14 Things to Clean In Your Dorm Room Immediately | Essentials You Need To Clean In Your Dorm Room Right Away

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When you first move into your dorm room, it gives the appearance of being super empty and clean. Only one of these things is true!

Your dorm room may be empty, but that doesn’t mean it’s clean. In fact, it’s probably super super dirty.

When planning your move in schedule, make sure you include at least a half an hour to give your dorm room a quick deep clean.

Here’s 14 things you must clean in your dorm room immediately!

Dorm Room Cleaning Essentials

1. Vacuum or Sweep

Your dorm room is super dirty, but the floor is probably part of the dirtiest. Vacuum or sweep this right away, and then lay down your carpet. This is easiest to do first, to start getting big stuff out of the way.

Here’s my favorite vacuum and broom, and my favorite carpet!

2. Wipe Down Surfaces

This is essential, and you’ll notice how much dust you’re collecting when you do this. Any hard surface, make sure you wipe it down!

These disinfectant wipes are great to buy in bulk, and keep for the entire school year. You’ll use them frequently!

3. Lysol Frequently Touched Surfaces

Alongside disinfectant wipes, you’ll want to give frequently touched surfaces a good disinfectant spray, too.

I sprayed door knobs, the handle to open the window, closet handles, and anything else that looked like people touched it frequently.

Lysol spray is pretty inexpensive, and lasts quite a while! You’ll be breaking it back out during cold and flu season.

4. Febreze Mattress

Your mattress probably looks super gross. Give it a good spray with lysol, and follow with some febreze to freshen it up a bit!

I recommend getting a mattress protector alongside your mattress topper. Another layer between yourself and the gross mattress is always better!

5. Clean Drawers

Use your disinfectant wipes or the hose on your vacuum – or both – to clean out your desk and dresser drawers.

You’ll probably only need to fully clean out your drawers about once a semester, as long as you clean them out from whoever stayed in your dorm last!

Related: Cutest College Dorm Room Tapestry Ideas

6. Dust High Surfaces

The top of your closet, windowframe, and doorframe are all places that will benefit from a quick dusting and wipe down with a disinfectant wipe.

Here’s my favorite duster. Once you have everything unpacked, it’s a good idea to get in the habit of dusting about every other week. Dorm rooms are dustier than you’d think!

7. Clean Air Ducts

Most dorm rooms circulate the same air, which makes sense for a big building, but that means sickness travels that much faster. Make sure you clean out your air ducts when you first move in, and give them a good wipe down frequently.

I personally cleaned my air ducts by first dusting them, and then wiping them down with a clorox wipe.

8. Wash Bedding

It’s tempting to just put your new sheets and comforter right on your dorm bed, but wash it first! Seriously, wash all the fabric items that you get from stores before you use it. They’re usually dropped on floors, returned, etc.

As a bonus, here’s my favorite eco-friendly laundry detergent and softener. I also like using wool balls in place of dryer sheets!

9. Wash Windows

Let’s be real, this is probably the only time you’ll actually do this.

Please please please wash them again before or right after Christmas break!

10. Clean Out Fridge

If you are given a fridge to use for the year from the school, this is especially important. I highly doubt the cleaning crew over the summer cleaned it as well as you would! Even if you bought one, clean it out! Give it a good wipe down with disinfectant wipes, and leave it to dry for a little bit before filling it.

Related: 10 Best Dorm Room Storage Ideas

11. Wash Garbage Cans

These are usually given by schools, but check beforehand. Give these a really good wipe down with disinfectant wipes, and a spray with lysol just to be safe.

You might use garbage bags, but that doesn’t mean the last person did!

12. Use Scented Garbage Bags

Alongside cleaning your garbage cans really well, use some scented garbage bags! They usually don’t have a super strong scent, but you’ll notice a difference in the overall odor of the dorm room.

Dorm rooms are small, and anything you can do to make it smell better is priority!

13. Use An Air Purifying Dehumidifier

Dorm air is shared, and tends to get more humid than you would probably like. Kill two birds with one stone and get an air purifying dehumidifier! It’ll help the air in your dorm room greatly.

14. Stick To A Schedule!

This is the most important tip I can give you – plan a cleaning schedule, and stick to it! It’s easy to let such a small space become messy, but not if you keep it clean on a daily basis. Trust me!

This post showed you 14 things you need to clean in your dorm room immediately!

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