Living like a pig
“Dirt doesn’t kill anyone unless it falls on them” was a quote I learned in high school. It sounded nice and I pledged not to forget it. I kept that promise until I went to college and dirt almost took my life in my dirty apartment. The once nice dorm room was now fit for a pig. I was afraid to invite anyone to my apartment because of this question I also vowed never to forget- How do you live here and allow your apartment to get to this point, where dirt, messy, and even stench is normal?
For some reason, stepping over dirty clothes on the floor, piling up dirty dishes in the sink, or leaving trash anywhere didn’t seem to bother me. What is going on with me? Was I depressed? Was I treating this apartment this way because it’s not mine? Life happens, people are busy, stressed, depressed, overwhelmed, or grieving! And sometimes they were never taught how to clean.
Cleaning is no fun sometimes
Cleaning is the last thing on their minds. For one, I didn’t like cleaning. It was too time-consuming. One may judge and think I had issues and was lazy. Maybe I was but my life changed when I met a classmate who was a professional house cleaner.
I can’t stress enough how uncomfortable I was to invite anyone to my apartment. It wasn’t welcoming. The day before my friend was to stop by, I tried cleaning up but it was too much. For the first time, I noticed that things were scattered everywhere; everything was dirty and I felt like dying. There was dust on every surface and cobwebs in every corner. My bathroom smelled “renk” and needed serious help. I tidied up the best I knew how, at least the place looked a little better in my eyes. Just don’t look under my bed or in the closet.
The day when my friend arrived, after talking briefly she told me she wasn’t surprised at my organized mess. She explained that both the rich and poor sometimes neglect to clean and just deal with mess, even though they would rather a clean space. She gave me a few tips which I will share with you.
How to keep an apartment clean and tidy
- Make your bed as soon as you get up every morning. A made bed makes any room look better.
- Don’t eat in your bedroom, and take all the dirty dishes to the kitchen as soon as you are finished with them.
- Don’t leave dirty clothes on the bathroom floor. Keep a hamper in there and put dirty clothes in it at once.
- Wash dishes by hand if you prefer and run the dishwasher at least once per week.
I am glad my friend didn’t judge me but instead help me. Dirt didn’t get a chance to fall on me but it surely gave me a friend who saved me and I am forever grateful.
