Make sure to keep your bathroom clean, clean, clean. This means keeping the counters wiped and the mirrors and the sink wiped clean of toothpaste and other stuff that you spat into the sink. Keep the floor swept and mopped (to get rid of all the hair and dust that collects there). And keep the tub, shower and shower curtains cleaned. Don’t let mildew or mold or skin flakes or hair accumulate in there. And make sure that you have a trashcan next to your toilet, that you empty regularly (for your lady friends to deposit their sanitary items, and for everyone else to put their used nose-blowing tissues).
Keep the kitchen immaculately clean. Invoke the “clean sink” rule. Never leave dirty dishes in the sink. Wash them immediately or put them into the dishwasher. Make sure the sink itself is clean and not covered with mildew or food scraps (it looks disgusting and will make your kitchen and your house stink). Regularly run the garbage disposal with some ice cubes and a slice of lemon and the water running to make sure that anything you put down there has gone away. The garbage diposal is another place of disgusting mystery smells if you don’t service it regularly.
Sweep, vacuum and mop your floors regularly (at least once a week) to keep hair and dirt and crumbs and sticky spills from getting worse (or looking terrible or smelling bad, or attracting more crud). Vacuum your couch cushions, and chair cushions too, at least once a week (and actually take them off the couch and chairs so that you can vacuum underneath and remove any crumbs) Then, use Febreeze on the cushions. If your cushions are actually dirty, either take the covers off and wash them, or get some fabric cleaner like Resolve. No one wants to see or sit on dirty cushions or couch pillows. Yuck!
Remove and wash your bed sheets once a week.
Keep the inside and the outside of your refrigerator clean (use Simple Green or 409 to wipe it down) Check at least once a week for expired food and get rid of it. Clean up any spills or leaks inside the fridge immediately, or else the fridge will start to stink.
Keep the counters and the stove and the oven clean. If you spill anything, wipe it up immediately, or else your kitchen will start to stink.
Keep a bulletin board/dry erase board in the kitchen or mudroom or by the back door so that you can write messages to yourself and your roomates for phone messages, grocery lists, appointments, emergency phone numbers etc.
Make sure you buy toilet paper and paper towels before you run out of them. Always have at least one extra roll of toilet paper in your bathroom (in plain sight) when you have guests, so that they don’t have to search through your cabinets or yell through the door to you to bring more (this is especially embarassing for female guests). Put a roll of paper towels or a clean hand towel on your towel rack if you have company.
Keep your medicine cabinet stocked with an OTC pain reliever, anti-diarrheal med like Pepto Bismol, anti-nausea med like Imodium, sore throat lozenges like Cepecol, Chloraceptic or Halls, bandaids and rubbing alcohol, and a decent pair of tweezers for removing splinters (sterilize before and after each use by boiling or soaking in rubbing alcohol) and a pill form laxative like Ex-lax, Carter’s or Dulcolax. These are things that you will want to have around and may not have the time or ability to run down to the drugstore to get.
Make sure that you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and get enough fiber and water and try to limit the fast foods, processed foods and soda and alcohol. Learn to cook some basic dishes, get yourself a decent (easy to follow) cookbook.
Get some basic kitchen equipment such as a small sauce pan for cans of soup, a medium sauce pan for making spaghetti sauce, a big stock pot for boiling spaghetti or cooking chili or boiling potatoes, a small frying pan for making eggs and a big frying pan for sauteeing vegetables or making chicken, an egg turning spatula, a ladle, a whisk, a big 2 pronged meat turning fork, some wooden spoons, some rubber spatulas of various sizes, a big colandar or wire strainer for pasta, and a smaller sized wire strainer for straining cans of beans or washing small veggies or fruit, a cheese grater, a tea kettle, salt and pepper shakers, paper towel holder, a cookie sheet (for cookies or to put under your pot pie or pizza), a roasting pan (for cooking meat and vegetables in the oven) foil, plastic wrap and various sizes of tupperware, measuring cups for both liquid and dry measure and measuring spoons, and at least one full set of 4 coffee cups, 4 plates, and 4 bowls and flatware, plus a good pairing knife, a chef’s knife if you’re so inclined, and a serrated bread knife. And at least 8 drinking glasses (for when you break one or your have guests).
Purchase non-perishables when they are on sale to keep in the pantry: canned beans, canned tomatoes, dry pasta, condiments (salsa, mustard, ketchup) boxed mac and cheese, soup and broth, so that you will always have something to eat.
Keep a set of office supplies: paper for your printer, pencils, pens, envelopes and stamps and a letter opener, a couple of sharpie pens and a highlighter, paper clips and a stapler.
Keep cleaning supplies on hand: Bleach, Simple Green or 409 or Fantastik, glass cleaner, laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, paper towels, toilet cleaner and brush, wet wipes for the counters and outside of the toilet, broom, whisk broom and dustpan, mop and bucket (or swiffer mop handle and disposable wet mop covers) vacuum cleaner and extra bags, microfiber duster (like swiffer). Carpet stain remover, Febreeze and Fabric cleaner like Resolve (for couch cushions and pillows).
Get a couple of hanging file folder boxes with files and start making categories to keep yourself organized. Files might include such things as rent payments, health and car insurance, warranties on purchases, receipts, correspondence with the landlord, school schedules, repairs and maintenance, emergency contact info etc. Don’t let your paperwork get out of hand or get dispersed around the house or get lost. Keep things organized and pay your bills immediately, and keep track of what you paid, how much you paid, check number and to whom you sent the checks.
The most important things are to be clean and organized and pay your bills on time.
