Always look professional

It is always important to look your best. You never know when you may run into someone you may want to impress, such as your boss, your significant others parents, or a future significant other. And if you are anything like me, this always happens when you just run up to the grocery store for some laundry detergent on laundry day. So every time you leave you house, at least look presentable. Here are some tips to doing this.

• Iron: As you fold your laundry, look over it and make sure there are any wrinkles. Don't let your laundry lie around, in the dryer or on the floor, hang it immediately! If you forget about it, set up your iron and ironing board in front of your TV, and just work on laundry for about 30 minutes. Then hang it up immediately! Also, don't stuff your nice clothes together. Make sure they have plenty of room. And as soon as you get home either put them in the clothes hamper, or hang them back up immediately, don't sit around in your nice clothes. 
  
• Hygiene: This doesn't necessarily mean heels and dress pants. Even in jeans and a t-shirt you can look put together. Take a shower everyday, or at least make is seem as though you did. Pulling your hair back is a great way to make it look nice. A low bun is very sleek, or for shorter hair, pulling half your hair up in a clip is simple. If you're hair looks like a 90s headbangers, definitely wash it, which only takes about 5 minutes. Even wet hair is better than grease and dandruff. If you worked out that morning, and have just been sitting around for a few hours, at least bath. This only takes about 5 minutes. Check yourself! (Privately) smell under your arms, maybe even ask a close friend what they think. Depending on your body, you may be able to risk a quick trip without a complete shower. A suggestion would be extra deodorant, brushing your hair, and definitely wearing clean clothes. Don't wear perfume, especially not anything expensive, this is pretty obvious. Also invest in febreeze. This may make it fairly obvious, but it is fresher than cigarette smoke and liquor if you were at a bar the night before. 
• Put a mirror beside you door: Take a fast look in the mirror on your way out, just to make sure you are acceptable. Keep a few necessities in a drawer beside it. Keep a brush, a hair tie and some bobby pins in it. Concealer and mascara. Deodorant. Lint Roller. And anything else you may think of.
• Keep a bag with you: Make sure you have a few necessities with you at all times, just in case something happens or you miss something. Most of these are for ladies, but guys can pick and choose as you see fit:
• Deodorant
  
• A small make up bag: concealer, foundation, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara...
  
• Red eye eye drops
  
• Breath mints
  
• Perfume
  
• Lint Roller
  
• Brush, hair tie, bobby pins
  
• Stain remover sheets

The key to looking presentable at all times is to think ahead and check yourself out. Even just a quick run up to the grocery store, make sure you look clean, smell clean, and look put together. Always dress as though you may run into someone you need to impress. Check yourself on your way out the door. Remember, that one time you run out right out of bed, will be the one time you run into your hot neighbor! 

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.