, you can decide if you’d rather wake up early each morning and be among the first to use it (and enjoy the bathroom when it’s in a cleaner state), or wait until the morning rush trickles down to shower instead. 

Wear non-slip bathroom slippers

Communal bathrooms may be cleaned daily but the bathroom will look a bit worse for wear once a high volume of people have used it. There’s no telling what’s lurking on the shower floor – grime, shampoo/conditioner/soap residue, bodily fluids, and any other thing you’d rather not think about – so invest in a pair of non-slip bathroom slippers to avoid contact with the floor. 

Use a shower caddy 

A shower caddy is a must-have item for anyone using communal dorm bathrooms. This way, you can ensure you have everything you need with you, be it your shampoo or razor, and avoid making multiple trips to the bathroom when you realise you’ve forgotten something.

Use a towel wrap 

Are you a little shy about your body? Why not consider getting a towel wrap to ensure your towel holds up with ease after a shower, or to wear when you’re changing your clothes? You can either buy one online or DIY one if you have some basic sewing skills. You can also opt to make an elasticised sarong wrap instead of a towel if you prefer a lightweight fabric.

Antibacterial wipes/spray

Keep some antibacterial wipes on hand. Source: Shutterstock

Again, while dorm bathrooms are cleaned daily, you may still want to bring some antibacterial wipes or an antibacterial spray to disinfect your toilet seat for those just-in-case moments, or a hand sanitiser to clean your hands when the bathroom runs out of hand soap.