<p>Incoming female freshman for the fall. I have a few dressy tops and bras that should not be dried and a few button up shirts that wrinkle easily…</p>
<p>Do I need an iron/ironing board/drying rack? Would it take too much space?
I could buy it and let my roommate use them as well so not two of each?
Drying rack would be collapsable, also… to store under the bed or whatnot.</p>
<p>What should I do?</p>
<p>Also, if it is of any consolation, I’ll be just a two-hour car drive from home… planning to go home a few weekends.</p>
<p>Most rooms aren’t big enough for this sort of thing. I’d bring the iron and just use the bed or desk with towels for an ironing board. I’d just not bring those clothes or hang them on an iron to dry.</p>
<p>D used her folding drying rack a lot for hand washables/delicates and also for when dryer did not 100% dry the load (often). It stored flat behind her dresser.</p>
<p>She was able to borrow an iron for the very few times she needed it. I think the RA had an iron and vacuum available for the whole floor to borrow.</p>
<p>I used my drying rack every week. I bought a collapsible garment rack to use instead of the regular drying racks because it held more and took up less space. It worked really well. The dryers at school shrank ANYTHING I put into them so I actually ended up air drying most of my clothes.</p>
<p>I also had an ironing board that was about 8 inches wide and two feet long. I ended up just not buying anything that would need ironing, so I never used it, but it can be done.</p>
<p>Lots of dorms do have an iron and board available, though I imagine some kids leave the iron cruddy. Lots of kids hang things to dry on hangers over the closet door. My girls gave up on ironing, even good oxford shirts. When I was in college, laundry service was included and they ironed jeans and sheets. Those days are gone, but it was great.</p>
<p>D uses a steamer instead of an iron and has been very with the results. Not as crisp as ironing but much easier. A drying rack would have been a great idea for delicates.</p>
<p>OK so my D had an iron but didn’t use it much. She found that for touching up cuffs of shorts, collars etc, her hair straightener did a great job:)</p>
<p>We have a tiny little steamer from BBB that actually does a great job. Not much bigger than an iron at all… I admit we don’t even own an iron now. I don’t think either me or my boyfriend knows how to use one. This is easier.</p>
<p>scmom: LOL! I’d have never have thought of that!</p>
<p>A third vote for a steamer. We got a small travel one from Target for a cruise several years ago to touch up suits & dresses for dinners and it worked beautifully. I use it all the time now.</p>
<p>My daughter used a collapsing umbrella type drying rack. The arms could hold multiple hangars. She ordered it from QVC. It folded up to about the size of a golf umbrella and was easy to store. She only used her iron a few times, (only paid $10 for it at Target).</p>
<p>If you are one of my sons, no, you don’t need any iron or drying rack. What you DO need is a good supply of very large garbage bags, which you will use to transport your dirty laundry home whenever you visit, and a huge supply of socks and underwear to last you between trips home. </p>
<p>I’m pretty sure my sons only did laundry when they ran out of all clothes, and then left the clean clothes in the hamper, while piling the newly dirty clothes on the floor next to the hamper until the hamper was emptied.</p>
<p>I’d trade the iron for a steamer–you don’t need an ironing board. Also, if you have an item like an all-cotton shirt–it’s pretty cheap to have it laundered. Most cleaners will do it for a few bucks. Both my kids took irons and never used them. If you don’t iron at home, you’re probably not going to iron at school.</p>
<p>Curling irons also make great emergency irons. I didn’t feel like digging out my iron the other day and used the curling iron to affix an iron-on patch.</p>