How to Clean

Keeping your things clean is one of the most important, most challenging and most time consuming tasks to owning your own apartment. Try to make time on a weekly basis to clean your entire apartment. Clean each room on a different day and it will only take about 30 minutes a day. 

• Kitchen: Have Clorox wipes ready whenever you need them to wipe down your counter. This will wipe down and sanitize your counter, especially after you cook meat. These can be used for any surface in your kitchen that may look dirty. If you clean as you make a mess, it will only take a few minutes everyday. Don't forget to wipe down the stove top after you cook. This can get very messy very easily. Also sweep and swiffer (these will be your best friend) constantly to keep your floors looking great.
• Living room: Put everything pack as you use it. If you work two jobs like me and are exhausted at the end of the day, every two or three days do a fast room sweep and put everything up. Also, make sure you vacuum once a week to make sure it looks good. 
• Bedroom: This is one of the most difficult, because you don't spend very much conscious time in here. Make it a habit of only doing bedroom things in the bedroom. Also, put clothes away immediately. Most people re wear jeans, so hang them up immediately, or throw dirty clothes in the hamper as soon as they come off. Make sure it is easily accessible. I have mine open, in my closet so I just have to toss it in. Remember to vacuum here as well.
• Bathroom: This can be one of the hardest rooms to clean. Clean this room on a day when you know you will have energy and patience. Start with the toilet. Spray down the inside of your toilet with your choice of solutions (I use Clorox), scrub, and let it sit for 10 minutes (or follow directions). If you do this once a week it won't get very nasty. Then move to your sink. Spray this down with bathroom cleaner and wipe it down. Then do the same in the shower. Do these tasks during the 10 minutes before you flush your toilet again. If you do this once a week your bathroom will stay clean and it will be fast. 

If you stay on top of your cleaning, it won't take very much time and your friends and roommates will enjoy spending time here.

But sometimes things happen. You may spill something, and no matter how on top of your cleaning you are, these stains will stick. 

• Carpet: This may be one of the most popular areas for stains. Liquid stains are fairly easy to get out. Immediately blot (don't rub) the stain with a plain paper towel or white cloth. Once it appears to be gone, rinse it with water and blot again. Repeat until the stain is gone. Semi solids, such as pudding and peanut butter, scrape up with a spoon. Then rinse and blot. Solids should be broken up, vacuumed, then rinse and blot. A Shop-vac would be most effective, but also fairly expensive. If you have a pet that is being potty trained they may be worth it though. For anything tougher, such as blood or coffee, try this website: www.howtoremovecarpetstains.com
• Paint touch up! Another great tip would be to ask for a little container of paint from your leasing office. Especially while moving in, but during simple every day tasks, things can pump the walls and make a mark. Periodically you can go around and touch up a few spots to make your apartment looking new.