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When children are in elementary school, teachers typically send home a list of school supplies that parents should buy. When they go off to college, students need some of the same everyday items but this time you have to come up with the list. Keep in mind that students will be moving into unfurnished spaces and will want familiar things such as paper towels, tissues, batteries and laundry detergent within easy reach. The experts at Consumer Reports scoured our labs and found some extraordinary everyday products.
Paper towels
In Consumer Reports tests of paper towels, Bounty soaked up the first two spots. So when Bounty introduced the DuraTowel claiming that it’s a “cloth-like, durable paper towel that leaves surfaces three times cleaner than a used dishcloth,” our testers were anxious to try it. We pitted the DuraTowel against regular Bounty and found that it was stronger and lasted about 30 percent longer in our scrubbing tests. But it also cost more: $5.40 a roll vs. $3.90. You can get good paper towels for a lot less including Great Value from Walmart, $1.82, and Kirkland Signature from Costco, $1.46.
Facial tissues
The results of our facial tissue tests, which measure both strength and softness, are nothing to sneeze at. Three varieties of Puffs and two of Kleenex made our list of top tissue picks. If you’ve got the sniffles, consider tissues with a lotion such as Kleenex Lotion Aloe & E, at $1.36 a CR Best Buy. But don’t try to clean your glasses with them. For that try our top-rated tissue, Puffs Ultra Soft & Strong, $1.69. Brands from Walmart, CVS, Target and Costco also did well in our tests and typically cost less.
Laundry detergent
While they weren’t designed specifically for college students, laundry detergent in pods and packs have made it easier for beginners to get their clothes clean. With single-use detergents, there’s no more pouring or measuring or lugging jugs of detergent down to the laundry room. In our detergent tests, Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean Pacs (Costco), 14 cents a pack, performed very well at removing stains and can be used in both high-efficiency and traditional washing machines. Tide Pods, 22 cents per pod, are another good choice and made our experts’ list of top detergent picks. And Tide is available in three scents.
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Dishwashing liquid
Even if they have a meal plan, students will want to keep a sponge and small bottle of dishwashing liquid on hand to clean that random cereal bowl or coffee mug. Skip antibacterial cleaners. The routine use of antibacterial cleaning products has been seriously questioned by the Centers for Disease Control. In our past tests, Dawn Direct Foam was superb at removing food and cutting through grease but is a bit pricey. For a lot less, an Ajax liquid also got dishes clean.
Batteries
Gone are the days of Walkmans and portable CD players but students still need batteries for remotes, clocks, flashlights and cameras. In our tests of AA batteries, Duracell Ultra Power and Duracell Coppertop, both $2.00 a pack, topped the group of alkaline batteries. But Energizer Ultimate lithium batteries out-performed both by far although they cost twice as much.
Toilet paper
Dormitories provide their own toilet paper but for students living off-campus this everyday staple is a necessity they may not be used to buying. In our toilet paper tests, White Cloud 3-Ply Ultra Soft scored excellent in softness and strength and at 25 cents per 100 sheets is a CR Best Buy. It’s sold at Walmart but if you don’t shop there, Quilted Northern Ultra Plush was another good performer in our tests. We also tested brands from CVS, Target, Trader Joe’s and Costco.
—Izabela Rutkowski
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