After being back at school for a little over a month, your room is probably starting to look and feel a little dingy. Books are piling up, doing laundry is becoming a distant memory, and your sink has become a permanent home for dishes. With a busy schedule of work, class, extra-curricular activities, clubs, sports, and an active social life, keeping a living space clean doesn’t always seem like an important part of our lives, but having a place to call home that makes us feel comfortable and happy is an important part of keeping a balanced lifestyle. Since keeping our living space clean can be difficult when we’re so busy, here is a compiled list of a few easy ways to keep our rooms or apartments squeaky clean and sparkling!
1. Clean the shower.
A lot of students who have bathrooms in their rooms or apartments don’t realize that showers must be cleaned every so often, once a month if possible. If you have a sponge (one that you don’t use for dishes!) and some tile cleansing solution, you’re prepared! Cleaning the shower during your morning shower can be an easy way to save time and save your clothes from being soaked or stained by the acidic solution.
Also, mildew can grow on cotton materials that are kept damp, so make sure you’re spreading out your towel on the rack or bar to dry to avoid extra washes!
2. Check the fridge every two weeks for expired food.
Sometimes when we buy food for the apartment and also eat out at restaurants, not all the food in the fridge gets eaten. If you’re not constantly checking the expiration dates on your products, food can go untouched in the fridge for months. Checking the food in the fridge to make sure it’s not expired every two weeks makes sure the food won’t stink up your fridge, and in turn, your apartment.
In addition, a quick wipe-down of the fridge shelves with a soapy sponge or a disinfectant wipe during your two-week-date-check is a great way to keep your fridge smelling fresh!
3. Wipe out the microwave.
It’s hard to remember that every time we put something in the microwave, food particles get on the walls and ceiling of the microwave. Most college students probably don’t clean out their microwave at all, but it’s easy, fast and can keep the inside of your microwave from getting gross and pungent. Either a sponge or a wipe can be used, just make sure that your microwave is dry again before using it.
Don’t forget about the inside of the microwave door! It’s one of the less obvious places that gets dirty in a microwave, so people often forget to clean it.
4. Wash the bed sheets.
It doesn’t matter if you take a shower before bed or if you take a shower in the morning, bed-sheets aren’t meant to be slept on for more than a couple months before they need to be washed. There are always stories of college students going the whole year without washing their sheets, and this isn’t a good practice to engage in. If you can, have two sets of bed sheets so you can wash one set and don’t have to rush to put it back on your bed before you go to sleep. While one set is in the wash, you’re sleeping on the other.
And remember, while your pillowcase, fitted sheet, bed-sheet, and blanket do need to be washed every few months, your pillow and comforter don’t!
5. Vacuum the floor.
Sweeping the tile floor in my apartment has always been the bane of my existence. But recently, I invested in a handheld, miniature vacuum cleaner, and I no longer have a use for my broom and dustpan! Vacuuming the tile floor works just as well as sweeping (as long as the floor is dry) and it doesn’t involve having two pieces of equipment to complete the task. Just always remember to empty out the vacuum after using it.
For people with carpeted floors, try to vacuum every so often, even if the carpet doesn’t look dirty, it could still have a layer of loose hair or dust that you can’t see!
6. Always use a trash bag in a trash can.
Not using a bag in a trash can makes the inside of the trash can a breeding ground for bacteria and bad smells, and it’s a hassle to clean out when it gets dirty. Instead, use a trash bag or plastic grocery bag inside the trash can for an easy way to keep the can clean and an even easier way to take out the trash! Just pull out the entire trash bag, throw it away with the trash inside (unless it’s recycling) and replace the bag inside the can!
Feeling pride in your living space is one of the great things about having a place of your own, and one of the things that makes people proud of their home is how clean it is. While having a spotless, fully-disinfected household probably isn’t ever going to be a priority, having a place that at least smells fresh and doesn’t look like cave-people have been living there is an important part of having a happy home and a balanced life.
