Heavy hearts, rejoice. Spring is in the air, and break is right around the corner! But before you hop on a plane, embark on that road-trip or start the long drive home, there’s one more thing to check off of your to-do list: Clean your dorm room. It sounds like a downer, but there’s no bigger buzzkill than arriving back at school after a relaxing break just to return to a huge mess. Use this quick and easy guide to spot-clean the most important parts of your dorm room or apartment so you can begin your spring break stress-free.
Throw away anything associated with courses you aren’t taking anymore
That textbook you bought for your Common Curriculum class that you got a C in and have no plans to retake unless you’re in need of an oversized coaster or doorstop. The same logic applies to leftover papers or exams. Don’t save stacks of irrelevant class materials just because you “might” use them someday (you won’t). If you haven’t pulled those materials off of your shelf since the class ended last year, then they’d be more useful lining the bottom of your hamster cage or sopping up your spilled beer. (Does this count as recycling?)
If you haven’t vacuumed or swept your room once this year, now is the time
You’ve been living under a blanket of dust and dirt without even noticing. It’s a proven scientific fact that dust bunnies multiply faster than regular bunnies- so scoop them up and breathe easy!
Wash your dishes
By now that mug that you’ve used every day for the past three months without washing is just a normal part of the scenery, but leaving it over the break would be even more unsanitary than it already is. Seriously, were you raised in the jungle? Do your dishes (and not with hand soap, you animal).
Clear out your backpack/purse
A common misconception among college students is that the bottom of any given bag is a black hole where each item thrown in is sucked up and then never seen again. Research shows that this is largely untrue. The gum wrappers, broken pencils, squished oranges and broken lipstick you tried to dispose of still exist, and you’re lugging them around all day on your back. Disposing of these miscellaneous items can literally take a load off of your shoulders next semester.
Remove old clothes from your closet
While packing a suitcase, we automatically gravitate towards clothes that we love. The key to success is to not ignore the stuff you don’t love. While your favorite clothes are packed away, it’s easier to see what’s left- and notice any items that were neglected over the past semester. Your ex-boyfriend’s old sweatshirt, the top that doesn’t fit anymore, the pants with a hole in the knee have all been uncovered! Throw this away and make room for new items that you love.
