How to DEEP Cleaning a Dorm Room

Life can get busy and hectic, especially if you’re in school and work. 

We can become overwhelmed or tired at the end of the day. When we get home, we just want to kick back and relax, possibly order take out because even cooking feels like a chore you don’t want to do now! 

Before you know it, the weekend is here, and your space is looking hectic as if a tornado hit it.  There are clothes scattered or piling up on that one chair you pretend to forget about, shoes and socks under bed, empty water bottles on almost every surface, dishes on the nightstand, old takeout trash piling up in the tiny dollar tree trash can from the shopping spree you had when you moved in. 

After a long week, you now feel physically and mentally prepared to give your space a good deep cleaning while you jam to your favorite music so you can finally relax!

First, you got to come up with a plan or a system on how to tackle every aspect of your dorm. Kind of like following a recipe to make a good dish, you need to follow some steps to complete a good cleaning. You want the results to make you feel proud and full – full of accomplishment in this case – and to be able to relax or work in a completely clean space.

Your list should include: 

• Start with ridding the floor and surfaces of any clothing or trash.
• Next dust all surfaces from top to bottom including sides.
• Then spray all surfaces with a safe disinfecting cleaner and wipe in a circular motion.
• Finally go back to the floors and sweep and/or vacuum.  Remember to take out the trash before you mop to avoid anything spilling onto your (almost) cleaned floor!

1. Clearing the floors first will make it look 10x better almost instantly!

This is because you now have a clearer picture of the level of dirt you are dealing with. Clothes can be put in the hamper or washer to get laundry started. 

Empty bottles of water to the recycling bin, and place dishes or paper plates to the sink or trash. 

Put shoes in a closet or on a shoe shelf, hang your backpack on a chair or doorknob, place books on a shelf or pile neatly on your desk, and finally remove any trash and replace the bags. This way if there is a leak in the bag, it won’t ruin your already cleaned floors!

2. Next is dusting.

I suggest wearing a face mask if you have allergies. 

A ladder is helpful if you have unreachable surfaces like the top of a shelf or a ceiling fan.  A duster that extends is also helpful and safer to reach the higher surfaces. You don’t want to pull a hamstring or any muscle trying to overreach! 

You should dust as many surfaces as possible from top to bottom and cover the sides. This includes shelves, desk, headboard, windowsills, baseboards, door crevices, dresser, microwave, trashcan, chair, picture frames, lamps, shades, blinds, and ceiling fan. 

Dust can be annoying and resettle. I suggest waiting a minute or two before you begin vacuuming the surfaces if it’s too much or your duster is covered in dust. 

Ahh! That’s much nicer, I can breathe better too! Let’s remove the mask. 

3. Now the fun part, spray & wipe!

We want to use a safe cleaner or disinfectant, ideally something safe for the environment too! 

You can begin at the doorway and clean from top to bottom. Start with the entire door, including the top of the door frame, moving to the left and right as you go. 

These are the surfaces that require wiping down (remember to include all sides if possible): light switches, baseboards, tables, dressers, nightstands, desk, chairs, headboards, windowsills, window frame, glass, mirrors, shelves, trashcan, and ceiling fan if reachable safely. 

There! That was fun, right!? 

4. Finally, the floors!

Vacuum or sweep thoroughly. 

Most people take the trash out in the beginning, but you might still need to toss some trash in the bin as you clean, and it could possibly have a leak. I recommend taking out trash before you begin mopping to avoid any spillage!

After you have mopped thoroughly. Let the floor dry. 

Lastly, spray some disinfecting spray for that extra boost of killing bacteria. 

Deep clean a dorm is hard work. If you would like to focus on your study, outsource the deep cleaning to a professional cleaning service, like this Chicago maid service. Fresh Tech Maid provide dorm cleaning service with the deep cleaning option.

There you go, you’re all done! Finally time to kick back, relax, and enjoy your refreshed space!