Spring Cleaning for Students

With the popularity of Mrs Hinch and Marie Kondo, keeping an ultra-clean house has never been so on trend. Even us students are getting a better reputation when it comes to staying tidy. Here I am going to look at some of the techniques used by these trendsetters and see how to apply them in our student digs.

The Kitchen

No-where is more fraught with the “who is responsible for the mess” arguments than the kitchen. Most of the day to day cleaning should be taken care of daily, but there is always that one messy person, who leaves things in the sink a bit too long. SPTL talked about making sure you set ground rules in their blog here.

One Job that is done less often is cleaning your fridge out. Here at Clarkson House, we get our own fridge, so this is an easy task to assign to yourself. Clearing out all the food and wiping out all the drips and smears. I pull mine out and clean the floor too as food does get dropped down and slide under.

The hob is easiest if you make it a rule to wipe after every use. Then once a week get a proper cleaning product and wipe over with a clean cloth. The oven gets really messy with pizza! I started buying oven liners and they help stop most of the cheesy drips. However, you still need to get in there with some hard work occasionally. Be careful with cleaning fluids as if you mix the wrong ones it can cause you some health problems. I like this stuff you can kind of paint it on and leave overnight before wiping off. There is a bag for the racks.

The cupboards are easiest if you completely clear them out and then they only need a wipe down with a cleaner and cloth. It is a good time to take an inventory of food left over or out of date.

Keeping your kitchen free from dirt is not only hygienic and you should stay vermin free too!

The Bathroom

Who does not love relaxing in the bathroom? Not so easy if there are greasy smears over the shower cubicle. We keep a bottle of this next to the shower and after we shower, we squirt it over the glass, leave it while we clean our teeth, then wipe over. Smells divine too.

The toilet is easy to keep clean if you pop one of these in. Once a week I wipe around the outside of the bowl and over the back to keep dust away.

With an ensuite, I do not have to deal with other people’s stuff either, so I recommend getting an apartment with one of these.

Spring cleaning your own bedroom

Your own room is often the messiest, as there is no-one else to complain.  However, knowing where stuff is, makes it easier to get ready for Uni lectures or going out. I got some sets of boxes from IKEA which I use in my drawers for organising my clothes. I also used some IKEA boxes on my desk to help sort out my files.  Check out the Marie Kondo folding videos for the ultimate in organisational OCD bliss!

I do vacuum and mop my room, but occasionally, I like to get right under the bed and go over the top of my wardrobe, under, and behind it. It is also a time I make sure to either wash my curtains or at least vacuum them.

If all else fails - Get a Cleaner

We cannot all be great at cleaning, so why not club together in your house share and get a cleaner in for a couple of hours a week. You can just have the common areas of the kitchen and bathroom done, to save arguments between you all. At SPTL they have cleaners at some of their apartments already! So be sure to get an apartment at either Wostenholms 24 or 26, Clarkson House and any of The Peaks 4-5 bed apartments