Whether you live in a dorm or an apartment with roommates, sharing a bathroom is no easy feat. Shower shoes and a caddy for your shampoo, conditioner, and other toiletries are often a must, regardless of whether you have a communal bathroom for your entire floor or you’re just cohabitating with multiple people. (Nobody wants to accidentally scrub themselves clean with their roommate’s loofah.)
Here’s the thing: Toting around wet flip-flops and a dripping caddy can be a pain, and you don’t want the floor of your room to be permanently soggy or water-stained. Luckily a new TikTok video from Nicole (@southern_eh) offers up an ingenious hack when it comes to dorm or apartment shopping.
How to Store Your Shower Caddy and Shoes
College mom Nicole recommends purchasing a dish drying mat to act as a storage hub for all your shower supplies. By putting it right outside your door, or next to your closet, you can immediately place your wet shoes and caddy onto the mat before stepping inside of your room. In her comments, Nicole specifies that unlike a normal towel, or a thicker bath mat, a dish drying mat will absorb the liquid from your shoes better and dries faster. Plus, when the mat inevitably starts to look a little dirty, Nicole notes it can be easily thrown into a washing machine with a normal load of laundry.
One commenter shares that this hack is great for avoiding wood stains — something she dealt with when she was at school. Others offered alternative options, including a boot tray or stone drying mat. Some of these might cost a bit more than a dish mat, but they’ll serve the same purpose: keeping your space dry and free of water marks or a musty carpet.
If you’re looking for the perfect dish drying mat for your room this year, we’ve got you covered.