How To Create a Clean House Living With Roommates

One of the most popular roommate problems is cleaning. Learn the best ways to create a clean co-living space with roommates in our guide.

How To Clean When Living With Roommates

We all know a clean space can do wonders for our mental health, but what do you do when your roommate never cleans? Cleanliness is one of the most common roommate problems people face when living in shared housing.

We’ll discuss the five best ways to keep a clean co-living space and avoid conflict and stress below.

Roommates Never Clean? What To Do

Before we get into our five ways to keep your shared housing clean, if your roommate never cleans, this is the first problem to address.

Calm, casual communication is key if you want to address concerns related to cleanliness. Most of the time, your roommate might not even realize they aren’t being clean, so agreeing to set up a cleaning schedule can help with this.

Avoid accusing or blaming your roommates, use collaborative language, and work as a team to keep your space clean.

5 Ways To Keep Your Space Tidy Living With Roommates

1. Use a Cleaning Schedule & Divide Chores

A shared cleaning schedule is key to making sure everyone does their part in weekly cleaning and keeps your co-living space stays fresh and clean. Making your schedule on a whiteboard helps keep it visually in front of everyone as a reminder.

The key to assigning chores is that everyone has a preference; if someone prefers to cook, then they can do the cooking. Having a whiteboard allows you to be flexible and rotate chores monthly, or be more accommodating if someone has an exam that week and needs extra study time.

2. Set Expectations

It’s best to set expectations with your roommates about what clean means to you early on. Everyone has different standards of cleanliness and may not be used to your version of clean.

Outline what you consider a clean space, and then hear out your roommates' version, too. Set clear rules surrounding them that satisfy all of your needs.

3. Stock Shared Cleaning Supplies

Creating a fund to share the cost of cleaning supplies is important to prevent one roommate from buying all of them. Everyone should put an equal amount into this fund, and it should respect their budget.

Keep a shared space in the cabinet for all the supplies and keep them within easy reach.

4. Clean As You Go

Since you're living around other people, tidying up after yourself as you go is key to staying on top of messiness and keeping the co-living spaces clean. Self-responsibility is important to reduce tension and conflicts and prevent your chores from building up.

Even scheduling ten minutes in the morning and evening to tidy up after yourself can help you stay structured.

5. Have a Monthly Deep Clean Party

Dedicate a time each month to having a deep clean party. These can include all your major tasks, such as cleaning behind furniture or fridges, and so on. Put on the music and use it as a shared bonding experience.

Common Roommates Problems & Tips

• The Dirty Dishes

Dirty dishes being left in the sink is probably one of the most common roommate problems we hear. It makes the shared kitchen area dirty and unpleasant to use.

Solution

Set a rule that each roommate must wash up their dishes after they use them or within a certain time frame/schedule. Visual reminders can help.

• Ignoring Trash

With lots of people in a shared space, trash build up is a common problem. With horrible smells and tension building, it can quickly become not only a hygiene issue but also build resentment if everyone starts to ignore it.

Solution

Create a rotating schedule of whose turn it is to take out the trash each week, and keep new trash bags nearby to make it easier to switch them out.

• Messy Shared Spaces

There are some roommates who keep their personal rooms clean but make the common areas messy. This can be very frustrating if you're sharing a house with this type of person.

Solution

Agree that common areas of the house should be clean zones and each person should set aside five minutes a day to clean up these spaces. Getting storage baskets can help reduce clutter and add organization.

Find The Right Roommates For Shared Living

Even with the above tips, it’s no guarantee that the roommate you choose to live with will be clean and meet your expectations. This is why at Alcove, a shared housing living platform, we take roommate matching seriously.

We make sure that the roommates you choose are aligned with your expectations surrounding cleanliness by matching you based on lifestyle preferences, budget, and likes/dislikes.

Find your ideal roommates and affordable shared housing on Alcove today.