5 (Non-Furniture) Must-Haves the Next Time You Go to IKEA

Going to IKEA is a rare treat and when we do, we're usually there with a specific piece of furniture in mind. That leaves us with little time to shop all of the accessories and goodies in the Marketplace and throughout the store. But we've done your homework for you and compiled a short list of 5 must-have, inexpensive items that you should pick up the next time you are at IKEA.

Patrull Bathtub Mat. We love the PATRULL alligator bathmat. The fun design looks great and it's made of natural rubber. Grab one for $5.99 and avoid any slipping in the tub.

Spritta Apple Slicer. I own the previous version (the red one) and love it. The new green Spritta looks sturdier than its predecessor. Even though it's one of those single-use items, I use it so much and it saves me so much time, and at $3.99 it justifies it's existence. It's great for play date snack time, party prep and apple pie baking!

Patrull Corner Bumpers. I have these (in white) and stick them on every protruding corner in the house. They're so easy to use and, so far, don't seem to damage furniture when removing. Get them in an 8-pack for $6.99.

Frakta Bag. This should be a staple in any home with kids. At $0.59 you just can't say no. Not only can you use it to haul home your IKEA finds and skip the bag fee, the Frakta is perfect for the beach. We've been using one to haul all of our sand toys to the beach every summer. Just hose it down when it gets sandy and let it air dry. The size is perfect, even for big shovels.

Patrull First-Aid Kit. I put a large family first aid kit together, but realized that with a multi-level house, having one on every floor makes sense. It's also a good idea to keep one in the car. I love the bright chartreuse color of this IKEA kit and keep one in the car just in case. $11.99.

On a personal note, I own all of these items and consider these staples around the house. They also make a great list for things to keep at Grandma's house. Another great idea would be to gather all of these items and present them as a practical gift for a friend or neighbor with kids.

Comments (34)

Very timely, as I'm headed to Ikea today to buy some of that non-PVC dotted oilcloth. Now I'll also have to get the child an alligator to sit on in the tub!

Great list and there are so many items like this at Ikea!

Love that bath mat - will definitely add it to the list! I want to add that whenever we go to Ikea (which is rare) that we get some of their tupperware containers, the ones that with the red lids. We've had some now that have lasted for years and are used for everything!

Tabitha
http://www.fromsingletomarried.com

I highly recommend the bath ponchos and 2 packs of smocks-- which make an affordable substitute for the Bumkins sleeved bibs-- in the kids section.

Girlwiththegreencard,

IKEA sells oilcloth?!? Can you tell me more?

We have the alligator tub mat and LOVE it.
It kind of freaked out our little one when we first put it in the tub, though, and it was several bath times before she was willing to sit on it. But she loves it now!

I cannot wait for our IKEA to finally open next Fall. These posts make me sad that I can't participate!

Schnappycat, I'm guessing you're in the Denver Metro area- we're anxiously awaiting Ikea as well, having moved from Chicago where there's two within driving distance!

Yep, fade on violet. I'm in South Metro and the IKEA will be just a few miles from my house. Woo! I grew up in Detroit, where there was no IKEA until AFTER I moved to Denver, so this will be my first time living near one. We actually drove to the Chicago location years ago from MI and loaded up our car. No more of that! :)

I love that bathmat and when I make my tentatively scheduled trip to the nearest ikea this october (about 3 hours away for me), I will definitely get one.

I have one of those blue bags and love it! picking up a couple more of those was already on my list. I find them to be very useful since they hold so much and the straps fit over the shoulder, they are one of the few big bags that I could carry at the same time that I carry my daughter.

I have a bunch of the blue bags. Instead of laundry baskets for toting laundry up and down stairs that take up space, I have 6 of these and then fold up very flat in my linen closet.

I love the alligator. It would be a nice addition to our cheesy toilet seat.

The Blue Bags are great for yard work - collecting leaves, prunings, etc. I love them for mixing soils and repotting plants (setting the pot inside and doing all the work in the bag eliminates mess).

OMG!! I MUST HAVE THAT PATRULL ALLIGATOR BATH MAT!!! Perfection.

I use the blue bags for everything!

Costco trips, beach bag, laundry bag. One of my friends borrowed one and is keeping it because it is so useful.

