Fall Cleaning

By Lev Novak

If you clicked on this article, you’re a braver man than I am. The fact is that cleaning isn’t considered “fun” or “hip” or “swag” these days. It used to be higher on everyone’s list- next to Godliness- but now it’s dropped. Cleanliness, as a virtue, is pretty low on the list.

That’s okay with me- I’m not a very neat guy. But that’s exactly why I’m qualified to help tell you to clean. If this is something I do, you can be sure that you should do it, too.

1. Empty Things Often

This is the number one piece of advice I have. Clean your sink often. Take out your trash- even the bathroom trash- as often as you can.

That’s because when trash piles up in your house, it smells. It also looks bad. And, most importantly, it lowers the incentive to take out the trash. That creates a vicious cycle- before you know it your house is filthy, every room mate resents the others for not fixing it, and the garbage only grows as you live around it.

Don’t do that.

You don’t have to clean any extra- just clean a little bit more often. Empty things often and you’ll be happier.

2. Wipe Down Surfaces

Super easy, but even if they don’t look dirty, use a wet cloth or a wipe. You’re going to catch more gross dust than you thought and, even doing this occasionally, you’ll prevent your apartment from being a cave of sneezing and dirt.

This is especially crucial if you have a cat or a pet with hair. In those cases, you’re going to have to vacuum especially if you have a carpet. Carpets trap those dust mites all to well, and if you want a clean house, you’re going to have to shake those carpets out even when they don’t look dirty. Just trust in the clean-force, you know?

3. Towels

Wash your towels. A lot.

They get gross and mildewy and stale and just hanging them doesn’t fully get the job done. Every two weeks you should do a round of laundry…for non-clothes. Just towels and sheets. That’s right, sheets. Wash those puppies every month and you’ll feel like you’re sleeping on non-gross clouds. You’ll feel the difference, as weird as it sounds.

It’s a tiny bit of extra work, but it pays off well.

4. Clean Out Your Fridge

Gross food is the worst of all the things in your house. Be strong and defeat it. Get those moldy bagels out of the trash- get them into a dumpster. Get them out of your living space.

You’l also be lowering the odds that you eat them drunk, so that’s good too.

5. Shortcuts

When all’s said and done, sometimes cleaning is, well…hard.

If that’s the case, there are shortcuts. Just throw your dirty clothes into one big pile on the floor, instead of leaving them all sprawled around. Does the kitchen smell? Cleaning it is hard. Febreeze is a good step if you’re really tired.

Look, cleaning is important. But shortcuts, in a pinch, can help make your apartment better until you’re ready to buckle down.

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