APARTMENT AND RESIDENCE HALL ROOM CARE

It is recognized some wear on the room or apartment will occur in the course of living.

However, residents must exercise care in the use of the facilities. If it is determined

residents willfully or through negligence caused damage to the room/apartment and/or

fixtures, a repair or replacement charge will be assessed.

APARTMENTS CLEANING

The apartment should be kept clean

during occupancy and must be clean

when keys are turned in upon vacating.

Residents not keeping a clean apartment

and/or contributing to a pest problem

may receive a notice from the University

Apartments staff to correct the situation

or vacate the apartment. Residents not

keeping a clean apartment may be documented

and in extreme cases, referred for

a conduct meeting. Residents will be billed

for the cost of damages and excessive

cleaning.

CLEANING

The proper cleaning of your apartment

and its furnishings is beneficial in a variety

of ways:

1. Proper cleaning reduces the potential

for safety violations and health issues.

2. Proper cleaning helps reduce the

number of bugs/insects.

3. Proper cleaning on a daily/weekly

and periodic basis reduces the

amount of time you will need to

spend cleaning before you move out

of your apartment.

4. Proper daily/weekly and periodic

cleaning may result in less cleaning

charges assessed at move-out.

The University Apartments staff offers

periodic classes on cleaning techniques

and cleaning products. Check at the office

for the next class.

The following information provides

guidelines and directions for daily,

weekly and periodic cleaning, as well as

instructions for cleaning when you are

moving out of your apartment.

Cleaning: Daily in Apartments

There are areas in your apartment that

should be cleaned daily or after each

use. The kitchen should be cleaned after

each use. The type of cleaning will be

determined by the type of use.

Counters

The counters should be wiped down with

a towel and an all-purpose, antibacterial

cleaner each time they are used.

Dishes/Pots/Pans/Utensils

All dishes, pots, pans and utensils need to

be washed in hot water with dishwashing

liquid, rinsed in clear/clean water and

dried after each use.

Floors

The floor area in the kitchen should

be swept on a daily basis. If you spill

something on the floor, it should be

mopped or scrubbed with an all-purpose

cleaner such as Mr. Clean or Lysol.

Garbage

Any food that is not consumed at the time

of preparation or meal should be put in

a container or wrapped in plastic wrap

and put in the refrigerator. Food should

not be left out because it can spoil and

make you sick, and it attracts bugs to your

apartment.

Garbage

Residents should remove garbage from

their apartments each day, especially if

it contains food materials. All garbage

should be put in the dumpster closest to

the apartment unit.

Microwave

The inside of the microwave should be free

of food remnants. After each use, wipe out

the inside with a damp cloth.

Oven

The front and sides of the oven should be

cleaned with a towel (cloth or paper) and

a grease-cutting all-purpose cleaner. If

food being cooked spills or boils over, wait

for the oven to cool and then clean it with

an oven-cleaning product (EasyOff oven

cleaner). Follow the directions provided

on the product’s packaging.

Sink

The sink should not have any food remnants.

The sink should be wiped out with

water and dish detergent once all of the

dishes, pots, pans and utensils have been

washed. Once you have finished washing

the dishes, run the cold water and turn on

the garbage disposal for 15 to 30 seconds

to make sure it is empty. Let the water

continue to run for 10 seconds after you

have turned off the garbage disposal. Do

not dump bones or any solid material in

the garbage disposal at any time.

Stove

The kitchen should be cleaned after each

use. The stove/oven and surrounding areas

should be cleaned with a grease-cutting

all-purpose cleaner (Fantastik or 409).

Flat-top stoves should be cleaned with an

appropriate cleaner.

Tables and Chairs

The kitchen table should be wiped down

after every use with a towel and an allpurpose,

antibacterial cleaner.

Cleaning: Weekly in Apartments

The refrigerator, counters and cupboards

should be wiped with a grease-cutting,

antibacterial, all-purpose cleaner and a

towel. Linoleum/tile floors (kitchen, bathroom

and bedroom) should be swept and

then mopped/scrubbed with a towel and

an all-purpose cleaner.

Bathroom

The bathroom should be cleaned weekly.

This includes using a toilet brush and

toilet bowl cleaner to clean the toilet.

Scrub the bathtub and sink with cleanser

and a towel. Rinse the bathtub and sink

with clear water after you have scrubbed it.

