Dorm Cleaning and Packing Tips
With the end of the year approaching it’s (sadly) time to start thinking about packing and cleaning out your dorm. This can seem like a really daunting task, these tips will make it a lot less painful.
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Plan ahead: the options are bringing all of your things home, getting a storage unit, using a storage company or leaving things in a house of a friend. Talk to your parents and see what makes the most sense logistically and financially.
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Leave yourself enough time: everyone wants to procrastinate this but it only makes it worse. Set out a solid few hours for you to dedicate to sorting and packing. Finding stuff that reminds you of all the good memories from the year is a Hollywood style closure to a school year.
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Get garbage bags: start by going through your room with a garbage bag and throwing away the plastic water bottle on your desk and the sock that hasn’t had a match all semester. Go through your makeup and throw everything out that you know has been expired and have just been in denial about it. But wait! Don’t throw anything away that you can reduce, reuse, and recycle!
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R R and R: see what is recyclable like that water bottle on your desk and the one that’s probably under your bed as well. See what you can donate! There is a place to donate almost anything like food, textbooks, clothes, toiletries. Check your universities website or email residence life about any donation centers on campus. If not, there are many local shelters or goodwill stores that you can donate too. Another option is to sell clothes using sites like Poshmark. There has been recent trend at universities to have Facebook groups to sell clothes in.
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It’s okay to ask for help: especially if you live in a building without an elevator or are moving out without your parents there. It’s not worth hurting yourself by trying to lift something that is too heavy or when going down stairs. It’s much better to be safe than sorry.
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Have at least some form of clean supplies: no one wants to get charged for leaving a dirty room. Even if all of your stuff is out of the room, many universities will charge students for dust bunnies and sticky surfaces
Remember to breathe. You got this.
A pro tip for you, make a playlist of your favorite good vibes songs. Good luck!