Being a freshman in college can be stressful, filled with new clubs, new friends, new social situations, and of course, adapting to a crazy schedule full of tough classes! Surprisingly, though, with all of the events being thrown my way, the most stressful thing that I have found about college so far has been keeping my room clean. Living in a small dorm room can already feel cramped enough, but when I come back to a messy room after a stressful day, it just makes the stress ten times worse! Having a clean dorm room has been very calming for me with all the stress that college brings, so I’m going to share some tips that have worked for me this year to keep my room clean and organized.
1. Room Set-Up
How you and your roommate set up your desks and your beds in your dorm can have a lot to do with how small or large it can feel, or how easy it can be to keep it organized. At the beginning of the year, I had my bed lofted at the highest notch so that I could put my desk underneath it, but I ended up having nowhere else to put all of my other belongings. Once I rearranged so that my bed was only halfway lofted, I was able to shove all of my clothes, belongings, and other random items I brought with me to college under my bed so that it was out of sight.
2. Don’t Bring a Carpet!
My roommate and I bought a cute pink carpet before college to add to the pink and white color scheme of our room, but that ended up being a HUGE mistake. We walked on that carpet every day in our muddy shoes, and we spilled food and coffee all over it constantly. After a while, the carpet was covered in nasty stains that refused to come out no matter how hard I scrubbed them with a washcloth. It was so frustrating and so time-consuming to keep it clean that we finally decided to throw it away, and now our room looks and feels so much cleaner without having a nasty carpet in the middle of it!
3. Do Laundry Often
With all the things I have to get done on a daily basis as a college student, the last thing on my mind is laundry, so I often put off doing my laundry until the amount of clothes sprawled all over my room is unbearable. Laundry seems like something that is so time-consuming and a hassle to do, but every time I do it I am surprised at how little effort it takes to just stuff my clothes into the machine and press a few buttons. Having all of your clothes clean and put away in the places that they are supposed to go rather than overflowing in your laundry basket makes all the difference in keeping your room clean.
4. Vacuum Every Day!
Okay, I admit that I don’t vacuum my dorm room every single day, but I should definitely get into the habit! Food crumbs, dirt from shoes, and even dust from the ceiling seem to get all over the floor within hours! Vacuuming is not only a satisfying thing to do in the moment, but it adds that extra touch to keeping your dorm room extra clean! Plus, it takes literally one minute to do since the dorm rooms are so small.
College can be stressful, so why not make sure that having a messy room doesn’t add to that stress? Doing small things each day gives yourself a chance to breathe while you’re relaxing in your room. You may not feel like cleaning for a minute or two when you come back, but I promise you it’s worth it. So, now that you’ve read this article, go clean your room!