Moving into student accommodation this autumn? It’s a big change and a really exciting time – you’ll have a lot of fun, but there are some more sensible things to consider too. One of these is cleaning; keeping your own space, and any shared spaces, tidy and hygienic. We’ve got some great cleaning hacks to make life a bit easier!
Clean little and often
Not a *huge* hack, but one that really helps, is to clean little and often. If you leave everything to build up, you’ll feel stressed or struggle to find the time to do it – and messy student accommodation is often what leads to disputes among flatmates. When cooking or baking, clean as you go. Wipe the surfaces in your bathroom down each day. Vacuum ideally every few days but at least once a week. Empty the bin before it gets to the ‘overflowing’ stage… This keeps things manageable and stops smells, stains and grime from building up!
Get some white vinegar
Don’t waste your precious student loan on endless bottles of foams, sprays, pastes and liquids. White vinegar is a natural product and one that takes multitasking to a whole new level. You can use it for your shower screen, taps, even the windows – and it’s generally both super cheap and easy to get hold of.
Don’t forget touch points
Freshers’ flu is real – and it’s not the only time of year you can get sick. Living in shared student accommodation with multiple people means it can be easy for germs to spread, and being ill away from home really isn’t fun. For this reason, it’s super important to remember to clean touch points like door handles, light switches, the fridge door, remote controls, the microwave buttons and so on. This reduces the transfer of germs and helps keep you all safe.
Keep your space ventilated
Damp spaces just aren’t good – so be sure to open windows wherever possible, leave the bathroom door open after you’ve showered, and use the driers for your washing so you don’t have wet clothes in a confined space.
General cleaning tips
And of course, you’ll need some general cleaning hacks to help you through your time living in private student accommodation and also in shared student housing. Here are some of our favourites:
- Wash your cleaning clothes regularly – no need to throw them away
- Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of the bin to keep it smelling fresh
- Use an old toothbrush for awkward areas like the plug hole
- Vacuum *before* mopping
- Clean from top to bottom – shelves before floors!
- Use lint rollers for crumbs, glitter and dust
Keeping your student accommodation clean and tidy means you have a lovely living space. This keeps flatmate disagreements to a minimum, and helps you concentrate on more important things like studying and socialising.
