This post is all about dorm room storage hacks that you need to know for college!
So you’re moving into college dorms, but you’re unsure how you’re gonna fit all of your things in a limited space! It might sound impossible, but trust me, you’ll be shocked about how many things you can bring into your dorm room when you’re using up space wisely!
Here, you’ll find some genius dorm room storage hacks that you need to know as a college student!
1. Stackable storage boxes
Stackable storage boxes are one of the best dorm room storage hacks you’ll come across. These are great for utilising vertical storage in your room, and they come in different sizes! If you have a lot of different items, categorize them in separate boxes. For example, one box for school supplies, another for toiletries, another for first aid, and so on. Also, don’t forget to label each storage box to make it easier to access the one you need.
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2. Loft your bed
Lofting your bed will provide you with so much storage space, which is essential, especially since many dorm rooms are quite small. The easiest way to do this is by using bed risers. Stack 2 to 3 bed risers under each leg, making sure it’s sturdy and fits securely. Once you’ve lofted your bed, you’re free to use all that space underneath to store more of your things!
3. Shelving units
Adding a shelving unit underneath your (now hopefully lofted) bed isn’t only useful for storage but also for organizing your possessions. What’s great about this kind of shelving unit is that it has separate shelves where you can categorize your things. Which leads onto the next dorm storage hack…
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4. Storage cubes
Fill up your shelving units with storage cubes where you can keep your clothes, accessories, and any other miscellaneous things!
If you own a lot of clothes, I recommend keeping your bulky sweaters in storage cubes to free up space in your dorm closet!
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5. Use your storage unit as a shoe rack
If you’ve still got space at the top of your shelving unit under your bed, then it’s a genius spot to store your shoes there! If you don’t want to get a shoe rack, this is a great alternative that doesn’t take up much space.
6. Storage ottoman
Getting a storage ottoman is one of the best college dorm storage hacks to know about! You can keep your clothes, sheets, towels, shoes, food, or whatever the heck you want inside it! Also, if your dorm has a policy where your possessions won’t get checked, then you can use your storage ottoman to keep other things *wink wink* in there, if you still get what I mean.
Storage ottomans are also great to use as an extra seat if you have friends or family visiting, and they’re perfect to use as a stepping stool if your bed is lofted!
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7. Slim velvet hangers
Using slim velvet hangers is one of my favorite college dorm room storage hacks. You don’t realize how much space you take up in your closet by using plastic and wooden hangers. Using slim velvet hangers will not only prevent your clothes from slipping, but the slim design also helps give you more storage space for your clothes in the closet!
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8. Multi-tiered hangers
If you own a lot of tops, tank tops, etc, then you need to get some multi-tiered hangers for your dorm room closet. As someone who owned a lot of clothes in college, I wish I had known about multi-tiered hangers sooner. They provide you with so much closet space to store all the clothes that you’re bringing from home.
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9. Hanging closet organizer
Another amazing closet-related dorm room storage hack is a hanging closet organizer. This was a lifesaver for me in college, especially because my dorm room and closet were small. Having a hanging storage unit allows you to utilize the vertical space in your closet, where you can store even more of your clothes!
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10. Roll your clothes
When storing your clothes in your closet, one of the easiest hacks to know about is to roll your clothes instead of folding them. If you have pants, jeans, or any other thick clothes, this will especially come in handy because they will take up less space, allowing you to store more of your clothes!
11. Desk hutch
If the desk in your dorm room doesn’t already have a hutch, then I would highly recommend investing in one.
This will maximize so much space on your desk, allowing you to store your stationery and accessories. And since dorm rooms are generally quite small, your desk can be used for studying and as a vanity since you’ll have enough space to store your makeup and mirror, thanks to your desk hutch!
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12. Storage desk lamp
Having a lamp is essential for any bedroom. But to increase storage space for the desk in your dorm room, you could get a storage desk lamp instead of a regular lamp! This will provide you with space to store your pens and pencils and free up desk space for other things.
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13. Overchair pocket organizer
When we’re talking about dorm room storage hacks to maximize space, I’m talking about using every inch of space you have in your dorm room to store your things, including your desk chair!
With an overchair pocket organizer, you’ll be able to fit your school books, notebook, and any other school supplies inside so that it doesn’t clutter your desk. Alternatively, you can store your hair and makeup stuff inside here for easy access!
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14. Bedside caddy
If you don’t have a bedside table in your dorm room, then no worries! You can get yourself a bedside caddy, which is more convenient and takes up less space. Things such as your headphones, chargers, or iPad/tablet, e-readers, etc, can easily fit inside here, and you’ll have easy access to them when you’re in bed!
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15. Acrylic makeup organizer
Generally, dorm rooms wouldn’t have much space to have a vanity that is separate from your desk. But this shouldn’t be a limitation! You can make your desk a study space and a vanity. And if you’re wondering where to store your makeup, then get yourself an acrylic makeup organizer. This helps to keep your makeup all in one place and is very easy to access!
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16. Acrylic drawer organizer
If you have a nightstand by your dorm room bed, then I would highly recommend getting a few acrylic drawer organizers to place inside.
I don’t know the physics behind this, but I feel like when I have a drawer organizer, it feels like I have more space to store my things! I think it’s because it helps keep stuff organized since there are separate compartments for different items.
So if, like me, your drawers get messy when you don’t have an organization system, place some acrylic drawer organizers in there to help organize your snacks, chargers, and other miscellaneous items!
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18. Portable bathroom caddy
Who doesn’t love community bathrooms, am I right? To make your trip to your dorm’s community bathroom seamless, I highly recommend getting a plastic bathroom caddy, specifically a mesh one.
With a portable bathroom caddy, you can keep your bathroom essentials and easily carry them anywhere and everywhere you need to take them. It saves you from going back and forth from your community bathroom to grab something you forgot, as it keeps everything in one place!
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19. 3-tier rolling cart
Having a 3-tier rolling cart is one of my favorite dorm room storage hacks because it’s essentially moving storage, and there are so many different uses for it!
The convenience of 3-tier rolling carts is what makes them essential to have for your dorm room. And if you’re not sure how to organize your 3-tier rolling cart, here are some ideas:
- Nightstand – Turn your rolling cart into a nightstand, where you can put your lamp and water bottle on the top tier, your decorative items and books for night reading on the middle tier, and your blanket on the bottom tier.
- Beauty salon – Put your most used makeup items on the top tier, your hair products on the middle tier, and your skincare and face wipes on the bottom tier!
- Coffee cart – This idea is exciting, especially if you’re a coffee lover! Place your coffee, coffee machine, and syrups on the first tier, your mugs, sugar, and herbal teas on the middle tier, and any snacks you have on the bottom tier.
- Storage – Alternatively, you can use your 3-tier rolling cart for general storage, like a bedside table on wheels!
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19. Storage baskets
Storage baskets are gonna be your best friend when you move into college dorms. They perfectly fit on the top of your closet, or top shelf in your closet, where you can store anything from accessories like scarves, gloves, and hats to medicine, extra supplies, toiletries, and chargers. Storage baskets come in all different shapes and sizes that you can choose from according to your preference!
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20. Use the bar under your dorm bed
Now, admittedly, this dorm storage hack isn’t my idea, but when I saw it on TikTok, I knew I had to include it in this list! If you have a bar under your bed, you can use it as a coat rack! Such a genius idea!
