Piles of washing up, crisp packets tucking out of sofa cushions and takeaway containers are hidden under the bed; it’s all bound to take its toll on you after a while.

There’s no better opportunity to give your student accommodation the once-over than spring – and you’ll no doubt shortly receive oodles of leaflets through your front door and posters up in halls offering you professional cleaning services.

Here at Student Discount Squirrel, we wouldn’t dream of letting you waste your money on such a thing! Why would you, when your spring cleaning can all be managed easily and cheaply? Read on for our guide to spring cleaning your student digs… on a budget, of course.

Students Spring Cleaning

DON’T TAKE EVERYTHING ON YOURSELF

OK, so you’re a bit old for a rota chart and gold stars, but it should never be just one member of the flat taking on all of the spring cleaning duties and the rest just leaving them to it!

Mention to your flatmates that you’d like to have a good clear-out and if it’s a hard sell, start with your room and leave the door open.

Once they see how much better your room looks compared to theirs, they’ll soon be on board and cleaning away! Failing that, just ask each other person in your flat to do one small chunk – even if it’s just clearing up their own mess. Every little helps and many hands make light work!

Really struggling? Use your student discount and pick up a label maker from Currys. Once labelled, named and shame mess will soon have everyone scrambling to tidy it away – even if just to look better in front of other people!

SEE LABEL MAKERS

REARRANGE THE FURNITURE

Nothing makes a room feel fresher than moving it around a little.

Of course, for communal areas, you’ll need to seek your roommate’s permission but for your own bedroom, you’re free to do as you like.

Rearranging a room also highlights nicely any parts well in need of a thorough spring cleaning (those dusty areas you just don’t look at and parts of the carpet that were otherwise hidden) as well as helping you find any lost belongings. If you can take the sofa covers off then pop them in the washing machine and get rid of those dodgy stains!

Textbooks from last semester, old socks, change and even food… you’re bound to find it as you move things about!

Student Cleaning Tips

DEEP CLEAN THE OVEN

The oven is the first place letting agents and meticulous universities look when you leave a student property behind, and if it’s not tip top, they’ll withhold your deposit or even fine you.

Ovens get really gross pretty quickly, but it’s easily rectified with our spring cleaning guide. An all-purpose cleaner and hot water won’t do the job. Amazon has a great range of oven cleaning products and you can read the reviews to see how best to use them. And don’t forget that there is an Amazon student discount programme where you get special codes and free prime next day delivery FOR FREE!

At the very least an oven cleaning spray alongside some heavy duty rubber gloves and a scourer will soon see the black gunk you find pouring out of it… and your housemates will thank you when the ££s come through at the end of your tenancy. Also, baking soda mixed with a little water makes a great cleaning paste.

You won’t be able to eat food cooked in your oven for 24-hours from cleaning, so order in a Papa John’s pizza with one of their student offers. You will have deserved it!

SELL UNWANTED THINGS

Check first that your textbooks are still being used for your course or modules, and if so, get rid of them and sell them to other students! Posting a notice up in the student union may be all it takes to shift some titles and generate some extra cash.

After all, none of us likes forking out for expensive textbooks each semester… particularly if they don’t look all that interesting.

A simple online way to get rid of your uni books is to sell them, or lots of other things for that matter is Magpie. You simply enter the barcode for your book, cd, DVD or whatever it is and they will tell you how much they will pay you for it. You can do mobile phones too and even lego or gold now!

And a total plus of getting rid of your unwanted things is you don’t need to cart it back home when the academic year ends! Your Mum or Dad will thank you greatly for that one.

Keep reading on for more spring cleaning tips

CLEAN WINDOWS

Even if you’re lucky enough to have a regular window cleaner who pops along and washes your windows on the outside, you shouldn’t forget about the inside too for a spring clean. It’s one of those jobs that seems thankless until its done and the result is evident, but give it a go and you’ll soon be enjoying the Spring sunshine in ways you haven’t since you moved in.

Be careful not to leave things streaky and don’t bother with the old housewives solution of using vinegar: you’ll just stink out the flat. Make sure you do use warm water and open the windows to help dry.

Just use water and a glass cleaner if you can find one on offer. Remember to rinse your squeegee after EVERY stroke to avoid inadvertent smearing… and grab a cheap window cleaning kit from Argos to start as clean as you intend to finish!

Student clean

MAKE YOUR OWN CLEANING PRODUCTS

Want cheap cleaning products that are great for the environment? Then make your own! You don’t need chemicals as you can use things found in your kitchen cupboard and they are really easy to make.

Multi-Purpose Cleaner

This multi-purpose spray can be used on kitchen surfaces, bathrooms and anywhere that needs a clean. What you will need to make this cleaning product:

  • ¼ cup of white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp baking soda
  • 1 litre of hot water
  • ½ a lemon

So reuse an old bottle with a spray top. Just add all the ingredients in a jug, gently stir to mix them together, then pour into the bottle. You might want to use a funnel so it doesn’t splash everywhere. This naturally disinfects and has a lovely lemony scent.

Window Cleaner

A good window cleaner will clean windows and mirrors without leaving streaks that normal multi-purpose cleaners can use. You will need:

  • ¼ cup of white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp of cornstarch
  • 2 cups of warm water

Only 3 ingredients needed for this cleaning product and for cornstarch just take a look on Amazon. Again, mix the ingredients in a jug and pour through a funnel into an empty spray bottle. Simple and effective!

ACCENT WITH COLOUR

Once things are looking tidier and you’ve finished your spring cleaning and you’ve binned or donated any old furniture or ‘bits and bobs’ you no longer need, you can give your digs some summery accents with bright, bold colours.

Student accommodation tends to come in various shades of beige and white, so make things really stand out where you can. Sure, you can’t paint the walls or rip up the floors, but you have creative control on the furnishings within.

Colours can be co-ordinated for a theme or varied for a rainbow effect but try changing a lamp here or a cushion there. Throws and blankets, as well as little rugs, also make for a great warm vibe in any room – the more colourful the better! Just remember to pop them in the washing machine every now and then to keep them fresh.

Bright home accessories can be found at bargain prices from Debenhams or House of Fraser (and keep an eye out for their various weekend ‘brand events’, as these often stack discounts on top of one another for some hefty savings).

If you’ve been caught with the spring-cleaning bug, why not give your social media detox, take some time out to improve your mental health and wellbeing and give some physical exercise a go too? January’s long gone now and summer is fast approaching, so now’s as good a time as any to get into shape across all aspects of your life… even if you are a skint student.

We hope you’ve enjoyed these spring cleaning tips and make sure to check Student Discount Squirrel for online discounts and money-off codes before splashing the cash!

And the final option… if the place is too much of a mess why not hire in a team of professional cleaners to do your spring cleaning? At SDS we recommend the super friendly and cheap guys from Professional cleaners UK, so whether you are looking for regular flat cleaning or an end of tenancy clean give them a shout!

Summary of Spring Cleaning Tips

A good old clean is not just great to have your flat or room looking great but it can have many positive effects in many areas – it can improve mental health, sleep patterns and make an environment that you are happy to come home to.

Also, it means if you want to invite friends or family over, it is somewhere to be proud of. We hope you have found some of our tips and cleaning tips and cleaning ticks helpful – don’t forget to share any photos with us on social media and to do those kitchen cabinets.

Happy Spring cleaning students! And don’t forget to clean behind the washing machine as well! lol.

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