The Best Dorm Cleaning Checklist | Everything You Need To Clean Your Dorm Room

1. Pick Everything Up Off The Floor

First things first. Before you start cleaning anything, you need to pick anything and everything up off your floor. If this means dirty clothes, throw them in your laundry hamper. Put all your shoes away and pick up any big pieces of trash up off the floor so that they don't get stuck in the vacuum later. Not only will picking up everything off the floor immediately make a huge difference, it will also make moving around while you're cleaning a lot easier.

2. Wash Your Sheets/Clothing

Start your laundry right after picking up all your dirty clothes so that they be washed while you are doing your other cleaning. I recommend washing sheets and bedding first so that you can put those back on your bed as you are finishing up your cleaning. Plus, nobody likes to finish cleaning and have no bed to relax on!

While you are doing your laundry, remember to separate your lights and whites, colored clothing, and darker items so that nothing bleeds and stains. I recommend washing your laundry every week and sheets and bedding every 1 1/2 to 2 weeks (or as needed!)

3. Dust

Next, dust all your windows (especially blinds if you have them) and anywhere else that collects dust easily. In a dorm room, things get dusty really quickly so if you haven't dusted in a while this step will probably be very much needed! Make sure you don't forget the higher cabinets or pictures frames towards the ceiling!

4. Wipe Down All Surfaces

Wiping all of your surfaces down is where your room starts to feel so much cleaner. I always found that my desk was the place that needed to be wiped down the most since I did my school work as well as my makeup there. You will be shocked at just how dirty all your surfaces get! I'm not going to lie, I definitely checked all the used paper towels and wipes after I cleaned to check how dirty it was.

Also make sure to wipe down your side tables, dressers, microwave, fridge, and any other surfaces in your dorm.

5. Wipe Down Frequently Used Items

If you really want to make your dorm room feel extra clean, wipe down all your frequently used items such as door knobs, remotes, makeup organizers, makeup, lamps, or anything else you can think of that may get dirty quickly. 

While you are doing this, make sure you wipe down and clean out your microwave and fridge. For the fridge, throw away any expired items and wipe down the shelves to get all the gross food out. When you clean your microwave make sure you take the tray out and wipe it down well to make sure any food that may have leaked while microwaving gets cleaned up.

6. Vacuum Or Sweep

If you have carpet or a rug in your dorm, vacuuming is going to be the way to go when cleaning your floors. You can find some really cheap small vacuums on Amazon that you can store away easily. If you have hardwood floors, concrete, or tile you will need to sweep as well as mop to make sure you get all the dirt or spills off your floor. 

Make sure you pick up and move around furniture or other large items and vacuum or sweep under those too.

7. Organize Your Things

Organizing your clothing, shoes, jewelry, food, and school supplies will make your room feel a lot cleaner and more livable. Hang up all your clean clothing and fold and put away the clothing that you store in drawers. You may even find a few things you lost during this part of the cleaning process!

8. Take The Trash Out

You will probably have to take your trash out more often than anything else. Because you are living in such a small space, trash can fill up easily and make your room smell really quickly. If I can, I like to wait to take out the trash towards the end of the cleaning process so that I don't miss anything while cleaning.

9. Make Your Bed

Making your bed makes the biggest difference when cleaning your dorm room so it should 100% be on your dorm cleaning checklist. Aim to make your bed every morning. I promise it makes your room feel so much cleaner and will start your day off right!

Put all your clean sheets and bedding on and you have got an amazing clean feeling bed to sleep or relax in! Nothing is better than getting in to clean sheets at night!

10. Clean Mirrors And Windows

Grab your favorite glass spray and wipe down all your mirrors and windows! Mirrors usually get hair products, water, and makeup splattered on them so cleaning them will make a huge different that you will most definitely notice next time you use it. Make sure to dust your windows and use glass cleaner on them too if you have them in your dorm room.

11. Spray Febreeze Or Plug In A Scent

Now for the finishing touches for cleaning your dorm room! Your room probably already smells a whole lot better but spraying Febreeze or buying a scented wall plug in is the perfect finishing touch.

12. Set A Time Every Week Or Two To Clean

I know it can be hard to clean frequently with how busy you are with school, but I promise if you plan to clean your dorm room at a certain time each week, you will feel so much better in your space. Pull out your dorm cleaning checklist on your planned day and get to work! I planned to clean every Sunday so that I could start my week with a clean room but just pick the time and day that works best for you!

13. Cleaning Can Be Fun

I know I know, this sounds dumb, but cleaning really can be fun! I know I am not in the majority with my cleaning obsession but I know some of you are out there too! Turn on some music and just get it done while jamming out to your favorite songs. Just think about how happy you will be at the end when you room is sparkling clean.

14. Designate Certain Tasks To Roommates

If you have roommates, separate tasks and designate certain things to everyone. One step of the cleaning process you hate may be your roommates favorite! 

The only issue here is if you have a lazy roommate. In that case you may have to take over 😉

15. Keep All Your Cleaning Supplies In One Place

Keep all your cleaning supplies organized in one place so that you can find them easily. I recommend buying a basket or container to keep everything in so that you aren't having to get out each individual cleaning product separately. Keep all your supplies in your basket while cleaning and just grab what you need when you need it!