Fall Cleaning: Tips for Cleaning Your Off-Campus Apartment

By Sarah Christine Davis on October 8, 2015

This article is brought to you by CORT, a subsidiary of Berkshire-Hathaway and the world’s largest furniture rental and relocation services company. To learn more about how we can help college students like you, click here.

You’re finally making the big move off campus to your very own apartment. You have more than one room to live in, probably your own bathroom and kitchen for the first time, and may even have a little bit of a yard to hang out in. Finally!

However, moving from a dorm to an off-campus apartment can be stressful. Such a huge change brings with it a new load of responsibilities that you never had to briefly consider before. As undoubtedly exciting as it is, (look at you, you’re adulting!), a lot is thrown in your face at once.

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It feels like as soon as you transition into off-campus apartment life, even more responsibilities fall into your lap. You’ve been doing your dishes often, wiping down the coffee table every so often, and vacuuming the carpet on occasion. However, you’re starting to notice dust particles flying off of your fan when you turn it on. And what’s that grime building up behind the stove?

Intense cleaning isn’t just for spring. It’s a good idea to get to know your cleaning supplies before the cold weather starts making you even more reluctant to climb out of bed in the morning.

It’s time for some fall cleaning. Check out some tips and tricks below on how to get your off-campus apartment in tip-top shape this season.

The Bedroom

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Since you’re probably out and about during the day, you may not realize how much time you spend in your bedroom. However, we spend several hours in here every day just sleeping – probably more time than we consecutively spend anywhere else in the apartment. That’s why it’s important to clean your bedroom every once in a while. And who wants to be breathing in dust and sleeping in food crumbs all the time?

A key chore at this time is switching out your summer clothes for your fall and winter clothes. This means actually taking your summer clothes out of your closet and hanging up your winter clothes – not just living out of a box of sweaters and jackets until December rolls around (although, let’s be honest, we’ve all been there). This is also a good time to take all your clothes out of your drawers and wipe down the insides.

There’s no way to make this transition super easy right now. However, you can make it easier for yourself in the future by being sure to fold your summer clothes and put them into a box instead of just tossing them into a bag. This will make them more organized and ensure that you don’t have a ton of wrinkly clothes at the end of winter.

Other small things you can do include flipping your mattress, washing your mattress pad and comforter, and cleaning your windows and fan. You can also sprinkle Comet powder or pure baking soda onto your carpet to pull out the odors. If you have hard floors in your bedroom, a simple power mop will do the trick.

The Kitchen

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Can we all agree that the kitchen, not the bedroom, is where the real magic happens? Unfortunately, it also tends to get the greasiest and grimiest. From the leftover tomato sauce residue inside your microwave to the food crumbs lingering at the bottom of your stove to the gunk building up in your sink, the kitchen offers a lot of cleaning opportunities.

While you probably don’t have the time nor the patience to deep clean your kitchen, there are some key things that you can do to make a huge difference. For example, you should empty out all the drawers and cabinets and clean the insides. (Warning: You might find a bug or two in there. Then you’ll be happy you cleaned them out.)

As you empty things out, you’ll probably encounter a few old cups and bowls that you never use. Throw them away. They’re just cluttering your space. You should also clean out your pantry and fridge, also throwing away things that are expired or that you know you’ll never use. That sriracha sauce you bought once to be experimental even though you and your roommates all hate spicy things? There’s no reason to keep that.

Lastly, clean and sanitize the counters and floors to shine everything up. While the kitchen may take a while to clean, it will be all worth it when it’s hygienic and beautiful.

Living Room

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While the kitchen is probably the dirtiest, the living room is probably the most cluttered. This place has seen wild parties, roommate wine nights, frustrated essay-writing, you name it. Your living room deserves a little TLC.

Start by opening the windows to get some good air circulation. This may seem silly, but it can bring a light-hearted atmosphere and some nice temperatures to the room as you clean. You can also make sure that your windows are fully functional before the temperatures drop and the bitter cold seeps into your apartment.

As part of the cold weather transition, you can also replace light blankets on the couch with heavier blankets. You should also wash the air vent covers to ensure that they’re ready to go once you have to turn the heat on.

The most important part of cleaning the living room is pretty basic. Dusting off and wiping down all of the surfaces is a must. You should also vacuum or sweep and mop the floors; without a doubt, lots of dirt has been tracked into here. Vacuum couches and chairs, especially beneath the cushions.

Image via https://www.flickr.com/photos/47490514@N02/

Cleaning your apartment can be a pain, but with a few guidelines to follow, some good music blasting, and your roommate helping you out, it can be a breeze.

Looking for a more convenient way to furnish your off-campus apartment? Rent stylish furniture from CORT and save time and money. For more information on furniture rental packages, click here.

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