06Jan 2015

Students have a reputation for being unclean, untidy and unorganized. However, this doesn’t have to be the case and creating a clean living environment and domestic cleaning routine for you and your housemates is beneficial for both your mental and physical wellbeing. Not having a mess in the kitchen or a dirty bathtub can help you get along with your daily activities and ultimately help you study. There aren’t many situations as stressful as when you’re rushing to a lecture and can’t grab your normal breakfast because all the bowls are dirty. Having a student house cleaning regime can help you remain focused and calm and can also keep tension within the house to a minimum.ResponsibilitiesIf you live in student accommodation with other people, assigning different cleaning responsibilities and chores to certain people is the simplest and fairest way of preventing tension and arguments when it comes to cleaning. Obviously, your own bedroom is entirely your responsibility and keeping this tidy is up to you. Therefore, it’s advisable to have your own domestic cleaning routine. Keep your coursework clearly labelled and filed away so it’s easy to find and doesn’t accidentally get thrown away. Try and vacuum clean, wash bed linen and dust at least once a week to maintain a high level of cleanliness. Set aside a designated morning each week, perhaps a Saturday when you don’t have classes, and quickly make sure everything’s in order before continuing with your day. Also, make sure to always clean up your plates and kitchen utensils after you use them to prevent dirty dishes from mounting up, and rinse out the sink or bath after using it. If you get into the habit of cleaning up immediately after yourself, it won’t be such a chore and should come naturally.When deciding who should take responsibility for which chores, firstly ask people if they have any preferences. Then, drawing lots or straws is a fair way of deciding on the rest. If someone is severely unhappy with their chore and has a valid reason (they may have an allergy to certain chemicals in certain kitchen cleaning products, for example), have a mature, calm discussion on who else could take it. If not, they may just have to just grin and bear it. List down the chores and write the person’s name next to it. The list might include vacuuming, wiping down the kitchen, mopping, dusting, and cleaning the bathroom. Keeping track of who is doing what is the best way to prevent people either trying to worm out of certain tasks, or simply forgetting.RotaWhen you’ve decided which chores each person should take responsibility for, you need to make a rota so no one forgets. It’s wise to designate a specific day for them to do this as well so that they definitely stick to it. If you have trouble deciding on who should adopt which chore (no one ever wants to be the toilet cleaner), consider rotating the chores so one person isn’t stuck doing one task for the entire year. It might be more pleasant to all clean at once, as this way you can put on music and get the flat or house blitzed in less time. BudgetCleaning products can be pricey, especially for students, so make sure everyone chips in or takes turns buying them. If you’re on a tight budget, all agree to get store brand cleaning solutions, rather than leading brands. Also, purchase reusable cleaning utensils, like sponges and mops you can wring out, and ensure everyone agrees to thoroughly rinse them out after each use.

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