You might think cleaning is unnecessary for such a small space, but in reality, our dorm rooms can get very dirty. Cleaning is an important habit to form, especially in the wintertime and flu season so germs don’t pile up. Even though we may not be living in our dorms for the rest of the semester, the same cleaning rules apply for your space at home. Here are a few tips to keep your room clean and germ-free.
Daily:
1. Make Your Bed
A messy bed can automatically make your entire room feel unclean. If you like to sit on your bed during the day, it’s a good idea to at least pull up the covers on your bed so they cover the sheets and pillows you sleep on at night. The clothes you wear out during the day can collect germs from sitting in chairs, which is not something you want to bring into the space you sleep every night.
2. Wipe Down Surfaces
With a Clorox or Lysol wipe, quickly go over your kitchen counters, desk, tables, dressers, and any other surfaces. This is a quick and easy way to pick up any food particles resting on the surface.
3. Clean Your Dishes
Before I go to bed each night, I like to finish doing the dishes if they are not done already, so I can wake up to a clean sink. This is a good habit to form because letting dirty dishes pile up can create odors that come from food particles on plates and cups.
4. Declutter
Take a few minutes each day to put away the miscellaneous items sitting around without a home. Any clothes sitting on the back of your chair can go away, random papers sitting on your desk can go into folders, and make sure you’re not leaving any food sitting out.
5. Lysol and Disinfect
I like to use Lysol disinfectant spray to spray over the door knobs and sinks since they are commonly used surfaces. You can also use wipes to do this, but spraying is much quicker and leaves a clean scent behind.
Weekly:
1. Take Out The Trash
Depending on how big your trash can is and how much trash you go through, you may need to do this more often. Letting your trash sit in the room for a longer amount of time can lead to smelly odors.
2. Swiffer or Vacuum
I have personally discovered that dust, food, and loose hairs pick up on the floor very quickly in my room. If you don’t own a vacuum, and don’t have a carpeted floor, a Swiffer is a great alternative to vacuuming. If you have enough time, move everything out from under your bed and desk and make sure you get the dust out from under there. You’ll be surprised to see all the dust that collects down there.
3. Change Your Bed Sheets
Bed sheets should be changed at least one every week, or two weeks depending on your preferences. It might be a good idea to change your pillow more often, as bacteria and germs formed can lead to acne.
4. Laundry
Choose a specific day of the week to do laundry, so you can get into the habit of going every week. Like I said, bedsheets and pillowcases are a lot dirtier than you might think.
Monthly:
1. Clean Out The Refrigerator
I am definitely guilty of letting food sit in my fridge for way too long. The best way to do this is to take everything out and throw away anything that’s expired. Take this chance to wipe down the shelves and surfaces before putting everything back in.
2. Organize Clothing
Although this isn’t exactly a cleaning tip, organizing the clothes in your dresser, closet, and/or wardrobe will make your room feel less messy. It will also make finding clothes in the morning when you’re in a rush much easier.
3. Clean Mirrors and Windows
Over time, our mirrors and windows can become covered in fingerprints or water stains. Just once a month, use some Windex or glass cleaner to wipe down these surfaces to make them squeaky clean again.