Keeping your apartment tidy is no easy feat, especially when you’re busy with work and school. Even if you love your home and want to spend as much time there as possible, messy spaces can creep up on you. It’s easy for mess to accumulate quickly in a tiny living space like an apartment. Small spaces are great for efficiency and cost, but they also make it easy for simple messes to sneak under the radar.
When you live in a smaller space, everything has to have its place or else things get out of hand quickly. Keeping your apartment clean doesn’t have to be a chore; it just requires a few strategies and techniques that differ from what you might do at home or in a larger house.
Dividing up the chores
Keeping your apartment clean is a group effort, so it makes sense to divvy up responsibilities. Before moving in with a roommate or significant other, you should sit down together and make a list of cleaning responsibilities. This may not be a formal contract, but it’s good to have an understanding of who will be responsible for what. The most important thing to remember is to be respectful of other people’s feelings. If you’re sensitive to certain cleaning products, for example, it’s your responsibility to communicate that to your roommate. While it’s good to divvy up chores, it’s also important to be considerate with how you approach it.
Turn cleaning time into “you” time
Cleaning can be draining and frustrating. It’s easy to get frustrated when you’re cleaning and want to get it done quickly. Try to turn cleaning into “you” time. Put on some music or a podcast that you really enjoy. Alternatively, you can take advantage of the fact that you’re cleaning to be productive.
Start a side business while you clean! You can do odd jobs on sites like Helpling, or you can be creative and make crafts and gifts for friends, family, and coworkers. Remember, it’s all about the attitude you have while cleaning. If you’re feeling like you’re being forced to clean, then it’s going to be frustrating and exhausting. But if you make apartment cleaning something you enjoy and look forward to, then you’ll get it done quickly and efficiently.
Set-up storage space
If you’re living in a studio apartment, this is almost an essential step. Make sure you have enough storage space to keep your things out of the way. This can involve simply storing things like books and extra blankets on shelves or in drawers. If you have a roommate, it’s good to talk with them about the best way to divide up the space. Also, don’t forget about vertical space! Many apartments have large windows that would look great with a few plants.
Make a chore rotation
It’s helpful to make a chore rotation in your apartment. If you have a small group of roommates, you can each take turns cleaning different rooms each week. If you’re living with a significant other, you and your partner can take turns cleaning different rooms each week. This is a great way to keep things fair, and it means that no one person has to spend all of their time cleaning. If you have a larger group of roommates, you can also rotate cleaning duties by room. For example, one week you might clean the living room, kitchen, and bathroom, while the next week you might clean the bedrooms and kitchen. This helps keep things fair and balanced.
Bottom line
Keeping your apartment clean and organized is important for a number of reasons. For one, it’s a great way to show yourself you’re an adult. It’s also important for keeping pests and germs out of your living space. It’s also helpful for when you have friends and family over. No one wants to visit someone who lives in a messy apartment, nor do they want to visit someone who doesn’t know how to keep their place clean. Cleanliness is next to (no pun intended) dearness. A clean apartment is also much easier to clean and maintain on a day-to-day basis.
