College is not all fun and parties, even though many people seem to think it is exactly this. Shared living presents a great deal of challenges and while people there may indeed form very strong and lasting relationships, it is imperative for them to establish a set of rules that make living bearable.
One thing people usually have to set clear right from the start is effective regular home cleaning. Cleaning can certainly cause you some distress because it is a task that demands a great deal of time and effort. Sharing an apartment with someone and using the same bathroom, living room and kitchen is no easy thing, because everyone has their own standards for what is acceptable and what is not. The following tips should help you and your roommate reach some sort of agreement when it comes to home cleaning.
– Hire a cleaning company – this is among the easiest solutions, because it saves a lot of effort. A great deal of problems will be avoided if you all agree that you should hire a cleaning service to take care of any mess. The only downside is that it will cost some money.
– Clean as a group – this is a fair way to deal with home cleaning, because everyone will partake equally in the cleaning process. Every time you have to clean a room, you will work as a team and deal with what is usually a big task together. That way you will not have to deal with a huge mess after a party on your own and you will overall have much easier time with the work. Shared cleaning service will save you a lot of trouble.
– Establish a schedule for cleaning – this is an alternative to shared cleaning, in which you and your roommate will agree on a home cleaning schedule. For example, you can clean one week and they can take on this task the following week. In order for this to work, you have to be strict, and at times it may seem unfair. Imagine if you hold a party and it is in the week when you have to clean. Obviously it is not fair to deal with the mess alone. Also, what if you or your roommate have exams and it is your turn to clean? It is unreasonable to think you can devote too much time on cleaning then. This system requires a great deal of flexibility and understanding.
– Clean your own – one of the best ways to go about cleaning is for each to clean their own stuff and room. This sounds good in theory, but it will certainly require some compromise from the sides. Some rooms will need cleaning regardless of your efforts to create no mess. Then you will have to implement some of the other solutions.
There is merit to each of these methods and cleaning practices. The most important thing is to communicate about problems and have a dialogue. Develop the right attitude and you can establish great understanding between each other.
This article is written with the help of Cleaners Up LTD.
