This ain't your '80s dorm room

Guest blogger: Jennifer Thibodeau 08/07/09

If you were lucky enough to attend college in the 1980's, like me, you very likely outfitted your dorm in typical 80's style. My style included posters of big-haired rock bands, a cheap rocking chair bought at Zayre and pink-painted walls with yellow trim. Oh, and on one wall, I even featherdusted the yellow over the pink. It actually looked better than it might sound. Really. 

The words "eco-friendly," "sustainable," "organic," and "recycle" weren't in my dictionary - nor were they known or practiced by anyone I knew, for that matter. We were all about Aqua-Net hairspray, cheap and colorful plastic jewelry, and throwing our cans and bottles directly into our garbage cans!

My, how times have changed. Today's college students are leading the way in the "green" movement and at the forefront are the kids at Teens Turning Green, a national coalition of teens educating peers and community members about healthy lifestyle choices. Recently, Teens Turning Green launched Project Green Dorm, a multi-faceted effort to encourage teens around the country to make eco-informed purchases around the age-old tradition of back-to-school. Included on Project Green Dorm are tips for greening up your space,  a glossary of green terms, and even a Lookbook where you can view specific products and find out where to buy them. 

Really, with the number of "green" choices out there these days, it will be super-easy for your teen to do what I (and many others of my generation) didn't do and that is, to cozy up in a dorm room that is full of environmentally conscious products.

Saving the planet - one teen and one dorm room at a time. 

For more eco-friendly dorm room options, check out our Healthy Dorm Room. 

Comments

[baby slings]

Living in style is all about changing your way of life with the fashion trends and glorifying in its comfort.

[moby wraps]

You certainly cant forget your college days as those were the days of your independence .

[Melissa]

I am loving this that there is a change in attitude and it is happening with our youth!!!! Thanks Jeanie for those great tips, I have to say that I too use vinegar and it really works ad there is less of a toxic smell once you have cleaned. It is also reasonably priced especially for a student that is living on a budget
Great site guys keep up the great work that you put into it.:)

[Jenn]

Jeanie, thanks for the feedback. We're so happy you (and your friends) enjoy our products. And talk about good timing for your post! We happen to be scouting out some all-natural cleaning products to offer in our store right now - we'd love to send you some samples if we may? Check out the products we're researching now: http://www.cnkmarketinginc.com/products.html

[Jeanie]

Great post. I bought all my dorm room bedding at The I Clean Bedroom last year and not once have regretted my choice. Not only were they healthier for my body but their products transformed my bed from something thin and squishy to something soft and supportive. Otherwise I doubt I would have been able to wake up feeling refreshed every morning, considering the amount of sleep I was getting! Only downside: it was hard to keep friends from inadvertently taking naps on my bed!

Just one more suggestion for keeping a health dorm: all-natural cleaners. For those of us who choose to keep our dorm rooms clean (ahem...), they make great all-natural tile cleaners for your tiled floors and cinderblock walls and all-surface cleaners for everything else, which you can pick up for just a few bucks at Target. Or you can always just use vinegar! It really sucks to use chemical cleaners and have to evacuate your room because you're choking on the fumes. Nasty.

Good luck to everyone heading off to college this fall. :)