Remember being nagged by your parents to tidy your room? Even now I’m anticipating my suitcase for Christmas break being labelled a crime scene after a few hours on the floor. But in those months away from mum and dad, we’re responsible for the mugs with no coasters and bins that go out on thursday – or friday, we’re never too sure.
So how do we deal with this new realm of responsibility – after a year in halls and a few months in a house, each with a different set of people, I think I’ve cracked the code.
- Make a non-scary rota
Keep it simple, only have one for one particularly gruelling task, like bins. Most student houses should have a timetable delivered for bin collection, so stick it up somewhere obvious in the kitchen and put one flatmates initial/name down next to one week and another for the next week – if you’re in a house big enough you may only have to do the bins once every two months and that’s easy enough. - Allocate counter space
Those nights spent desperately searching for space amongst the dishes to place down your chopping board aren’t ideal after 9-4 lectures. So when you first move in look at the cupboard space and where each of your drawers are and allocate a nearby counter top (or half) to each person. This way you’re each responsible for your area and you can keep it as clean as you like – and there will always be space to butter your toast. - Wash up after meals
Don’t hesitate or wait until three days later when your weetabix is a cement mix in the bowl. If you eat and you have nothing immediately after, take half a minute to wash up and whack them on the dryer. Trust me the next time you go to eat it will feel like a little win and you’ll thank yourself. - Shower wiper blades
You know those things window cleaners use that make lots of squeaky sounds and wake you up from that lay-in you were planning? Purchase one for your shower. Quickly run it over the shower doors after your shower and it makes cleaning bathrooms, whenever that comes about, a lot easier without those drip marks that won’t budge. - Don’t put it down the drain
We’ve all had a flatmate who thinks tea bags will fit down the sink – sadly they won’t, and at the risk of having to tell your landlady there’s a scary river emerging from the drain down to the garden fence – try to put it all straight in the bin. - Purchase a laundry basket
You can get pop-up hampers from Primark for a couple of pounds and it makes it a lot easier when it comes to a clothes wash to know you don’t need to search your floor for last weeks discarded clothes. It also reduces the temptation to re-wear things we know are really better off going through the wash, out of sight out of mind – and all that.
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