SPRING CLEANING: DORM ROOM EDITION
Spring is among us here in Columbia, South Carolina! The flowers are blooming. The sun sets later. The pools are opening up. But for students living on-campus, it means there is only one month left until they have to move out. It’s almost time to pack up their clothes in those blue Ikea bags and take twenty command strips off of the wall (making sure not to rip off the paint, of course). Watching their dorm rooms slowly revert back to its basic bleakness is a bittersweet moment, but as they take off their bedsheets and grab their towels from the bathrooms, some may think: I don’t even remember the last time I washed these.
If that sounds like you, then it’s time for some good old-fashioned Spring cleaning. Yes, now is the time to finally use the cleaning supplies your parents bought that you have yet to touch. Fortunately for you, living in a small dorm room means it won’t take long to clean at all! And believe it or not, it will make your moving-out process a whole lot smoother.
BACKPACK + COMPUTER
Let’s start simple with two of our school supplies essentials. First, go through your backpack and throw away any gum wrappers, broken pens, and old papers from the Fall semester. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll find that missing pair of headphones too! Not only will it feel lighter, but now you know exactly what you’re hauling around all day.
As for your computer, delete old files that are taking up unnecessary space. When’s the last time you checked your downloads folder? If you can’t remember, then that’s a great place to start. You’d be surprised how many syllabuses, rubrics, and assignments you’ve downloaded from Blackboard that are just lingering in your hard drive.

microfridge
Remember all those delicious leftovers from the house meals that you put in the microfridge? You know, the ones on @alphadeltapizza, our food Instagram! Actually, here’s a better question: how many of them are still in there? If there are more than you can count on one hand, then grab a trash bag and start cleaning. Once you’ve thrown out all the expired and uneaten food, wipe down the inside of the microfridge. Unfortunately, the styrofoam takeout containers aren’t airtight, so the shelves might be a bit stickier than you expected. All you need is a few Clorox wipes, and you’ll be good to go!

clothes
If your laundry has exceeded the height of the basket or it’s about to burst the seams of the bag, then it’s time to take a trip to the laundry room. Hopefully, by now you have figured out the magical beast that is a communal washer. If not, then good luck sister.
Once you’re finished, sort all of your clothes into two piles: what you want to keep and what you no longer need. If you’re in a sorority, you could also add a third pile: t-shirts my big gave me that I will pass down to my little. For the clothes you will not be keeping, donate them to your local Goodwill or an organization’s clothing drive (bonus: this qualifies as a service hour!). Now, you can re-organize your wardrobe or drawers with the rest of your clothes.

BATHROOM
Last–and probably least–is the bathroom. Although it should be cleaned routinely, now you can give it a deep scrubbing. Use an all-purpose cleaner with bleach to properly sanitize the toilet, sink, and shower. But don’t let the smell unmotivate you! It’s killing all the germs–even those from the Fall semester. Speaking of which, did you know that door handles and light switches carry more bacteria than a toilet seat? It’s gross but true, so grab that can of Clorox wipes again and disinfect them. Before you know it, your dorm room is going to be like our 2020 bid day–so fresh, so clean!

Comments