6 Horrible Dorm Mess You Have to Deal Now

College calls for freedom - and one of the perks of being in uni is living away from home. A step away from ultimate adulthood, you are free to do your own stuff, in your own room, without anyone nagging you to clean or fix your bed. 

Suddenly, while daydreaming your perfect college life - you feel something tickling your leg… seconds later, an excruciating pain. Horrors of horrors, you see a cockroach - in a staring contest with you. 

With your room filled with unfolded, dirty clothes and you can’t find your stationery and books, it’s no wonder you are sharing your room with other inhabitants. Soon you don’t need to sweep the floor because you can’t even see it! If you’re always telling yourself “It’s ok, I can still survive with the mess.” What if I tell you “you are living in total filth!”

1. The Rise of the Planet of the “Dust Mites”

The dust mites (actually their excrement) are responsible for the majority of year-round allergy problems in the bedroom. This small alien is more than happy to live on the soft surfaces, dust, and come out to eat the skin cells and oil we all shed throughout the day. Until then, they grow strong enough into an army that contributes to your watery eyes and running nose. Even though house dust mites cannot be eliminated the from the home, keeping your room clean and tidy can significantly help to reduce their number and hence keeping you away from allergy.

Cleaning Tips: Dust the room, wash all your bedding in hot water and mop the floors with detergent at least once a week.

2. The Public-Toilet-Smell

You used soap and gallons of water to shower, flushed the toilet bowl every time, and yet still feel like wearing a biohazard mask whenever you enter the toilet? Even the bleach adding extra gross to the smell. And now you are yelling “WHERE THE HELL DID THE SMELL COME FROM?!”

Well, that’s probably because of too much water trapped inside! The humid bathroom is the perfect place for mold. Whenever the room couldn’t dry up, it becomes a perfect home for molds as they forming in the trapped indoor, hence contributing the stinky smell.

Cleaning Tips: Turn on your bathroom vent / open the door to help dry out the room every time after shower. Prevent molds from cropping up by washing surfaces tiles with disinfectant sprays at least once a week.

3. The Icks in the Sheets!

Your bedsheet might still seem clean, but not the inside. As mentioned, dust mites like to stay in soft materials. Your pillow and bedsheet are the perfect locations for them to stay! They are very good at collecting oils, dirt, and stains which help feed the dust mites. Keep them clean, always!

Cleaning Tips: Wash your bedsheet and pillow with hot water and expose them under the hot sun to dry them thoroughly.

4. The Bug Life

Most of the time, you like to eat in your room. And you are not aware that the food crumbs are all over the table, the bed, and the floor. You know what, the bugs love it! They can easily sense it and get it from your room. Also, it gets worse if you are lazy to take out the trash. Imagine an army of house flies, ants, cockroaches, and worms. Noooooooooo!

Cleaning Tips: Throw away the trash everyday (at least before it turns smelly). Buy a lint roller to get rid of all the crumbs.

5. Your Fridge will Grow Creatures

The fridge is the greatest invention in terms of storing the leftovers. But please bear in mind that it only SLOWS DOWN the decaying / rotting process, it NEVER STOPS it. So, mold and bacteria will still grow if you put your food too long. The bad smell will make the other delicious food stink, too!

Cleaning Tips: Wipe the spills as soon as they happen, throw away the expired food ASAP. Have a weekly checking and cleaning.

6. Animal loves clutter

No, even though homo sapien is considered under Animalia kingdom, your GF/BF won’t love the clutter - it is not cute. It will only make you attractive to the mice, lizards, and cockroaches (even though it’s not an animal, but worth a mention) as they love the clutter, even the “organised-clutter.”

Cleaning Tips: Spring cleans it to prevent little gross things make you fall sick. Throw away that pile of old newspapers/magazines.

Bonus Tips: Smell hacks

 

1. Turn your fan to air fresheners by placing dryer sheets on the back of the fan. Top it up by a few drops of scented essential oils on the dryer sheets!   

2. Banish toilet bowl smells using cola.

3. Place a few drops of scented essential oil inside a toilet paper roll. Each pull activates the scent!

4. Boil baking soda with water in the bowl of the slow cooker to remove the odours in the house Place vanilla scented tea lights in a bowl of coffee beans.

5. Use charcoal to absorb moisture and odour from the air.

6. Mix baking soda and scented essential oil to eliminate the carpet smell and add a scent to the room (and vacuum it later).