Cleanliness and household expectations

August 14, 2024 YSJ Staff

Welcome to the world of cleaning and organization, a major part of student life in university accommodation. For better or worse, it is integral that when preparing to move into your student accommodation you are aware and willing to learn more about keeping your bedroom and communal areas clean and presentable. It is not only a topic of cleanliness and hygiene, but also about making sure that you are able to utilise your accommodation to its best potential and setting habits which can have positive benefits both wellbeing and study wise.

Expectations and pro-active cleaning

Maintaining cleanliness in student accommodation is crucial for creating a healthy, pleasant, and productive living environment. Shared spaces that are kept clean and hygienic help prevent the spread of illnesses, reduce stress, and foster a sense of community and responsibility among residents. It is important to remember that Campus Services are not responsible for cleaning up after students; rather, it is the responsibility of each individual to contribute to the upkeep of their shared living spaces. By working together to keep their accommodation clean, students can ensure a more enjoyable and calm living experience for everyone.

See below some top tips on making sure that cleaning your accommodation is fairly split across all members of the household:

Set Clear Expectations: Define what “clean” means for each area to avoid misunderstandings. Use a checklist to ensure consistency.

Create a Cleaning Rota: Assign specific tasks to each person on a rotating weekly schedule. Include common areas like the kitchen, bathroom, living room, and hallway.
Have Regular Meetings: Hold weekly or bi-weekly meetings to discuss cleaning issues and adjust the rota if needed. Use this time to address any concerns or complaints.

Create a Cleaning Supplies Fund: Collect contributions from everyone for shared cleaning supplies, if this is something that fits into budgets and is agreed amongst the household. Rotate the responsibility of purchasing these supplies.

Incorporate Flexibility: Allow swaps if someone has a busy week or an unexpected event. Ensure swaps are communicated and agreed upon by all parties.

Clean as You Go: Encourage everyone to clean up after themselves immediately to reduce overall workload. Maintain a tidy environment to minimize deep cleaning needs.

Divide Deep Cleaning: Assign deep cleaning tasks (e.g., fridge, oven) separately from daily chores. Schedule these tasks monthly or as needed.

Create a Cleaning Task Jar: Write all tasks on slips of paper and place them in a jar. Each week, individuals draw tasks to ensure randomness and fairness.

Pair Up for Tasks: Partner people for larger tasks to make them more manageable and social. Rotate pairs regularly to distribute work evenly.

Establish Personal Responsibility: Ensure everyone is responsible for their own dishes and personal spaces. Reduce communal cleaning by keeping personal areas tidy.

Keep Communication Open: Encourage open communication to address issues promptly. Maintain a respectful and cooperative environment.

Top cleaning tips from Campus Services

Lets learn from the best! Our Campus Services team have provided some great tips that provide some of the key basics for making sure that you are setting the right intentions in regards to cleaning and hygiene when moving into your accommodation.

Everyone is individually responsible for their own room.
Make a list of tasks and break the chores into smaller parts; regularly clean the kitchen floor and fridge – that way cleaning won’t seem so daunting.
Rotate responsibilities on a weekly basis. No one wants to be solely responsible for the smelliest jobs like taking the bins out.
Don’t vacuum up wet liquids.
Don’t pour hot oil down the drain.
Rinse out the mop and bucket after every use.
Remember to use cleaning products safely and always read the label before use.

We have curated a specific Cleaning Tips guide which includes lots of information regarding how to remain pro-active when cleaning your accommodation and making sure you are using the correct tools for specific areas of your accommodation, such as the bathroom or kitchen.

Cleaning Tips – https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/media/content-assets/accommodation/documents/Accommodation-Cleaning-Tips-2024.pdf

Our simple guide to cleaning supplies

See below a rough guide of products you may wish to purchase to have on hand whilst living in your student accommodation. Many of these products are universal, meaning they can be used in different sections of the accommodation for various cleaning activities.

Surfaces: Antibacterial spray or wipe with absorbent micro-fibre cloth.
Fridge/Freezer: Antibacterial cleaner and absortbent micro-fibre cloth.
Oven and grill: Oven cleaner and scouring pad / micro-fibre cloth.
Windows and mirrors: Spray glass cleaner with an absorbent micro-fibre cloth or paper towel. Sink and shower: All purpose bathroom cleaner and absorbent micro-fibre cloth.
Toilet: All purpose bathroom cleaner (liquid or spray) and toilet

Ironing tips

Have a practice at ironing a few times before you come to university. It’s an important skill to learn, especially when you need a crisp shirt for an interview. An ironing board is provided in your accommodation, but you’ll need to provide your own iron.
Always use the ironing board and keep the iron upright when finished. Placing the iron flat could result in an unwanted burn.
If ironing isn’t your thing, then try this nifty trick! Take the item of clothing straight out of the washer, put it on a coat hanger, shake it out, then leave it on the inside of the bathroom door whilst you have a shower, and the creases should disappear.
Ironing tip: using a fabric conditioner during your wash will help to smooth out fibres.
Ironing tip: removing your clothes from the washing machine straight away will reduce the number of wrinkles in your laundry.

