Maintaining your apartment keeps it comfortable and safe. For those who are naturally fastidious, cleaning is easy, even therapeutic. For the rest of us, it is usually considered a chore we may or may not have learned at home. Whatever your relationship with cleaning, Here are some guidelines that will keep your living space safe and inviting; and earn you an excellent recommendation from your landlord.
Your Cleaning Kit
If you’ve never done your own cleaning before, start by putting together a cleaning bucket. Having all your supplies together and portable will save you time. If you live in a house with more than one floor, sometimes a bucket for each floor is a good idea. A well-organized bucket will get you ready for cleaning just about any surface. In any box store you visit, there are aisles and aisles of cleaning products and tools. If trendy cleaning products aren’t in your budget, don’t despair. All you really need are some microfiber rags, some window and all purpose cleaning solutions, a scrub brush, a duster, and a whole lot of elbow grease. You might also want to include a pair of rubber gloves to protect your skin.
Ready, Set, Clean
How and when you clean is something else to consider. What works with your life? There’s the save-it-all-for-the-weekend approach, or you can do a little every day. If you like to have your weekends free, try setting the timer for five minutes of cleaning every day. It’s easier to maintain a house, than to clean a house. A daily cleaning routine can help bring order to your living space, no matter how small or chaotic. An evening routine that includes a quick sweep of your living room, finishing dishes and polishing your kitchen sink, and paying some attention to your entryway, should take 20 minutes or less, if done daily.
Living Clutter-Free
Cleaning is not only a matter of doing, it’s also a matter of thinking. If you work or study from home, you’ll need a place that is free from distractions. Even if you don’t, there are ways you can stay ahead of the mess. Start out by planning for a clutter-free lifestyle. Try to keep your stored items off the floor, where they will collect dust. Keep your horizontal surfaces clean and organized. Donate anything you don’t really need. Designate a basket or bin for things that need to be put away later. Deal with your mail every day, and create a to-be-filed tray or folder. Lastly, think twice about buying new things for your apartment. Do you really need or have space for them?
If you’re a list maker, you might like a cleaning chart. There are also numerous options available online. Print one off and hang it on your refrigerator, then get a little zing of satisfaction every time you check a box. A quick Google search of “cleaning schedules” will provide a lengthy list of fun, brightly colored printables from which to choose.
Whatever your approach, it’s important to keep your living space clean and healthy. Even if you never talk to your next door neighbor, how you live can affect their health as well. An unclean living space attracts bacteria and pests. Be a good roommate and a good neighbor. Deal with your dirt!
Maintaining Your Living Space
As a Deca tenant, it’s your legal responsibility to keep your apartment clean and free from hazards. It’s also your responsibility as a roommate, to help keep the common areas safe and healthy. Changing out air filters, checking faucets and pipes for leaks, cleaning air vents and ceiling fans, and just keeping an eye on all the systems you use, can prevent accidents and damage. It’s critical that you report any kind of problem immediately, so it can be repaired in a timely manner. Small problems can turn into huge costly repairs in a matter of hours, if not reported right away. Remember, you can always submit a
maintenance request through your tenant portal. You can also contact maintenance at 314.446.0277.