Mount Hood

Spring cleaning with The Howl

How The Howl staff gets motivated to clean

The Western Howl Collective

We get it — with classes, work and numerous other obligations, the thought of fitting in time to clean can be simply exhausting. Find some motivation from The Western Howl as we share what drives us to get up and clean up. 

Sydney Carpenter

I take care of myself mentally. Oftentimes my living space is reflective of how I feel about myself and during the term my mental health nosedives off a cliff. So, during a break in the term I take time to take care of mental health and show myself I’m worth the time it takes to clean my space.

Rylie Horrall

Honestly, I just get random urges to clean and then do it. Sometimes leading up to it, I get unmotivated but once I start cleaning I can’t be bothered until I’m done. To kind of keep me in ‘the zone,’ I always put on upbeat, hip hop music because that’s what my mom always does when she cleans.

Kyle Morden

The thought of living in a messy room bothers me. Part of my daily routine is to clean my bedroom and make sure everything is neat and tidy — that’s just my lifestyle. I don’t even think I’d be able to sleep if I saw a mess in my bedroom. 

Allison Vanderzanden

I try to keep in mind that the longer I put off cleaning, the more I will have to do later all at once. Doing a little something every day makes it easier in the long run. I like to put a sticky note to-do list on my bathroom mirror as well so that I can’t avoid being reminded.

Kiara Wehrenberg

I have a hard time cleaning during the day. I tend to get random spurts of motivation to clean at night with music in my ears. It’s helpful for me to remember how good it feels to exist in a clean space.

Natalie Dean 

I’ll pick and choose which messes to clean up first, it helps me not get so overwhelmed. Lists are useful for me, and I’ll create an incentive for myself for when I’m done cleaning. Throwing on music or a movie helps kill the time, and it’s nice to take a break and chill in between cleaning sessions.

Follow these steps to spring into clean

Bedroom cleaning hacks that will sweep you off your feet

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

Having a clean and organized room can relieve stress and improve sleep and overall health, according to lifehack.org; and, with springtime comes the perfect opportunity for spring cleaning. Plus, for those living in the dorms, moving out at the end of the term will be made easier since there will be less to do. Start spring term off right with a tidy bedroom or dorm room by setting aside one day to follow these spring cleaning steps.

Begin by gathering laundry, including clothes, towels, curtains and bed linens. Run loads of laundry while cleaning the rest of the room to get two things done at once. While putting clean clothes away, consider packing up winter clothing to save space, or get rid of items that are never worn.

Next, clean off surfaces for dusting. While doing so, organize items into sensible groups, such as school materials, electronics and self-care products. Also consider what items are unnecessary; remove things that don’t belong in the bedroom, such as dishes, collect gently used items into a box or bag for donation and throw out old, unusable items. Dust off all surfaces, then organize items into containers and files before replacing them where they belong so that they are easily accessible for future use.

Clean the floors next. Shake out rugs, then grab a broom or vacuum to pick up dirt and dust. Even on hard surfaces, use the hose of a vacuum to remove built up grime from the corners and wall trim. If one is accessible, use a mop or carpet cleaner to get the floors shining.

Don’t forget to disinfect surfaces such as light switches and door handles, clean the windows and mirrors, throw out expired food and take out the trash. As a final step, air out the room by opening a window for a while.

If cleaning multiple areas of the bedroom all at once feels overwhelming, try tackling one area at a time. For example, start with a bookshelf, then move onto a desk, then clean the floors. Another option is to print off a spring cleaning checklist; checking off each box can be motivating and satisfying to complete.

Once spring cleaning is finished, consider setting up a more frequent cleaning schedule; cleaning a little bit each week will both save time and keep one’s room neat and tidy for longer.

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu