Living with your college roommate turned out pretty well for the most part. You seem to get along well and have become good friends. There's just one tiny problem: your roommate's cleaning habits don't live up to your own personal standards. This can definitely put a damper on the living environment. Here's what you can do if you get stuck living with a messy roommate.
Remain Calm - Understand the Situation
This first thing you need to realize is that your roommate was probably not raised to be neat and tidy as you were. With this in mind, your roommate may not even be aware of how messy he actually is or that it bothers you. Furthermore, if you live in off-campus housing you have a right to keep your room however clean you want, but you can't take control over shared spaces such as the kitchen and living room.
Do Not Clean Up After Your Roommate
At all costs, you need to resist the urge to clean up after your roommate. This sends multiple messages to your roommate. One, that you don't mind doing all the cleaning yourself and two, that if she doesn't clean up after herself, somebody else will. You can't be your roommate's mother or maid -- cleaning up after her messes. She has to learn to take responsibility for herself and the best way to do this is by talking to her.
Discuss the Problem With Your Roommate
You need to communicate with your roommate and get your concerns out in the open, rather than keeping them bottled up inside. This will only lead to resentment and a hostile living environment. Let them know that their messy habits bother you and remind them that the common living areas should be comfortable to everyone. Don't go overboard and demand that everything needs to be perfect and put in its place, rather discuss how a reasonable amount of cleanliness is to be expected on everyone's part.
Create a Cleaning Schedule
Sit down with your roommate and together create a cleaning schedule that you both agree on. Doing cleaning once a week will prevent the messes from building up, which ultimately cuts down on work in the long run. Take turns each week taking out the garbage, doing the dishes and cleaning the bathrooms.
Post the schedule in an easy to see place such as on the fridge or near the door. This way you and your roommate will always be reminded of the work that needs to be done each week. By setting a cleaning schedule, roommates will be more likely to take responsibility because they are now aware of what's expected of them.
These tips should help you to deal with your messy roommate for the duration of your time together. Should you try these tips and still your messy roommate won't comply you may need to seek outside help. Talk to a resident adviser or if you're living in off-campus housing a landlord. These people have more of an authority in enforcing that the dorm rooms and student apartments be kept up to certain standards of cleanliness. But this should only be used as a last resort. Try to work out your roommate problems together. You've got nothing to lose at this point.
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