Apartment Cleaning Tips for Mizzou Students

Are you a first time apartment tenant? Unlike dorm life, there’s a little more responsibility required to take care of a loft apartment. Part of transitioning into adulthood is learning how to tackle these responsibilities and keep your apartment clean. Whether it’s keeping the kitchen clean, picking up the living room, or taking out the trash, maintaining your loft apartment requires a lot of time and effort. Plus, there’s the task of learning how to split these responsibilities and expenses among roommates.
Balancing roommates and chores may sound stressful, but it doesn’t need to be. The Lofts of Columbia wants to make the transition to more responsibility a seamless process for its tenants, so we’re here to give you a few tips for apartment care success!

Learning how to take care of your loft apartment isn’t easy at first, especially when you have to navigate sharing the responsibility of cleaning with several roommates. It’s already difficult to share a space with other people, and coordinating who is responsible for chores can get messy with multiple student schedules.

To keep the peace and a sparkling apartment your mom would be proud of, create a tasks list. Fill the list with tasks needing to be done each week. Tasks could include cleaning old food out of the refrigerator, wiping down counters in the kitchen, and tidying up the living room. These can all be listed on a page with a space for each roommate to sign their name next to the chore. Stick the chore list in a place where everyone can see it, like the fridge. The fridge is hard to miss, so hanging the list here lets each person know what their responsibilities are. Because the chore list is easy to see, your roomies have the opportunity to do them in between classes, work, and their social activities. This also prevents all of the chores falling on one roommate, which can quickly become frustrating.

Sharing the cost of cleaning supplies and other apartment essentials can make the tasks simpler and help keep the peace between roommates! Trash bags, organizational tubs, granite-safe cleaning spray, and a vacuum are all items whose cost can easily be split among 2-4 people. Items needing to be replaced more often, like toilet paper, or paper towels, can be rotated among roommates. Set up a buying schedule so each roommate knows when it’s their turn to buy the cleaning goods.
Staying organized and communicative about cleaning and shared expenses with your roommates will minimize confusion and promote harmony! College is a busy season of life, so keep it simple. Develop a system to help keep your space tidy and evenly distribute tasks, so you and your roommates have one less thing to worry about during busy weeks this semester.

On top of the responsibility of taking care of your loft apartment, it can be stressful to keep up with the expenses of buying cleaning essentials when you’re on a college student’s budget. Plus, if we’re being candid, they aren’t the most exciting things to spend your money on. However, there are ways to keep costs low. Stores like Aldi , Target , and Walmart all have affordable prices on apartment care items.
Pro tip: look for items in bulk, as they are usually cheaper than having to repurchase smaller quantities more frequently. Bonus pro tip: Target and Walmart have curbside pickup for groceries. For Aldi , you can use an app like Instacart to avoid the store.
If you’re trying to be greener and more sustainable, try grabbing some non-toxic cleaning supplies from Lucky’s, which is within walking distance from The Lofts in Downtown Columbia. You can find everything, from essential oil based cleaning sprays to paper towels and toilet paper made from post-consumer recycled materials. Additionally, Lucky’s private label brand carries these items at lower prices than the national brands they carry. Plus, the store has sales every Wednesday, along with live music to accompany your shopping experience. Who says the grocery store can’t be a good time? Bring all of your roommates along and make an evening out of it by grabbing one of Lucky’s homemade pizzas to share afterwards. Oh, and don’t forget to take your reusable bags when picking up your apartment essentials. We’re all about sustainability at The Lofts!

Here’s a list of some things to get you on your way to a sparkling clean loft! Most of these items are available in larger quantities so that you won’t have to repurchase them as often.
Granite safe cleaning spray
Glass/mirror cleaning spray
Paper towels
Toilet paper
Dish soap
Trash bags
Broom and dust pan
Vacuum
Bathroom cleaner

Another thing to consider when thinking about taking care of your loft apartment is organization. Keeping a tidy apartment is a lot easier if everything has a place. Plus, from an aesthetic perspective, it can really give your place the look you want. Stores like Target, Hobby Lobby , and even thrift stores have inexpensive tubs and baskets to transform your space from cluttered to orderly. Additionally, you can really show you and your roommates’ personal style. Look for containers in colors and patterns that represent your collective tastes. This will make cleaning up after a Netflix marathon or dinner party easier and more visually appealing.
If you really need to keep prices down or just want something more unique, thrift stores have all sorts of quirky baskets, many of which are often brand new. Look for larger ones to hold throw blankets in your living area and smaller sizes to house bathroom essentials like toilet paper and air freshener. Giving every room a place to store smaller items will instantly alleviate clutter and make for an easier cleanup. Plus, an organized space means a calmer mind, which is a must in the midst of a busy college schedule!

No one gets excited about taking out the trash. Plus, if you’re a busy student, it’s most likely the last thing on your to-do list.. Thankfully, The Lofts of Columbia have you covered with convenient apartment trash removal locations, to ensure a quick and easy process. In fact, if you live at The Lofts on 308 Ninth and Broadway, you don’t even have to leave the building. You’ll be extra thankful for this during frigid and snowy Midwestern winters! Both 308 Ninth and Broadway have trash chutes on each floor, while The Lofts at Manor and Cherry Hill locations feature dumpsters located conveniently on-site. If you have questions about where trash removal is located in your complex, call The Lofts.

Pro tip: To keep the peace among roommates, pick a specific “trash day” and take turns taking out the trash each week. Picking a day at the end of the week usually makes it easier to remember. A clean, trash free apartment equals happy roommates. Even better, you’ll impress your parents when they come to see your place!

Interested in becoming a tenant at The Lofts of Columbia? Great! Give us a call or send us an email. We can’t wait to meet you!