Dorm Room
Cleaning Tips

Ah, freedom, independence, and the absence of prying parental eyes. College dorm living is all that and more – including the absence of done-for-you laundry, dish washing and housekeeping services.

Don’t fret. We at The Maids put together some tips to help new college students master the art of housework on a small scale:

Entomology Major: If you like to study insects, look at your mattress because you’ll find 2-3 million dust mites living there feeding on your dead skin flakes. If this bugs you, get a mattress protector. The new ones keep the gross stuff out but breathe, making sleep more comfortable.

Biology Class: Unless you’re studying the life cycle of fungi, clean out your refrigerator regularly. Wipe up any spills with soap and warm water and rinse with a solution of ½ cup vinegar to one-quart water.  Also wipe and dry the door gasket (the rubber around the inside of the door) with the vinegar solution.

Law of Gravity: Wet/dry hand-held vacuums are indispensable when it comes to picking up spills in the dorm room or loose hair on the bathroom floor.

Clutter 101: If you don’t pick it up—it will stay there! At least get some bins to organize your stuff.

Future Nutritionist: If you live in a dorm without a kitchen, wash your dishes in a plastic tub and dump the water in the toilet—unless, of course, your roommates want to dissect your meals in the bathroom sink.

Electrochemistry: Wipe up any spills in the microwave immediately. For stuck-on, crusty food, heat a bowl of water in the microwave with a drop of lemon juice or vanilla extract for 30 seconds and leave for a few minutes. It will be easier to wipe clean.

Many new college students major in messy. Keeping small spaces clean is not easy, and the earlier these undergrads learn some new habits the better. Your roommates will thank you, friends will enjoy visiting and your parents will be impressed.

If that’s not enough, consider this: Cleanliness may well increase your odds in the dating game.