The toilet should be scrubbed with a toilet

bowl cleaner (Lysol or Comet) and a toilet

brush. The mirror should be cleaned with

glass cleaner and a paper towel.

The bedroom floor, if carpeted, should be

vacuumed. All of the furniture (built-in

or movable) should be dusted with a towel

and furniture polish. If you have a frontloading

washing machine, the rubber

gasket should be rinsed off and dried each

week to prevent a mold or mildew buildup.

Cleaning: Move-Out in Apartments

Remove all personal belongings, including

furniture, from the apartment. The

University Apartments staff will not be

responsible for items left in the apartment.

Bathroom

Scrub the bathtub and surrounding

walls with cleanser (e.g., Comet, Ajax or

Scrubbing Bubbles) and a towel. Make

sure you clean the fixtures to the bathtub

as well, including the handles, faucet and

showerhead, to remove soap scum. Please

be sure to scrub the walls to remove any

hard-water buildup or mildew stains.

Rinse the bathtub and surrounding walls

with clean water after you have scrubbed

them. Clean the entire sink including all

of the fixtures with a wet towel and a mild

abrasive cleaner. Be sure to clean beneath

the sink as well, including wiping out the

cabinets, if you have them.

Remove all stains from the toilet, both

inside and out. A toilet scrubbing brush

and toilet bowl cleaner should be used. Be

sure to also clean the seat and around the

base of the toilet.

Clean the mirror with paper towels and

glass cleaner. Clean the cabinets by wiping

them with a damp towel and an all-purpose

cleaner.

Cabinets

Remove all personal belongings. Clean

the shelves and both sides of doors and

drawers with an all-purpose cleaner such

as Orange Clean or 409. Leave doors and

drawers slightly open to allow the inside to

totally dry.

Doors and Walls

Wash all walls, doors and doorframes to

remove any marks or dirt. Most cleaning

agents work, such as 409, Fantastik, Orange

Clean or any other spray cleaner.

Floors

All linoleum/tile floors should be swept

and then mopped or scrubbed with an

all-purpose cleaner such as Pinesol or Mr.

Clean.

Carpeted floors should be thoroughly

vacuumed, especially at the edges.

Furniture

All of the furniture should be dusted with

a clean cotton towel and furniture polish.

The cushions on the couch and chair

should be removed and the area underneath

vacuumed.

Refrigerator

The inside of the refrigerator should be

wiped down periodically and specifically

when something has spilled. Remove the

racks and drawers. Wash them in the

kitchen sink. Wipe down the inside of the

refrigerator with a towel and warm water

with a small amount of dishwashing liquid.

Repeat the same process with a wet, clean

(no soap) towel. Replace the racks and

drawers. Clean behind and underneath

the refrigerator as well. On the outside

of the refrigerator, use a grease-cutting,

all-purpose cleaner such as 409, Pinesol or

Orange Clean.

Stove

The kitchen should be cleaned after each

use. For flat-top stoves, clean with a product

indicated safe for flat-top stoves. The

filter above the stove in the vent hood will

be replaced by custodial. Make sure the

surrounding area is cleaned with a greasecutting,

all-purpose cleaner.

Windows

Wash all windows, windowsills and blinds.

Glass cleaners, such as Windex, work very

well for this purpose. A grease-cutting,

all-purpose cleaner will also work well on

the blinds.

RESIDENCE HALL ROOMS

CLEANING

Residents are responsible for cleaning their

own rooms. In the residence halls, custodial

staff will clean suite and private bathrooms

once a week. Community bathrooms are

cleaned daily. Custodial staff will notify students

at least one day in advance when the

bathroom is going to be cleaned. In order

to cancel your cleaning, you must speak with

your roommate/suitemates and then the

custodial supervisor.

Residents must remove personal items from

the counters and floors so that the custodial

staff can thoroughly clean the bathroom. If

your personal items have not been removed

from the top of the vanity and the floor, the

custodial staff will not clean your bathroom.

Do your part to help keep your space tidy by

cleaning up spills when they occur, sweeping

and/or vacuuming periodically and

cleaning the sink vanity in your bedroom (if

applicable).

Cleaning: Move-Out in the

Residence Halls

Remove all personal belongings. The

Department of Residence Life is not

responsible for items left behind. Do your

part to help keep your space tidy by cleaning

up spills when they occur, sweeping and/

or vacuuming periodically and cleaning the

sink vanity in your bedroom (if applicable).