Empowering Your Student: Housekeeping
// By JACEY CRAWFORD ’21
When your student moves into their first residence hall, housekeeping will likely be the last thing on their mind. Although homework and social activities are important, housekeeping should be on your student’s radar of things to prioritize. It’s a great way to promote organized and healthy habits. Below are some of the skills your student should master before they fly from your nest to ours.
Doing laundry – Not only is it important for your student to master the art of using a washer and dryer, it’s vital for them to understand the need to separate their clothes (darks, lights, whites). You’ll also want to ensure that your student has a firm grasp on what clothes can and cannot be put in the dryer, how to not shrink their clothes, how to get out those stubborn stains, and the magic of dryer sheets.
Doing dishes – Make sure that your student knows how to wash dishes by hand and how to tackle stubborn food stuck to their dishes. They’ll also need to be prepared with the necessary tools to wash their dishes, such as a dish rack, a scrubbing brush, dish towels, etc. If your student eventually moves into a campus apartment, they may have the luxury of a dishwasher. Help your student avoid a suds-filled kitchen and teach them the important difference between dishwashing liquid and dishwasher detergent.
Trash vs. recycling – At AU, we have bins all around campus separated into trash and recycling. You may want to encourage your student to have both trash and recycling bins in their room for their convenience. Your student will also need to know what to do with their trash and recycling bins once they’re full — the local recycling center is just minutes from campus. Additionally, it’s important for your student to be able to distinguish between what is trash and what should be recycled. Here’s a helpful article on the subject.
Cleaning – Your student should know the basics of how to clean a living space — how to use a vacuum and broom, how to wash their bedsheets, how to disinfect their living area, and how often to clean. You may also want to ensure that they understand the rules and etiquette of sharing a space with multiple people, such as staying organized.
Anderson University is on a mission to educate students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 60 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized among top colleges for its business, computer science, cybersecurity, dance, engineering, nursing, and teacher education programs. Anderson University was established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God.