I buy a bunch of those cheap blue bags and keep one of them out at all times as a Goodwill/donation bin. We toss in clothes and other things that we no longer need and when it fills up we just take the entire thing to the drop off location and leave it there. It's easier to carry and takes up much less space than a huge cardboard box and I find that adding things a little at a time is less daunting than spending an entire Saturday purging and organizing closets.

I love that bathmat. It would be fantastic in my guest bathroom's shower/tub combo. I wonder if they make smaller versions for standing showers...

These are all pretty silly. But I imagine kids would like them.

That blue bag stains my clothes.

Are the clothes wet when you put them in? Or does it stain even when they are dry?

They do have an oilcloth like fabric. Its come in dots - I got red with white dots, and its also in light blue, yellow and black - all with dots. Its like a plastic coated tablecloth type fabric and is quite wide.
I used it to cover a door to make a desk top (with the ikea legs).
I'm in Australia, but would assume it would be in Ikea stores everywhere - we seem to get new stuff last...
I can't find it on the website, but it was about AU$15/metre

Awsome list!

I'm totally using that bag as a re-usable litter liner for my DIY rubbermaid bin version of the ModKat. Just need some velcro tape! [http://www.modkat.com/ for the real one if you feel like spending $80 on what admittedly is a GREAT idea for a litter box]

hey look, it's a "buy more useless plastic disposable crap" list!

@tamarind

the blue bag actually stained my white pants, as I was taking my clothes (in the IKEA blue bag) to the laundromat. The light stroke from me walking was enough to put a huge blue spot on my pants (hip level). I tried to remove it with a multitude of products, to no avail. I have also tried using that blue bag again, but it always stains my clothes (the ones I am wearing)...

@Cyb

Maybe the bag you got was made from a lot that wasn't properly finished. I have used my blue bag for years without incident. Have you tried soaking the bag in water (optional: a few splashes of vinagar) to get rid of the excess dye?

That apple slicer looks awfully deep to get in a kitchen drawer with all the other gadgets we have these days.

Those big blue bags are awesome! They're amazing for big grocery trips. When I was a student and had no vehicle, there was no other way I'd have been able to carry home about forty pounds of groceries at once. And those shoulder straps are surprisingly comfortable!

I just moved to Florida, home of the Gators, and my bathroom is blue and green....that alligator bathmat is now at the top of my must-have list. Fingers crossed there's an IKEA nearby, otherwise the next friend that visits is going to have to pack an extra item!

Just had to share this little bit of serendipity: turns out, the closest IKEA is just down the road from the SPCA I'm already driving to next week to get my cat spayed. This makes me so excited, gator bathmat and blue bags here I come!

The one thing from ikea that I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND is this set of cheese graters. They are so wonderful, comes with two in a set (One has small holes, the other large holes) and lid for the container. It's great because you can grate a bunch of cheese and store it in the same contraption with it's air tight lid. When I bought these, a woman in the store pointed at them and said, wow, I have that and they are awesome! I was like, whatever crazy cheese lady, but now I know.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50153180

oh and the bags too! those are great. Even their shopping bags. I bought a couple 4 years ago that are like 3 ft by 4 ft and they have helped me move about 6 times, and done countless loads of laundry!

@ Keren25 - I am so going to get one to repot my indoor plant, brilliant idea.

I always do it on a counter, newspaper etc. thinking to myself "Oh, I'll be really careful, and won't spill any"....WRONG!!!! It seems an impossible feat for me.

Also loving the alligator for the grandbabies,,,,

I used one of those big blue bags to grow carrots in this year, after punching a few holes in the bottom and propping up the sides a little with some wood scraps. It worked pretty well, and a lot cheaper than a pot of comparable size! The same bag had been used to collect extra topsoil the year before, and so far has survived two summers and a very harsh winter outside.

Since I don't have a car and do all my shopping on foot/by public transportation, these huge bags are great when going out to fetch bulky stuff. Infinitely more comfortable to carry than an ordinary plastic bag.

I have washed some of these bags, just by throwing them in with a load of something durable, like dark jeans. I haven't had a problem with color transfer, so I think the one Cyb has must be faulty.

I love my IKEA store in Woodbridge, VA. They have some really cool things for the kitchen. Also, I love their tasty meatballs and delicious cookies.