Let’s look at our shared living quarters which include the kitchen, the living room, the dining room, and the hallways.

As students, we are already burdened with an overwhelming workload—if we’re not in class, we’re studying, and whatever modicum of free time we do have, we try to put towards a small taste of liberation. The last thing we want to do is clean our living space, especially our shared space.

Because we’re students who have 0 free time, are in mad debt, and love hacks that simplify tedious tasks, we scoured the internet and tested out the best cleaning tips for our living space. What we found was that each hack had 2 things in common, vinegar and baking soda—which is actually great because it’s chemical free and economical all at the same time, and who doesn’t love that?

SHARE RESPONSIBILITY

Often times some roommates feel burdened with this responsibility more than others. Here are some tips on how to divide the tasks fairly.

All you need is a jar, some golf ball-size balls, and a sharpie. Write a different chore on each golf ball and throw it into a jar. Each roommate picks out a golf ball and that is his/her responsibility for the day. What’s cool about this method is that it can work double as a decorative piece on your kitchen counter as well.

Using the same idea, you can replace the jar with a tin can and the golf balls with popsicle sticks.

Cleaning everywhere else in your shared living space is pretty self-explanatory, the tasks range from sweeping and mopping to dusting and wiping. Because the space is open-concept with laminate flooring and leather couches, it eliminates a lot of the hassle because the dirt and dust is more visible; rather than intense vacuuming, a simple wipe is often enough.

The shared space that is perhaps the most tedious is the kitchen. With all its nooks and crannies, it’s important to really take the time and thoroughly clean and disinfect for your health and safety.

DID YOU KNOW:

• The kitchen is the dirtiest room in your house.
• The kitchen sponge is 200,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat.
• Kitchen germs can also be found on trash cans, doorknobs, faucets, stove handles, and refrigerator handles.
• A single bacteria cell can become more than 8 million cells in less than 24 hours.
• Refrigerator salad drawers often contain high traces of bacteria such as E.coli, salmonella, and listeria.

EVERYTHING AND THE KITCHEN SINK

The Microwave
Over time, you will start to notice your microwave build up gunk, this is caused by bits of food that have hardened over time. Here is a cleaning option to help remove the gunk and deodourize your microwave.
Step 1- Mix equal parts of water and vinegar in a microwaveable bowl.
Step 2- Place the bowl in the microwave for 5 minutes then let the solution steam for another 2 minutes.
Step 3- Carefully remove the solution and take a damp cloth and give your microwave a quick wipe.

The Dishwasher
With frequent use, you may also notice that your dishwasher is leaving behind residue and is not working as well as it used to. Before reaching for the maintenance form, have you considered giving it a quick clean? Try this easy solution and see if it makes a difference.
Place a cup of white vinegar in a dishwasher safe bowl, place it on the top rack of the dishwasher, and turn your dishwasher on the hottest cycle. Once the cycle is finished, sprinkle some baking soda to the bottom rack of your dishwasher and repeat the cycle. THAT’S IT! No elbow grease is required!

The Oven
Why should you clean your oven?
Over time the oven becomes a hotbox for grease and food settlements. This might add a foul taste to your food and can potentially be hazardous with smoke bellowing out every time you turn it on. Good Housekeeping even argues that this task should be done on a monthly basis…oops.

Some ovens now have the self-cleaning function, and that really is the easiest alternative to cleaning, however this requires your oven to stay on for a few hours, which is a little dangerous unattended and uses up quite a bit of electricity. So roll up your sleeves and prepare to get dirty.

There are plenty of products in stores that help simplify this task, for those who are looking for the natural route, check out this video that uses baking soda, water, and vinegar!

Stainless Steel Appliances
According to David Suzuki’s Queen of Green, the best way to clean stainless steel appliances is by taking a cloth and dipping it in olive oil wiping with the grain. Then you take a bit of vinegar and wipe over it.

The Kitchen Sink
Of all the appliances in our kitchen, our sink arguably works the hardest. From washing our hands, dishes, pots and pans, fruits and vegetables, etc, it’s no wonder that sometimes harsh odours tend to linger through our drains.

This is where our 3rd grade science knowledge comes in handy. To eliminate odours from the kitchen sink (or any other sink really) pour  ½ cup of baking soda, then pour 1 cup of vinegar over it. Let it sit for at least 30 seconds. Then pour a kettle of boiling water over the drain to push the mixture through and you’re done.

If you’d rather pay someone to do the dirty work for you, no problem, Rez-One offers cleaning services which can be accessed by following this link.