Sharing a bathroom
The bathroom is probably the most intimate room you’ll have to share. It’s where you need absolute privacy, and it can be a bit of a minefield when it comes to student accommodation.
The plus side is that everyone is in the same boat, and that tends to lead to a general respect for each other’s privacy and products. But that’s not to say it’s always plain sailing, and you’ll need to come up with some ground rules if you don’t want things to escalate.
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Too long in the shower
How long is too long? Five minutes? Ten? An hour? If you’re living in a one-bathroom student house or halls, one minute is too long if you’re the one waiting.
Between 07:00 and 08:00 on weekdays is the notorious timeslot for shower-hogging, along with Friday and Saturday evenings. To avoid stress, schedule your showers outside these times, and you should be fine. Otherwise, expect a knock on the door.
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Clean up after yourself
You might think it goes without saying, but things can get out of hand quickly in terms of bathroom cleaning. It's much easier to keep on top of things if you rinse the sink after using it to get shaving foam or toothpaste cleaned out, and of course: clean the dreaded toilet after using it! Try to follow the rule that you should leave things as you expect to find them. -
Set up a cleaning rota
This goes for the whole house, but especially the bathroom and kitchen. Make sure everyone takes their turn to do a deep clean in the bathroom, cleaning the shower and/or bath, mopping the floor, cleaning any mirrors and making sure there are no damp towels gathering mildew in a forgotten corner! -
Toilet paper
If you use the last of the roll, get into the habit of replacing it. Nothing worse than realising there's no paper once it's too late! Make sure you add toilet paper to the joint grocery list too so that you never run out - it's always cheaper to get a huge pack. Alternatively, you might each have your own stash and you take a roll with you - each to their own!
Sharing a kitchen
The kitchen opens up another can of worms (not literally, of course, although that does depend on your housemates). You need to decide how far are you going to share equipment, cooking time, and food.
When you get to know your housemates better, you could end up sharing cooking responsibilities. It’s a good way of socialising and saving energy, so it’s worth at least suggesting. And you can finally show off your signature lasagne.
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Utensils – to share or not to share?
From pots to pans, colanders to baking trays – it's a good idea to establish early on if everyone chips in and shares utensils and cookware, or if everyone prefers to have their own items. Just remember: if you're all sharing, it means you need to wash up after yourself so everyone has access to clean items when they need them! -
The fridge
Whether in halls or a shared house, it's always going to be tricky making room in the fridge for everyone...and making sure someone doesn't eat your last chocolate mousse! Some might refer to label everything in the fridge, but why not establish early on what everyone uses so you can pool things like milk, butter, bread and so on? They can be added to a weekly shop (along with that toilet roll) to minimise arguments, and save space in the fridge. The same goes for the freezer. -
The case of the migrating crockery
Making a cuppa and suddenly realise all the spoons are gone? And, come to think of it...where are all the mugs? It's easy for cutlery, glasses, mugs and crockery to start piling up in everyone's rooms, no doubt gathering mould and dust. Try to be diligent in returning items back to the kitchen and give them a good clean so no-one gets caught short trying to eat their Pot Noodle with a plastic knife they found at the back of a cupboard.