How to Clean Your Half of a Shared Room Quickly

When you have a room that is shared, part of the problem that can come up with your room mate is if one of you is cleaner or dirtier than the other.

Having company over or simply deciding to clean means that you need to identify the parts of the room that are yours. This may seem simple at first, but if there are shared areas or common areas, both room mates should agree on how that area is to be handled or cleaned. In the event that your room mate chooses to do nothing, then it is your job to remove your debris from the area that is yours.

You can ask and you can plead, but if time is of the essence, you need to get going at the task, which is cleaning your half of the room. This is not the time to complain or argue. Right now, you need to clean.

Here is what you will need. This is not a personalized list, so things that you don't need, don't gather.

1. Gloves
2. Trash Bags
3. Broom
4. Mop
5. Vacuum Cleaner
6. Mop Bucket
7. Cleaning Products
8. Laundry Hamper or Bag
9. Detergent
10. Box
11. Duster
12. Cleaning Rags

Get your pen and paper and get into your room. Start at the very top of the room, the ceiling. Here is a good list for speed and maximum clean appearances:

1. Check the corners and seams of the walls for dust and cobwebs. Starting at the top, dust off all of the corners and tops of curtains. Dust is easily ridden from a room, and it makes a big difference. Same with cobwebs.
2. Going down the wall, dust off all pictures, art, or whatever else may be on your walls. This includes small shelves.
3. As you encounter things that are not in their correct place, put them in the middle of the floor or in a basket. Don't waste time making multiple trips here and there. You will save a lot of time by placing them all in a central location. Empty trash into the trash as you come across it. Put dishes in a pile in the sink.
4. Gather your dirty laundry into a laundry bag or something similar. Put away clean laundry.
5. Put all papers that are loose into a large box. You will be going through them shortly.
6. If your sheets are dirty, take them off the bed, and put them in with the rest of the dirty laundry and make the bed with fresh sheets. If they are clean, make the bed. Remove everything from the bed that is not part of the bedding or bed.
7. Wipe down your dresser and other flat surfaces, putting all items out of place into the center of the floor.
8. Look at the pile in the center of the floor. Return everything to where it belongs. Throw away garbage and keep putting dirty clothes in the laundry bag.
9. Start a sink filled halfway with hot sudsy water. Add dirty dishes, but don't put sharp items such as knives into the water. Also hold aside fragile dishes. They will be soaking while you are cleaning.
10. If you have a shared bathroom, you still want to have a clean bathroom. Read below on how to speed clean your bathroom.
11. Take your dirty clothes, a trash bag, detergent and your box of loose papers to the wash area/laundromat, even if it is in your house or apartment. Load the first load into the washer. While the clothes are washing, go through your loose papers. There are only two piles. Keep and trash. When the washing is done, put it in the dryer and continue to go through your papers. If you are done going through your papers, carry your trash to the trash (unless there are things needing shredding) and go back and get your clothes. Fold them, hang them, put them away. Done.
12. Back into the room, you now have dishes to deal with. Have a dishwasher? Unload it and reload it, or load it. Get the dirty dishes in there! Empty the sink. Don't have a dishwasher? Hand wash it all. Wipe down all the surfaces.
13. Empty all the trash. Carry it out of your room to the proper dumpster or drop off location.
14. Sweep the floor on hard surfaces and then mop it. Pick up big bits and vacuum it on rugs and carpet.
15. Put away mail and personal items.
16. Fluff all the pillows.
17. You are done.

If you share a bathroom, it can be frustrating to get it clean enough for company. Here are my top tips to get you on your way.

1. If you have a bathtub, add one loads' worth of laundry detergent to the tub and fill it with hot water to a point higher than the ring around the tub. Let it sit for 10 minutes while you tackle the rest of the bathroom.
2. You should be wearing your gloves if you are grossed out, because you are going to clean the sink and the toilet. Fill the sink with hot water and a little laundry detergent and let it soak while you clean the rest of the sink surface. It is easy. Clear everything off the sink surface. Spray down the mirror and wipe it down with newspaper if you have it. Spray the counter and wipe it down.
3. Use a toilet cleaner and let it sit for the recommended amount of time. Go back and use a toilet brush and wipe and flush if you need to. Remember to get under the bowl and under the seat, too!
4. Go back to the tub with a mop. Swish the mop all around the tub. Don't use a mop with an abrasive surface or you will scratch your tub. Swish all the way around the tub up and down and then side to side. Empty the water. It looks awesome!
5. Back to the sink. Drain the sink, wipe it with a sponge or a cloth and it should sparkle as well.
6. Sweep the floor and mop it or vacuum.
7. Empty the trash.
8. Make sure that you have toilet paper, hand towels and soap.
9. Replace everything back onto the counters that belongs there.

Having to scramble to clean up your room or your half of a room is no fun. It can be easier if you make it a point to clean up after yourself.

1. Thank your room mate if they make an effort to be cleaner if they are the messy one.
2. Don't look for thanks from your room mate if you start being clean.
3. Laundry and dishes only smell worse the longer they sit unclean. If no one likes washing dishes, talk with your room mate about switching to paper plates and cups.
4. Putting dirty clothes in a dryer does not clean them, it only makes them hot and stinky.
5. Don't leave a mess when you come in or when you are leaving. When you come in, hang up your things, put your keys somewhere and put away anything that you have brought in with you. When you are leaving, see if the trash needs taken out. Replace the bag when you take out the trash.
6. After you eat take out food, put the containers, bags and wrappers in a bag and take them out to the trash so that your room does not stink.

I hope that you liked this hub and found it to be helpful. I know, cleaning is no fun, but these tips can get you a clean room in less than an afternoon. Please don't forget to vote it up.

I look forward to hearing from you! Check out my other hubs!