<p>momma-three, good point! I know that my son would not put his stuff on the shower floor if there were no hooks. I know then he’d seperate out his toothbrush and his shampoo/soap. He’s a guy, but would care about putting mold and dirty water into his mouth! Changing his sheets frequently enough…well that may be another story!</p>
<p>My son’s college room had a sink in the room. The shower was down the hall. Thus, the mug and toothbrush lived in the room. He carried soap (in zip lock bag) and shampoo (in bottle) to the shower.</p>
<p>I can only imagine what s’s bathroom will look like. He has to share with only one roommate. He’s also told me he doesn’t want anything to match. The caddy would be a good idea to just keep their things separate and neat. If he agrees to use a caddy, then I won’t care how he decorates his bathroom!</p>
<p>S1 had sink in dorm room and hall shower across the hall…no caddy…just carried shampoo and soap in his hands.
S2 lived in a suite. There was one shower,one sink, one toilet shared by 8 guys!
His room happened to be right beside the BR door. I never bought him a caddy. I’m guessing he carried soap shampoo in with him…maybe parked the toothbrush/toothpaste on the sink while showering.</p>
<p>Neither of mine are germophobes…both pretty messy guys who laughed at most of my suggestions for “dorm living needs”. Both survived and went on to live in off campus in old houses that made the dorm bathroom look like the home of Mr. Clean.</p>
<p>lilmom, The key word is “decorate?”</p>
<p>Got a thing at the hardware store that works. Didn’t spend a lot of time mulling it over. But if you get a pail or any closed container, make sure you poke some drainage wholes. You don’t want to see what you can grow from dorm bathroom crud.</p>
<p>S got a clear basket with holes at the Container Store. He used it in the dorm, I believe and was happy with it. D bought something similar at Target for much cheaper. It holds all their stuff, getting between their room & community showers. He might want to wait & see what he wants after he sees what others have gotten.</p>
<p>I don’t have boys so you may not want to listen to me, LOL. Yes, my girls had the plastic shower caddies/totes, though D2 always had private bathrooms in college. </p>
<p>But for a boy, look into canvas toiletry type kits by outdoor type outfitters…LLBean, EMS, REI, etc. </p>
<p>Some examples:</p>
<p>[EAGLE</a> CREEK Wallaby II Toiletry Kit - Eastern Mountain Sports](<a href=“http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3662945]EAGLE”>http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3662945)</p>
<p>[EAGLE</a> CREEK Pack-It Caddy - Eastern Mountain Sports](<a href=“http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3800533]EAGLE”>http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3800533)</p>
<p>[Carryall</a> Toiletry Kit: Toiletry Bags at L.L.Bean](<a href=“http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/53793?from=SR&feat=sr]Carryall”>http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/53793?from=SR&feat=sr)</p>
<p>[REI</a> Deluxe Shower Kit at REI.com](<a href=“http://www.rei.com/product/778796]REI”>http://www.rei.com/product/778796)</p>
<p>[REI</a> Shower Kit at REI.com](<a href=“http://www.rei.com/product/795117]REI”>http://www.rei.com/product/795117)</p>
<p>[REI</a> Ultimate Shower Kit at REI.com](<a href=“http://www.rei.com/product/778799]REI”>http://www.rei.com/product/778799)</p>
<p>[REI</a> Shower Kit at REI.com](<a href=“http://www.rei.com/product/778795]REI”>http://www.rei.com/product/778795)</p>
<p>As an aside, D1 is living in Zurich for the summer and for the first time in a long while, she doesn’t have a private bathroom (just her own sink). And given packing restrictions, surely didn’t take over any plastic shower totes she owns. She just packed in ziploc baggies. However, we had an ingenious idea. We once got some free mini nylon canvas tote as some promotion that we never used that is designed with six sections to carry a six pack. This folds flat. And we realized she could put her toiletries like shampoo, shower gel, etc. in it and use it as a shower tote to the bathroom on her hallway. She said it works perfectly!</p>
<p>S used pockets of his bathrobe. He said he was developing his Hugh Hefner look.
(I guess he was kindof wrinkly after those long showers.)</p>
<p>srw, re: “decorate” I forgot that’s foreign to S. His idea of “decorating” his dorm room is recreating his own bedroom. Including the posters on the wall. He also wants to bring his tattered comforter because it’s comfortable. Aww. I’m getting teary…</p>
<p>
Cleverest thought I have read on CC in a long time 
.</p>
<p>Following this thread (I don’t know why) because S2 will be a freshman this fall with dorm bathrooms down-the-hall, but do not anticipate purchasing any kind of shower caddy.</p>
<p>We (well, DW) offered to get S whatever kind of caddy or case he wanted, but every time we (she) tried to discuss this, we got the “look”.</p>
<p>So we told him, ok, you figure out what you want to do and take care of it.</p>
<p>I have no idea how he manages his shower stuff, and I don’t really care. I assume he showers regularly, he has a girlfriend. Bathrooms are single-gender by floor, and the male bathroom was on a different floor, so he had to lug everything up and down.</p>
<p>Really, you don’t need to figure out every specific detail of their daily lives, although I appreciate that it is hard for the moms to let go of mothering mode, especially as the start of school draws near.</p>
<p>Just let your S figure it out, he’s a big boy now. It’s not that complicated.</p>
<p>Heresy, I know.</p>
<p>None of my boys would use a shower caddy and none of my boys would wear a bathrobe I know this with certainty. All three have leather Dopp kits but back in the camp days (and S1’s dorm experience) they used Ziplocs or a mesh bag type thing that has a zipper. Can’t remember where I found the mesh bags. They look like pencil cases so maybe that’s what they were. Can’t imagine what they’d wear to and from, but I’m guessing gym shorts or a towel or maybe the boys are bold these days and just wear the boxers.</p>
<p>For my S and his dorm-mates: they did use the shower caddies. I don’t think I ever saw a robe in 4 years of visits and S said no to it when I offered to send one his way. I saw lots of young men walking back from the showers wrapped in towels (and carrying their shower caddies).</p>
<p>REI sells the zippered, mesh dop kits.</p>
<p>Last fall, my 10th grade son went on a week-long camping trip with his class. I packed a full week’s worth of outdoor appropriate clothing - all freshly purchased from REI, along with the dop kit. He returned in the clothes he left wearing - everything was still neatly packed in his bag. He said that there was “no privacy” in the tent, so no one changed clothes. At home, he changes at least twice a day. </p>
<p>He survived just fine, and I’ve decided it is best to let him figure out his day to day hygiene routine.</p>
<p>Brought son to buy a few things at BBB. He picked out their black shower caddy and their 20 dollar foam topper. I was at Dollar General buying assorted items and came across a much smaller blue shower caddy for one dollar. I brought it home, thinking son would prefer it, since it was much smaller. He said he liked the BBB one because it had a specific place for the soap and other compartments. So, that’s one dollar down the drain, unless I want to go all the way to Dollar General to return it. I’m sure it will get some use.</p>
<p>Definitely overthinking things, but when husband came home with dark red towels, had to override that decision.</p>
<p>oh wow - just wish my son would use soap in the shower occasionally at home let alone at college.</p>
<p>Moms, I’ve got sad news for you. The days of your college son wanting you to worry about what he does with his toothbrush are over. He’ll work it out.</p>
<p>Interesteddad, I know that you’re right. I know that my son is not going to carry a “caddy”. I think that my son’s toiletries will be thrown on his desk or nighttable and he’ll just grab one item at a time and go back and forth to the sink/shower as many times as necessary. It shouldn’t be a problem since I predict that he won’t shave more than twice per week (less during exam time, since that is a college tradition for many males).</p>