Universities generally
clean their dorm buildings over the summers, but not necessarily to the point
where someone would want to settle right in and start living there. Before you
unpack all of your stuff, you'll want to take advantage of having a completely
barren living space to clean without anything getting in your way. Here a few
tips for getting your dorm room to a sparkly clean before you unpack.
Floors
There are corners that will be hard to get to later and,
of course, large portions that will be covered by furniture, rugs, and other
stuff, so clean your floor before you set your room up. Many dorm rooms have
linoleum flooring, but some may have carpet laid down. In the case of linoleum,
sweep thoroughly (those dust bunnies might be pretty large), and mop or scrub
with some serious cleaner. Something with bleach would not be a bad idea. Get
some spot carpet cleaner and a vacuum to take care of any carpeting.
Furniture and Appliances
Use some wood cleaner and a rag on any
wooden furniture and carpet cleaner on any spots on the upholstery. If the beds
come with plastic-covered mattresses, use some kind of disinfectant on them. If
your accommodations include a refrigerator, clean it thoroughly. Be sure to dust
any air conditioning and heating vents as well.
Bathrooms
This is probably going to be your most intense
battleground. Bring plenty of bleach-based cleaners and disinfectant. You'll
want to have these around during the school year anyway.
- Mop and scrub the floor.
- Spend plenty of time on the shower: college showers are notorious for
spreading things like athlete's foot, mostly because they are used by so many
different people and not cleaned often/thoroughly enough.
- Use polishing cleaner on the sink and any metal knobs or fixtures in the
shower.
- Spray any mirrors with glass cleaner and wipe them down.
- Use a toilet brush and toilet bowl cleaner.
Getting the cleaning
finished before you settle in will allow you make your new place your own.
Without the grime from previous residents hanging around, you'll be able to make
a more literal fresh start in your new life at school.