Condensation, Mould and heating

Condensation is caused when moisture in your home comes into contact with a colder surface, for example a window. This will soak into the paintwork, creating ideal conditions for black mould spores to form. Everyday activities such as cooking, cleaning, and bathing all add moisture to the air.

How to combat it in your student accommodation

Use the dryers in the laundry rooms rather than drying clothes in your room
Ventilate your rooms by using the fans or opening a window
Wipe away excess moisture – wipe any moisture from the windows and sills
Control your heating – keep a low heat on all day and night rather than putting the heating on and off regularly

Mould growth in your accommodation can be caused by a damp environment or lack of ventilation in the affected space. Mould thrives in dark and warm conditions but its main requirement is moisture. That’s why it is commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms where humidity levels are high. Remember to check out our Cleaning Tips guide linked above which goes into lots of detail regarding ways to prevent mould, but here is a short list of things you can do to help avoid it:

Upkeep on cleaning the affected area is important to avoid growth of mould. You can use either HG spray or other mould removal remedies to help treat the affected area.
Remember to wear protective materials such as gloves, goggles and a dusk mask when treating the affected area. Keep windows open to promote ventilation in the room.

Your bills are included in your rent payments, but saving energy in your house is still important – and easy, too! Here are some suggestions:

Always put a full load in the washing machine or use the half-load option
Only boil the amount of water you need when using the kettle
Don’t leave the fridge/freezer door open longer than necessary
Turn off the lights when you leave the room
Try not to place furniture in front of radiators
Avoid leaving devices on standby.

Cleaning the kitchen

Kitchen surfaces: Keep your food and crockery in cupboards and not out on the work surfaces to make cleaning easier.
Washing up: Don’t let dirty dishes pile up. Wash, dry and put them away straight away.
The fridge: Agree with your housemates whoever is responsible for cleaning out the fridge has an unreserved right throw away any mouldy or rotten food. Cleaning the fridge is easy. Empty it out, remove the shelves, and give them a wash with warm water and washing up liquid. Wipe up spillages promptly and if your fridge has a nasty smell, a bowl of bicarbonate of soda left inside will soak up the odours. Remember to throw away out of date food on a regular basis.
The freezer: A medium temperature is generally the most suitable. Clean the interior and exterior with a soft cloth and washing up liquid and do not use abrasive substances or scourers as this will damage the finish.
Defrosting the freezer: The freezer should be defrosted when the frost layer reaches 3-5mm. Switch off the appliance and remove plug from wall socket. Remove stored food and wrap in newspaper keep in a cool place. Defrosting can be accelerated by bowls of hot water inside the freezer. Carefully scrape off ice when it starts to melt (use a widen or plastic scraper) – never use metal tools as this can cause damage. When all ice has melted, dry the interior.
The oven: Mop up any spills as soon as they happen. Clean fully weekly. Ovens can smoke heavily if they are not cleaned regularly. Wipe up spillages straight away and don’t forget the inside of the oven and the grill pan. All you need is a spray oven cleaner and a sponge. Grill pan and oven shelves can be taken out and given a sink wash with washing up liquid.
The microwave: Clean the interior after each use, this will stop food getting baked on making it more difficult to clean. If this happens put a cup of water in and turn the microwave on for 5 mins, the steam loosens dirt and you should then be able to wipe it away with a cloth.
Rubbish: Take this out every day and remember to recycle in to the correct bins. Clear bags are provided in laundry rooms at each site.
Do not use metal cookware, aluminium foil and foil containers.
Food with skins such as potatoes, chicken and fish must be pierced in several places before cooking and reheating.

Cleaning the bathroom

Keep clutter to a minimum, and in shared bathrooms ask everyone to keep their toiletries in their rooms. Using a shower blade after every use will help keep limescale at bay. Clean the shower plug to avoid blockages.
The toilet: Use the toilet brush – it’s there for a reason! Use a toilet cleaner to keep it fresh. Wipe the seat with an antibacterial spray or wipes daily.
Love your loo: Toilet sewers are simple transportation systems, and are designed to cope with human waste, toilet paper and water only. Sadly, not everybody treats their toilet in the way it should be used, which creates blockages and lots of maintenance issues for our teams. Remember the 3 Ps – pee, paper and poo! If it’s not one of those then it shouldn’t be going in the toilet. Help to stop the block.

Cleaning your bedroom

Your room is your own private haven – ‘tidy house, tidy mind’!

Bed: Try to clean and swap your sheets every week.
Wardrobe: Keep this well organised. Donate anything you don’t wear. Have a laundry basket for your dirty items.
Desk: Keep your desk clear of clutter so you can focus on your university work.
Floor: Keep this clutter free and vacuum once a week. Clean any spillages straight away as leaving them will only make it more difficult to remove the stain. Using a multipurpose cleaner will be more cost efficient as these are great for all tasks. Spray directly on to cloth and your cleaning stuff will last longer.

Food and Appliance Safety

As well as keeping your accommodation clean, it is also important to be aware of how to stay safe in regards to appliances found in your accommodation such as electrical appliances and food safety.

Check out our curated Appliance Safety guide here to find out more –

https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/media/content-assets/accommodation/documents/Accommodation-Appliance-Saftey-Guide.pdf