Keeping your home clean can be easy if you have a roommate

Are you the kind of person who does not get bothered by the mess at home or do you prefer a sparkling clean apartment at all times? No matter how much time you spend cleaning, here are some tips and tricks on sharing the responsibility with your roommate.

If you have ever lived with a roommate before, you may recognize that conflicts over household chores can be a part of your everyday life. It felt perfect when you first moved in, but now you cannot shake the feeling that you are the only one who is doing the dishes or throwing out the garbage. In order for you to enjoy living together long term, it can be a good idea to communicate in a proper way so that you don’t go your separate ways due to something as trivial as cleaning.

Try to go over your responsibilities as soon as possible, preferably before you move in together. Write down all mutual tasks you can think of and how often they need to be done. Think about what your everyday lives look like; are you at home at the same times or does your schedule change from week to week? It might be more fun to clean together on a fixed day, but in some cases, it is a better solution to clean when it is convenient each week because of your constantly changing working hours. No matter the time frame, it is easier having something to refer to if someone slips behind.

If you want to keep track of simple chores that you do when needed, like taking out the trash, you can put a simple checklist on the fridge. Write your initials when it has been done or set up a column for each person. With such a system, you get a visual overview of how you divide your everyday chores and when it is time to help the other person out.

Think about what chores you would prefer to do each week and how you want to split them. Would you prefer taking turns doing the dishes every day or every other week, or would you rather divide it into different areas of responsibility? Your roomie might be quicker than lightning with the vacuum while you find it quite cozy to hang out in the laundry room.

No matter what system you agree on, it can be a good idea to keep track of your own area and let go of certain tasks for a period of time. Be prepared to swap jobs after a while so it feels fair and varied. Also, don’t forget to reward yourselves for a job well done. Have a movie night together, cook dinner or treat yourselves to an ice cream afterwards. It is way more fun to start the cleaning process if you know there is a reward at the end of it.

Last but not least, you can always make it easier for yourself and find a roomie that you are compatible with from the beginning regardless of your views on a clean apartment. If you have not yet found the perfect person to share everyday life with, Hemavi is here to help you. See you on Facebook and Instagram.