A guide to cleaning your apartment

Make a chart and divide the chores

It might sound a little dorky but writing up a chart with the various household chores on it and allocating a different chore to each flatmate every day or week is a great way to see who is responsible for what.

Have a budget for basic supplies

Reach an agreement early on with your flatmates over how much you need to chip in each week for cleaning products, such as dishwashing liquid, laundry powder or floor cleaner, as well as other essentials such as bin liners, so that you never run out of those basic necessities.

Do a little each day so it doesn’t turn into a lot

If you and your flatmates all spend five- or ten-minutes cleaning the apartment each day, you will keep on top of it much more easily. This way you will avoid having to spend hours cleaning further down the track when you’d rather be in the social areas playing pool and relaxing.

Have a designated ‘cleaning day’ but inject a little fun into it

It’s a good idea to set aside a few hours once a week or once a fortnight to get everyone together to clean the apartment, but it doesn’t have to be as mundane or onerous as it sounds by turning it into a social occasion.

Order a few pizzas and catch up with your flatmates as you’re cleaning the place. It can be a good opportunity to check in on your mates to make sure everyone’s happy and doing ok as well.