This post is all about how to keep your dorm room clean.
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Keeping your dorm room clean sounds super easy right? It can be until it’s Sunday and you procrastinate all of your homework and the last thing on your mind is having a cleaning schedule. Trust me, we all have been there.
In college, my biggest issue was that I did not have the right cleaning tools, and living in such a small space, it is very easy for a room to get cluttered and collect dust.
This guide will be a mix of tips and tools to help keep your dorm clean.
Before we get into ways to make your dorm room insanely clean, let’s talk about how to clean your dorm room.
1. Declutter Your Room
Before you can begin to dust or wipe down anything, we need to first clean up the floors and put everything in its perfect spot. Put the large pieces of trash into the trashcan (the smaller pieces will be vacuumed later) and then put your dirty laundry in the hamper.
This will give you a walking room and make you feel motivated to move on to the next step.
2. Wash your Sheets & Comforter
Following these steps in order, you can start the laundry right after you collect all of your dirty clothes and sheets. By doing this, you will have the laundry done after you take out the trash but not before you are wanting to go to bed.
Make sure you are separating your colors from whites and putting in the right amount of detergent in each different load. I recommend cleaning your sheets at least once every two weeks but that does depend on how clean your bed stays.
3. Remove All of the Dirty Dishes
By removing all of the dirty cups, plates, and utensils, you are getting one step closer to a cleaner room. If you are normally bad about hoarding dishes in your room, I recommend you to read all the way to the bottom of this post about our ways of maintaining a clean dorm room.
If you are avoiding bringing the dishes down because of the chore of scrubbing the glass repetitively then I recommend this set of two scrubs that will get your dishes clean in no time.
4. Dust Collector
If you haven’t dusted in a while, I recommend you do it very soon.
The dust particles themselves are well known for their potential to cause respiratory and cardiovascular health problems. They can also irritate the eyes, throat, and skin.
In most cases, you will be fine but it can get very serious, especially with how little space a college dorm has. Make sure you dust around your desk, vents, windows, and any high cabinets.
5. Wipe Down Frequently Used Items
My favorite cleaning tool for disinfecting surfaces is Lyson Disinfecting Wipes which can be found here.
Using the wipes was the easiest and fastest way to clean my room in college. Depending on what size pack you get, they can last you a long time and are relatively cheap for how beneficial they are.
For this step you will want to wipe down all of your desks, windows, doorknobs, remotes, makeup area – really anywhere you can think of. If you do have a fridge or a microwave, this would be the best time to wipe them down as-well.
6. Vacuum & Take Out Trash
If your dorm has carpet, I recommend you use a hand-held vacuum purely for the lack of space a dorm room has. However, if you still want a fully operating vacuum, I use this one linked here and love it.
If your dorm room has hardwood, you can find what I recommend here.
The next step of cleaning your room is exactly what you think: vacuuming and taking out the trash. This is a simple one but don’t rush into it. The last thing you want is to start smelling something weird a week after you missed cleaning a part of your floor or not taking out the trash.
7. Organize
This is the time to go through your desk and organize it back to the way you want it to be. Or go through your fridge and make sure you have no expired food starting to smell. I would also recommend using this time to organize your closet. A closet can be one of the messiest places in a dorm room because it is so small and you need to find room for the laundry that is in the dryer.
If you have a small storage space I recommend you get these hangers listed below. Helps open up your closet!!
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8. Make Your Bed & Fold Laundry
You are SO close to the end. The finishing touches are just to make your bed and fold your laundry. I would recommend doing the laundry first so you can lay your clothes on the clean mattress and make sure every piece is going in the right space.
For your bed, I know it can be annoying at times but it is soooo nice to get into fresh sheets and admire your room after cleaning it for a few hours. Spend the extra 5 minutes and make it look nice
9. Plug in a Scent
Plug in that scent and relax. You just cleaned your whole dorm room in just a few easy steps!!
Listed below are ways of maintaining and keeping a clean dorm room throughout the school year.
10. Perfect Place
Having a place for everything makes cleaning SO much easier.
If you have ever heard of “perfect practice” this is the same thing. For example, you have a laundry basket for your dirty laundry. Or a desk to do your homework and put your books on. A perfect place is making sure everything in your dorm room has a place where it goes.
Your dorm will get messy but as long as you are not pushing clothes under the bed or leaving crumbs in your bed, just make sure you have a place for everything.
11. Make The Bed
When I was in my first year in college, the last thing I wanted to do every day was making my bed, but once I made it a habit, I looked forward to cleaning my bed every day.
At first, it does feel like a chore but at the end of the day, you will know that you have a clean bed to sleep on. It’s almost a reward to yourself for getting out of it in the first place. Especially on those days of finals or long exams, you will want a made bed. It also makes your dorm room, look inviting and clean.
12. Organize Your Desk
Having a clean desk area is one of the best ways to stay motivated to do your school work but also, keep a large proportion of your dorm room clean.
The way I keep my desk clean at college is a combination of everything having in its place and keeping the top area clear of only the essentials. For instance, on the top of the desk have your computer, pens, and the books that you need at that time. Put everything else in the drawers.
13. Turn Laundry Into A Habit
Let’s be honest we all hate doing laundry.
If you are one of the people that can do laundry as soon as the dryer is done, I am envious of you.
However, if you are like me, do not be ashamed and I recommend getting into a routine. For instance, in my freshman year of college, I did laundry every Tuesday because I did not have to work or go to class. This gives me the whole day to focus on the cleaning side of adulthood and not convince myself to do it another day.
With any routine, it can be hard to start so I recommend looking into a planner or calendar that you can keep yourself accountable with. To get your search started, I have attached one I recommend below.
14. Steady Pick-Up
This is one of my all-time favorite ways to clean especially when my schedule is packed. The key is to pick up a dish or a towel every time you leave the room. For instance, if you are having a problem with tons of cups being left in your room, take 1 or 2 every time you leave your room. Doing this repetitively, can turn into a very beneficial habit and keep your dorm room clean of dishes.
15. Make A Cleaning Schedule
Making a cleaning schedule is one of the best ways to keep your room clean, especially if you are sharing a space with someone. If you are living in a two-person dorm room this year, I recommend looking into the one I attached below. Roommates normally take turns deciding how to split up the cleaning and what each is responsible for.
Having a schedule everyone agrees on, makes cleaning more of a chore and instead something you have to do every day. Also, when everyone is working together, your dorm room stays insanely clean.
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