Living on your own, you now have the freedom to come and go as you please; there’s no longer anyone telling you to vacuum, wash dishes, make your bed, do your laundry… 

So if no one is telling you when to clean something, how are you supposed to know when to clean it? Here are some tips to help you keep your place of residence organized.

Daily

Although I know most people stop doing this as soon as their parents aren’t around to nag them about it, make your bed. It’s the easiest way to make your room look a lot more organized.

Make sure to do your dishes daily or put them in a dish washer if you have one; no one likes a sink full of dirty dishes. If you live with roommates, the easiest way to keep the sink empty is to follow one simple rule: if you got it dirty, then wash it.

If you have your own kitchen and/or bathroom, wipe down the counter to keep it sanitary and looking nice.

Sort and read through your mail, throwing away any junk mail in the process.

An easy way to keep your dorm or apartment organized is to put things back in their place after using them; for example, clothing. After you wear something, either hang it back up or throw it into a hamper instead of on the floor.

Weekly

Vacuum your entire room or apartment, even if there aren’t too many crumbs on the ground. You don’t want dust to build up into dust bunnies.

Take out your trash at least once a week; if your trash can fills up or begins to smell, you may have to do it more often.

Dust furniture and other surfaces.

Wipe down mirrors to get rid of smudges and spots.

Depending on how much clothing you go through and how many pairs of underwear you have, do laundry around once a week.

Every Other Week

This is probably one of the most easily forgotten things to do; change your bed sheets or at least wash them every other week to remove the sweat and dust that has built up. Change or wash your towels too.

Deep clean your bathroom at least every other week. Disinfect the sink, toilet and shower/tub. Mop or at least vacuum the floor.

Monthly

If you have a refrigerator, take everything out and clean the inside of it, throwing out old food as you put everything back in. Wipe up any spills in your fridge as soon as they happen to make cleaning out your fridge easier.

So now that you know when to clean what, make a schedule of when to clean and if you have roommates, assign people to certain jobs. 

Rotate through jobs to make sure no one is stuck cleaning the bathroom all year long unless one of your roommates really likes cleaning bathrooms, in which case continue to live with them until you graduate. Tweet: No one is here to nag you to clean your room anymore, so read some tips on how to stay organized.

Karolina is a sophomore in LAS. 
[email protected]