5 Tips on Keeping a Student Bathroom Clear and Clean

Living in a property with other students can get loud, messy, stressful and often at times unhygienic. Unfortunately, it is your responsibility to make sure that the property you stay in for the duration of your student years stays in a relatively good condition, otherwise, you may never see your deposit again.

Student houses, as they are shared houses, can fall into disrepair as a result of frequent abuse from both tenants and landlords, but that doesn’t mean you should follow suit.

If you try and actively prevent the property’s condition from worsening, you may gain a new level of respect for those trying to get onto the property ladder. Considering the cost you may be paying in rent and the quality of the conditions you are living in, it is important that you maintain some level of hygiene, particularly in areas such as the bathroom and the kitchen.

The bathroom especially is a room that can sometimes be neglected in student properties; as nobody knows whose responsibility it is to clean it. The answer of course is; all of you! However while this concept works in theory, it doesn’t always work practically. Take a look through our five top tips on how to maintain the look and condition of your student bathroom, so that you can make your time living there that much easier.

The Importance of Team Work

If you are the only one making an effort to clean up after yourself, whether you live in a house with mainly boys or girls, you are going to have a bad time. It is important that everyone in your property recognizes the importance of a clean bathroom and that they take the effort to ensure that the bathroom is always clean and tidy. If you ever notice anything is not as it should be, tell people. Leaving passive-aggressive notes often just escalates to more childish behavior, so even if nobody owns up to it initially it is better to put it out there than to let it stew for a few days.

Set a ‘Cleaning Day’ or a Cleaning Rota

Warning! Setting a cleaning rota will not work unless you are willing to stick to it! Now with that in mind, by setting a cleaning day or a cleaning rota, all the work that needs doing will fall on that day. Try to arrange a day where you and all your housemates are available so that you can share out the work. Singular cleaning rotas with peoples ‘turns’ listed on them tend to work less effectively as all it takes is one missed week for the whole rota to go out of whack. Personally, it is better to organize a cleaning day or date where everyone gets involved and minimizes individual tasks.

If Something Goes Wrong – Alert Your Landlord!

People are less likely to report an issue if they are worried they may have caused that issue. Whether or not you caused a fault, you must alert your landlord if anything goes awry in your bathroom. Bathroom plumbing can be expensive to fix and if left unattended, can be extremely damaging to properties because of condensation and mold. By alerting your landlord sooner rather than later, they can take the necessary measures instead of taking it out of your deposit at the end of a tenancy.

Little Touches That Go A Long Way

If you’re worried that your bathroom looks a little bleak, try livening it up with a few small design touches. Of course, you probably won’t be able to make your bathroom look like a designer bathroom of your dreams, but you can certainly help start the ball rolling! Little touches like scented aerosols that help people cover up unwanted smells, cute little loofahs, a nice sparkly shower mirror all help to make your bathroom have a little more spirit. A lot of the time it can be the small changes that make all the difference, especially in a student house.

Taking Ownership of Your Supplies

Sometimes things can get lost, or things can get spilled, dirty, etc. etc. If you happen to spill a bottle of shampoo on the floor, or if your towel doesn’t get washed for a while and remains, unmoving, on the floor of the bathroom, people are going to start getting annoyed. By taking responsibility and ownership of your supplies and things, you help to make the whole property a better place. People who don’t look after their belongings are less likely to look after other peoples, so taking this step is a good way to set the bar for the rest of your housemates. If you accidentally make a mess, clear it up! That includes in the toilet!

Of course, at the end of the day, there is only so much you can do when in a student property. However, remember that the current landlord does have your deposit and they will not fail to deduct cleaning costs from that deposit if needs be at the end of a tenancy. By doing your best and keeping it as clean as you can, with the help of your housemates, you can help prevent a loss of your deposit money. If you happen across any tough stains, try a homemade paste of baking powder and vinegar; it often does the trick just fine!

If you try and actively prevent the property’s condition from worsening, you may gain a new level of respect for those trying to get onto the property ladder. Considering the cost you may be paying in rent and the quality of the conditions you are living in, it is important that you maintain some level of hygiene, particularly in areas such as the bathroom and the kitchen.

The bathroom especially is a room that can sometimes be neglected in student properties; as nobody knows whose responsibility it is to clean it. The answer of course is; all of you! However while this concept works in theory, it doesn’t always work practically. Take a look through our five top tips on how to maintain the look and condition of your student bathroom, so that you can make your time living there that much easier.

1. The Importance of Team Work

If you are the only one making an effort to clean up after yourself, whether you live in a house with mainly boys or mainly girls, you are going to have a bad time. It is important that everyone in your property recognizes the importance of a clean bathroom and that they take the effort to ensure that the bathroom is always clean and tidy. If you ever notice anything is not as it should be, tell people. Leaving passive-aggressive notes often just escalates to more childish behavior, so even if nobody owns up to it initially it is better to put it out there than to let it stew for a few days.

2. Set a ‘Cleaning Day’ or a Cleaning Rota

Warning! Setting a cleaning rota will not work unless you are willing to stick to it! Now with that in mind, by setting a cleaning day or a cleaning rota, all the work that needs doing will fall on that day. Try to arrange a day where you and all your housemates are available so that you can share out the work. Singular cleaning rotas with peoples ‘turns’ listed on them tend to work less effectively as all it takes is one missed week for the whole rota to go out of whack. Personally, it is better to organize a cleaning day or date where everyone gets involved and minimizes individual tasks.

3. If Something Goes Wrong – Alert Your Landlord!

People are less likely to report an issue if they are worried they may have caused that issue. Whether or not you caused the damage, you discuss with your landlord if anything goes awry in your bathroom. Bathroom plumbing can be expensive to fix and if left unattended, can be extremely damaging to properties because of condensation and mold. By alerting your landlord sooner rather than later, they can take the necessary measures instead of taking it out of your deposit at the end of a tenancy.

4. Little Touches That Go A Long Way

If you’re worried that your bathroom looks a little bleak, try livening it up with a few small design touches. Of course, you probably won’t be able to make your bathroom look like a designer bathroom of your dreams, but you can certainly help start the ball rolling! Little touches like scented aerosols that help people cover up unwanted smells, cute little loofahs, a nice sparkly shower mirror all help to make your bathroom have a little more spirit. A lot of the time it can be the small changes that make all the difference, especially in a student house.

5. Taking Ownership of Your Supplies

Sometimes things can get lost, or things can get spilled, dirty, etc. etc. If you happen to spill a bottle of shampoo on the floor, or if your towel doesn’t get washed for a while and remains, unmoving, on the floor of the bathroom, people are going to start getting annoyed. By taking responsibility and ownership of your supplies and things, you help to make the whole property a better place. People who don’t look after their belongings are less likely to look after other peoples, so taking this step is a good way to set the bar for the rest of your housemates. If you accidentally make a mess, clear it up! That includes in the toilet!

Of course, at the end of the day, there is only so much you can do when in a student property. However, remember that the current landlord does have your deposit and they will not fail to deduct cleaning costs from that deposit if needs be at the end of a tenancy. By doing your best and keeping it as clean as you can, with the help of your housemates, you can help prevent a loss of your deposit money. If you happen across any tough stains, try a homemade paste of baking powder and vinegar; it often does the trick just fine