“Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share.”
This tune was put into kids’ heads by a purple dinosaur when they were little. However, these lyrics can apply to college students as well.
Once a month, student dorms are checked by resident assistants for cleanliness and damage.
Students are busy, and it can be hard to find time to clean their whole apartment at one time.
Rebles Roost manager Adaiza Bowen said the best way to stay on top of cleaning checks is to pick up after yourself.
“If everyone just cleans up after themselves, it would make life easier for everyone,” Bowen said.
Laura Kiss-Iles, a junior nursing major from Ogden, agreed with Bowen.
“I make sure that the dishes don’t get left out and clean up my bathroom when I am finished in the morning,” Kiss-Iles said.
Bowen also said assigning roommates to do certain chores will alleviate stress when it is time for cleaning checks.
Elaine Segner, a junior elementary education major from Gilbert, Ariz., and her roommates putthis tip to practice.
At the start of the year, Segner and her roommates sat down and discussed who would be in charge of what areas of the apartment. They agreed they would all be in charge of their own rooms and cleaning up after their own messes. When it was a cleaning check, each girl was assigned different parts of the apartment, such as the kitchen and bathroom.
“The hardest part about cleaning is what everyone’s definition of clean is,” Segner said.
Segner said she considers herself a clean freak and likes to make sure the apartment is clean, while others are not as enthusiastic about cleaning.
Bowens’ next tip is to not wait until the last minute to clean.
“When students are cleaning at the last minute, they are rushed and don’t do as good of a job,” Bowen said.
However, with students’ busy schedules, sometimes they have to wait until the last minute.
Segner said two of her roommates got home five minutes before the RAs arrived and were cleaning their room while the rest of the house was being checked. When the RAs reached their room and opened the door, one of the girls yelled “don’t come in, I am changing” just to give them some extra time. This made the male RA embarrassed and gave the girls extra time to clean.
Bowen said if students follow these tips, cleaning checks will go smoothly and make student living areas clean throughout the month.