We’ve all walked into a friend’s room and felt like:
But when people walk into your room and you notice a similar reaction, it’s time to do a little cleaning. We all have excuses for getting a little disorganized; there’s so much to balance with classes, extra activities, and a social life. It’s nearly impossible to maintain the same balance in our environments.
But there comes a time when enough is enough. Even if you don’t know it yet, there’s a handful of you that have reached this point, so get ready to work.
The first step is to eliminate any odors.
If there are any leftover snacks (late night candy craving wrappers under your bed?) or bottles/cups/slushies, I think you get the idea. Try putting them in the dishwasher or simply throw them away.
Next you have to go through the mounds of clothes. When you find something you don’t need, put it in a separate pile to donate to Goodwill if you choose. The odds are, you’ll find the clothes that have been sitting there for a few days… or weeks without being washed.
Now it’s time for the arm workout- getting that dirty laundry to the washer/dryer. In case you were wondering, nobody put bricks in your hamper, that weight is actually all your clothes. If you’re feeling lazy you probably won’t feel like separating, so you might as well throw it all in, and add a few splashes of detergent.
Now, you look at your desk and it looks like someone just:
You need to spend some time, and organize papers into folders and binders you saved from high school geometry, and finally put them to use. Sometimes, if you’re really ambitious, you can even color-code your notes, planners, and binders.
What seemed like energy and motivation at first usually starts to wear off at this point.
Even though you’re ready for a nap, keep going! It’s time to do the actual cleaning. If you don’t own any sanitary wipes, paper towels, or disinfectant spray, you should definitely invest in some. Make sure to wipe down everything, including the mystery stains and dusty surfaces. We’re not all Cinderella material in the cleaning department.
But there are ways around that! It’s okay to start off slow and find ways around getting on your hands and knees to scrub.
Once you break out the vacuum, mop, and sponge, put some good music on- it’s always a mood booster. Before you know it, you’ll get the hang of it.
Now, the place is shining like you’ve never seen. Free of crumbs, dirt, and dust, which frees you to go get that laundry waiting for you in the dryer!
Focus on hanging everything up or putting it in your drawers. If it’s not put back somewhere it belongs, there’s a 99% chance that it will end up on the floor. So, power through!
Once everything is put away, you’re finally finished!
Show all your roommates and invite all your friends to see how your hard work paid off.
The only thing left to do is enjoy your new-found clean room… before it gets dirty again!