Going from having to clean my small dorm room to having to clean my entire apartment took some time for me to adjust to. If youâre new to tidying up a space like this, then Iâll give you a few tips on how to tackle the task.
To clean and organize your apartment, you should use the right supplies, buy the storage rack/bin that you need, measure your storage spaces to get the most out of them, clean in the order that makes sense to you, turn off distractions, keep your storage categorized and make use of labels.
To clean and organize your apartment the best way possible, you need to get to know the space and discover what boosts your productivity.
1. Use The Right Supplies For Each Job
Before you start cleaning your apartment, youâre going to need the right supplies for the job. For example, youâll want to use a Swiffer sweeper for hard flooring, but a vacuum for your carpets. Youâll want to use a lysol disinfectant for the outside of your toilet, but a squeezable toilet bowl cleaner for the inside of it. Find out which product you need to effectively clean each room in your apartment.
2. If You Need To Buy The Storage Rack/Bin, Buy It
Sometimes, the storage that your apartment provides you with just isnât enough on its own. If itâs really going to hold all of your stuff, it needs some modifications. Why settle for a couple of normal closet shelves to hold a few supplies when you could do something like this:
All it took was a couple of plastic storage containers to double the amount of stuff that wouldâve initially fit in this closet. If spending a few more dollars is the difference between not enough storage and more than enough storage, spend them. Stay within your budget of course, but donât be stingy if the extra space would greatly benefit you.
3. Measure Your Storage Spaces To Get The Most Out Of Them
If you want to get more out of your storage options, buy the storage racks, bins and containers that will make that a possibility. If you want to make sure youâre getting the absolute most out of your storage options, measure them. By knowing the exact amount of space thatâs available in the cabinet, cupboard, closet, etc., youâll know what organization tools will let you fill each space to the brim without wasting a single centimeter. This will be especially helpful if your home doesnât give you much storage space to begin with.
4. Clean In The Order That Makes Sense To You
There are a few different ways to divide up your cleaning. You could divide it up by room, by task, by day, split it between roommates, etc. The important thing is that itâs the most effective way for you to clean; otherwise it will take longer than necessary. If youâre not used to living alone and arenât sure which method will be best, experiment! Youâll only find out by giving them all a try. This will also be good practice for when you move into a house. By then, youâll already know which cleaning method to use, so the bigger space wonât be as intimidating.
5. Use What Makes You Productive
I know that, when Iâm cleaning, I get it done the most efficiently when I have a good youtube video playing in the background. If not that, then I need a good playlist to sing along with. The silence bores me, and boredom leads to distractions for me. Find out what boosts your productivity so that cleaning day can be done before you know it. If youâre not sure what gets you in the mood to tidy up, try thinking back to school; what helped you get all those projects and homework assignments done? Try applying that here.
6. Turn Off Distractions
However, you should also try to cut out anything that might distract you from getting the cleaning and organizing done. We donât want âcleaning dayâ to turn into âcleaning week and a halfâ. I said that youtube videos and music help boost my productivity, but maybe thatâs not the case for you. If you find yourself laughing so hard at whatever video you turned on that you havenât even cleaned a single part of the bathroom yet, then turn it off. Also, if you find yourself singing like youâre auditioning for Americaâs Got Talent but you havenât sweeped the kitchen floor yet, turn the song off.
7. Organize And Clean Periodically
Once youâve done the hard part of getting the first cleaning day out of the way, the work doesnât end there. In fact, youâre going to have to do the same thing next week. Unless you have roommates, then maybe you can split the cleaning days between one another.
The point is, youâre going to have to follow some sort of cleaning schedule in order to keep the apartment looking acceptable. Without it, the place will slowly (or quickly) start to look more and more like a pigsty. If you already tidy up periodically, but your place still gets messy at a fast pace, hereâs a blog post I made with some possible causes as to why your apartment doesn’t stay clean.
8. Get Creative With Your Organization
Like I mentioned before, itâs not like you have to use each storage space exactly how it’s given to you. To get an idea of how to push a cabinet or cupboard to its full potential, all you need is inspiration. Thatâs where an app like Pinterest steps in. All you have to do is type in the name of the storage space you want to maximize followed by âstorage ideasâ. You should get plenty of videos and pictures that give you inspiration after inspiration of how to store your things the right way.
For a more in-depth guide, however, you could check out other posts on my blog, such as these 27 ways to maximize space in a small apartment kitchen.
9. Keep Your Storage Categorized
If youâve ever seen a nicely organized home, then one thing you might have noticed is that the bathroom toiletries arenât stored with electronics. You also might have noticed that the spices and canned foods arenât stored with hair supplies. You get my point. Make sure that everything thatâs grouped together relates to one another. Thatâll make it easy for both you and your guests to find whatever youâre looking for.
10. Make Use Of Labels
If you fill your apartment with different bins, containers, drawers, etc., then it’s possible that you wonât remember where everything is kept. Thatâs why, on Pinterest, youâll see a lot of organized spaces use clear containers. Itâs a fast and easy way to keep track of your stuff.
If youâre not a fan of that aesthetic, however, you could opt for labels. Even if you have clear containers, you might not be able to see every single thing thatâs in them. Labels could come in handy in this situation too. You donât even have to buy any; just write on pieces of tape, stick them on the containers, and there you go!
11. Make An Effort To Keep It Clean And Organized
After your place is looking neat, organized and just the way you like it, you have to remember to keep it that way. This in itself takes effort. Thatâs because little actions like forgetting to put things back after youâve used them can turn into a whole mess of clutter fast.