5 cleaning hacks every student should know

We encourage our students to keep their flats clean as they go along, but if things have fallen by the wayside a little recently, now’s your time to shine with a super spring clean!

To make having a spring spruce-up more fun, we’re running a National Spring Clean event between 12 and 16 April 2021. Simply have a clean-up of your accommodation, send us photos of your efforts, and have the chance to win a £50 Uber Eats voucher. There’s an award for ‘Tidiest Bedroom’ and a joint award for ‘Tidiest Flat’.

What’s more – at selected sites across the UK, we’ll be donating things you no longer want to the British Heart Foundation, and to add an extra incentive, every bag you donate will be assigned a raffle ticket with a prize draw with the chance to win some £5 vouchers.

So, with these exciting prizes up for grabs, how do you make sure you win?

Before you dive into your spring cleaning, make sure you’ve equipped yourself with the best dust-busting tools. The good news is that you can pick up the basics from local supermarkets, meaning it won’t ruin your budget. Here’s the minimum:

• - Microfibre cloths

• - All-purpose spray

• - Bin bags

• - Charity bags (different colour)

• - Toilet cleaner (if you have an en-suite)

• - Rubber gloves

A recent survey found that 37% of young people only wash their bedding once every three weeks – if that! If you haven’t washed your bedding in a while, start your cleaning exercise by popping a load of laundry on – don’t forget your towels and cushion covers.

If you’ve got an ever-increasing pile of worn clothes, make this your next load of laundry, and then turn your attentions to your wardrobe. We’ve all been there – the section of the wardrobe that you hang onto, because you might wear these clothes one day (but never do). Why not donate anything you can’t see yourself wearing in the near future to the British Heart Foundation?

You room should be a relaxing haven where you can unwind, and also concentrate on uni work. Give your desk a tidy – dust it down, remove any distractions, and buy a pencil case for all those odd stationery bits. And don’t forget to dust your laptop screen and the keyboard, which, let’s face it, is a lair for crumbs. You can buy special brush sticks that will help you get into every nook and cranny and between the keys.

There’s been a huge increase in single-use plastic waste since the pandemic started, including face masks, takeaway food tubs, coffee cups, shopping bags and plastic water bottles!

If you’re noticing lots of single-use plastic when tidying your room, why not think about reducing it (where you feel comfortable doing so)? Consider washable facemasks and also a reusable water bottle or coffee cup – they’re better for the environment and your wallet! Make sure you download the Refill app, which helps you find free drinking water on the go.

Watch out for more information about our National Spring Clean Week campaign, and get ready to get stuck in! Marigolds at the ready!