March 25, 2010

It's all About the MINI

Why MINI? Because mini FITS!

Small is the new chic.

Dorms can get really small, especially when sharing the spot with a roommate. The tough question on 'going small' always comes with dorm furniture. On one hand you want college seating that can fit you and your friends and on the other hand you want a dorm room, not a sofa the size of your room.

Our suggestion is to get the Futon, but do it mini. By getting a futon you still get the versatility, yet by making it small you can fit it in your dorm without worry that it will engulf your entire room.


March 17, 2010

Is NOW to early to start dorm room shopping?

Getting excited about dorm stuff and college is normal, but Dorm Co always gets asked, "When is it too early to start buying college dorm supplies?"

Of course if you get past the fact that Dorm Co sells dorm stuff and you trust we'll shoot it to you straight, we can actually provide an honest answer.

The truth is March might be a little early, but then again starting to stock up on good deals and 'finds' that might be out of stock come the peak season (May-August), is not a bad idea. A rule of thumb this early is to buy if the deal is that good or you like the product that much.

The real Dorm Shopping season starts in late April or early May when shopping for high school graduation gift ideas take off. With dorm gifts being the perfect grad gift other than money, most parents and students start to comb the shelves just before high school graduation. This is the time when retailers start to see which dorm items are popular. Depending on the dorm store and the product supplier some items will run out and not return for the season, while others will stay in stock until late August. It is hard to tell and often the retail store managers have no clue.

Since many items are imported for overseas it is a general rule of thumb that it takes 60-90 days to get products produced and shipped to the US. This means that if a dorm item runs out in May then it could be back in August, but chances are it would not be back in stock until the following year. The reason being is that it is not worth the financial cost to the dorm retailer to have an item back is stock for less than 1 month of college dorm shopping season left.

In general, most retailers, including Dorm Co do a very good job forecasting and at least having stock until 8/1. After 8/1 is like after 12/15 for Christmas shopping, slim pickings on the good stuff or heavy deals on stuff that would not be your first choice.

Happy Dorm Shopping!

March 10, 2010

Blackout ...... Your Dorm Windows!

What happens when the sun hits your face at 8am on a Saturday? If you said you never let that happen, then you probably haven't moved into the dorms yet. The vast majority of college dorms have blinds that let the light stream in early and stay late. If you are up for class on a Tuesday that's fine, but if you're trying to catch up on sleep until noon on Sunday that's a major problem.

The only way to ensure dorm sleep goes uninterrupted and you can get your naps in is by adding a Blackout Curtain. As the name indicates they block 99.99% of sun! The addition of Blackout Curtains is pretty easy. The hard part is getting them to hang.

Wall holes = illegal: In dorm rooms wall brackets to hang curtains or drapes are illegal. They are illegal because putting holes in your dorm wall is considered destruction of University property. Beyond being illegal it will also result in fines that can't be avoided. Even if you were allowed to hang wall brackets you would have a hard time putting holes in cinder blocks.

How to Hang: The best way to hang your Blackout curtain is with a tension rod. In order to hang your blackout curtain with a tension rod you have to have windows that are set in. If they are set in you will have a wall to hold up the extended tension rod with Blackout Curtain. If your window in not set in then you have to be more creative. Purchase the Blackout Curtain with Grommets and 3M removable wall hooks. Place 4-8 removable plastic wall hooks along the wall above your dorm window. After strategically placing each hook on the wall hang a grommet on each hook and your Blackout Curtain will be in place. It's not hard, but you do have to be alright with getting creative. ...after all it's dorm life so make it good by using unique and useful tips like these!

March 3, 2010

Do dorm rooms smell?

As a senior in high school I'm sure your last thought is; Will my dorm room smell?

Think about it though...

Take how old your dorm building is and multiply it by 2.
For Example, if your dorm is 50 years old and is a standard 2 student room, that means 100 different people have lived in what will be YOUR room. That's a lot of different body odors!

For the skeptic out there who says, 'yea, but hotels don't usually smell and they have had thousands of guests', my answer to that is: TRUE, however hotel stays are usually so short no one has the chance to funktify it yet. Seriously, that musty smell of dirty laundry and your roommate not showering never really hits a hotel room. It does however hit DORM rooms!

The good news is that before your move-in day in August, your university will do a heck of a job trying to make your room feel new. How well they clean it depends on how nice your school is. If your school has cut backs due to the economy you should enter move-in day with a rag and Lysol. ...Or bleach if you can handle it.

Good Idea:
Every now and then Dorm Co has a good idea (this is one of those times). Besides going the flare-up, bleach nostril route and freaking your entire dorm floor out, we suggest a more subtle option. It's entirely possible that your room only needs a hint of something good smelling to mask the musk of the previous dorm dweller. Make your semester smell better by adding Dorm Scents. You can go the liquid route by adding reed & diffusers or your can go with the latest, which is Say NO Smell to Dorms.
Depending on your room you can keep a Dorm Scent out on your desk or on your closet shelf. The nice thing about these scents is that they aren't the type that will overpower and give you a headache. Instead, they provide a realistic cover-up to any odors that might be offensive.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You'll notice Dorm Co does not sell candles nor did we discuss candles. The reason is that university campus rules prohibit the use of candles. If you bring a candle it will be thrown out by residence life anyway. Some school may even fine you after your first warning.

Happy dorm smelling!!