I have finally managed to get some pictures of the apartment- The images you are about to see are extremely graphic….viewer discretion advised
Roommate's Bedroom...there's a floor in there somewhere
Kitchen Area
The Living Room I can't live in- notice his trademark left-out cereal box
The sink... less than 2 days after it had been cleaned
For the last five days I was out of the state skiing with friends, including the roommate, and had no internet access. We stayed at a friend’s house up in Vermont and my roommate, ironically, was a perfect guest. He cleaned up after himself, washed his dishes immediately after eating etc. I couldn’t believe how willing he was to help out at someone else’s house when he is so content to destroy his own. Is there any way to trick him into thinking that our apartment is some kind of vacation home?
Our apartment is in a great location. Surrounded by a restaurants, bars and even a park, there is little more one could ask for. The crowning jewel of the location is the supermarket just around the corner which makes life very convenient, unless you live with a roommate who constantly eats the food you buy. If asked I would certainly share, but whole boxes of cereal, bottles of juice, cartons of milk and microwaveable dinners have disappeared over the last year and a half. The biggest issue here is that my roommate almost never goes to the store. I tend to eat at home more and so when the food runs out I notice first and take a trip. Its been running like this for so long that its now become a difficult issue to address.
Tips: My roommate has stolen so much food that even the Hamburglar would be shocked. While my first instinct was to eat some of the food he buys, a glass of his soy milk quickly convinced me that I would only be punishing myself. In order to avoid this situation and in order to avoid having to label your food (my roommate can’t figure out this subtle hint…) discuss a plan with your roommate when you first move in. A good system is for both of you to keep your receipts for a period and then after a period of 3 to 6 months you can settle up. You don’t have to pour over them making sure they’ve paid for every Cornflake eaten, but at least it gives you a ballpark figure to work with.
Lost is on tonight? Not for me. Control of the remote has proved to be a contentious issue between my roommate and me. Although I watch a lot of shows, very few of them overlap with the shows my roommate likes. Each week I arrive home from class looking forward to Lost, only to find my roommate channel surfing before finally landing on some rerun of House. Although tempted to search online for, and then ruin, the ending to that episode of House for him, I’m often patient with this. But, if Tivo didn’t exist, one of us would’ve been forced to leave months ago. Being able to record shows has changed everything but waiting until my roommate goes to sleep in order to get to watch tv is still frustrating.
Tips: In my opinion, taste should be the deciding factor (House? Come On!) but this may not go over well with roommates. Instead, consider holding a “tv draft” where you alternate picking shows you want to watch live. This way, you’ll both likely get to see your favorite shows when you want them. If the stuff your roommate watches is too brutal to bear, you can use Hulu.com to watch tv online. Or get a book….
Anyone who wouldn’t name the dishwasher as the greatest invention of the last 50 years hasn’t lived in a small nyc apartment. I hope everyday that someone mistakenly delivers this appliance to my door. We have unfortunately combined a small sink with a penchant for avoiding cleaning. At all times the sink will overflow with the plates, bowls, and glasses that made their way there weeks ago. My roommate has now taken to using Tupperware in order to avoid cleaning plates. Our only hope is that whatever it is growing on our plates will turn into a new species, bringing us riches and the ability to buy a dishwasher.
What is frustrating here is that I took to buying paper plates, plastic cups and plastic silverware in order to avoid using (and having to clean) dishes. Generally, if I use a bowl I wash it right after. Ultimately, this leaves all the rest of the dishwashing to my roommate who stalls for as long as possible and leaves me having to use the shower to fill up pots to boil water with.
Tips: I think my strategy, of using disposable plates, cups, and utensils, is effective. It doubles the amount of time the sink takes to become cluttered and absolves me of most of the dishwashing responsibilities. While I look forward to one day reducing my carbon footprint, this solution is really the only viable one there is right now.
Another strong option is to create a schedule, where each person agrees to wash the dishes once every certain number of days. This puts a timeframe in place which both roommates agree upon in advance and will help to relieve some of the tension down the line (A simple reminder that the week is up is more effective than constant, subtle hints that the sink is overflowing).
Finally, you could agree to a clean-what-you-use policy where each of you cleans their plates/utensils immediately (or within a day) of using them. Stopping dishes from piling up is key, since it is the sight of a pile of dirty dishes which deters someone from doing them in the first place.
Rocko’s Modern Life had it right. Laundry day is full of perils. Once every few weeks I come home to what looks like my roommate setting up for a garage sale. With clothes folded neatly all over the living room, I ask him how much for the blue sweater? Not wanting to throw his stuff aside, I generally go out to grab food or head to my room hoping he hasn’t expanded his Laundromat there.
Tips: You’ve got to live with this one. Doing laundry cannot be avoided (and should be encouraged if the gym-clothes problem plagues you). One option to alleviate the stress is to do your laundry at the same time. If you stagger it right-so that your wash is halfway done when your roommate is finishing up a batch/ putting in the next load- you can ask your roommate to put some stuff away so that you will have room to fold stuff up when your first wash is done. This forces your roommate to quicken up his entire process. Additionally, you are left with your own clean clothes. And, finally, when you spread out your first batch of clean clothes you can leave yourself an open spot on the couch which you can then use while your roommate puts away subsequent washes.
Most people tend to work out a few times a week. My roommate is no exception. While I’m all for exercise (unless I have to do it) I am staunchly against leaving dirty gym clothes around the apartment. I can’t wait for a time when I can arrive home and not find my roommates laundry on the couch or kitchen chairs. The guy who gave sweatshirts their name knew what he was talking about.
Tips: I’m sympathetic to someone not wanting to keep a pile of sweat-soaked clothes in their small bedroom and if the apartment was large enough I would try to designate a room / area as a laundry area. But, if you live in close quarters solutions to this problem are tough to find. Perhaps your roommate can leave gym clothes at the office or rent a locker at the gym. If not, there is no other solution except to remind them that their clothes should stay in their room.
There are few things better than a good breakfast. There a few things worse than waking up daily to the breakfast your roommate left out on the table. Each morning, without fail, I exit my room to find open cereal boxes on the table, utensils flung onto the rug, and a bowl of slowly-solidifying milk (which I bought) on the kitchen table.
Several times I have tested out the theory that he might have to rush out for work and will clean up later. Instead of putting the food away I leave it out, hoping it will be taken care of by the time I get back from class. When I return home I am always disappointed. I can only take solace in knowing that if I put the bowls into the sink it will be weeks before they are clean enough to make their way back to the table…..
Tips: Discuss a schedule with your roommate. Tell them that you understand that mornings can be rushed but that you hope that anything they take out is put away that same day. This also applies for empty bottles (we have a recycling bin!) and empty microwavable dinner trays.
After college I made the decision to attend graduate school in New York City. I also made the decision to live with one of my fraternity brothers from college. I knew him fairly well and felt that he would be a considerate roommate. It never occurred to me that he would be messier than I am. That our plates would spend more time dirtied on the floor or in the sink than they did on our shelves. That our couch would serve as his sock drawer.
While we get along, and remain friends, issues around the apartment have added a bit of tension. The best way to deal with these issues is to meet them head-on and discuss them. So, I’ve decided to start this blog (which my roommate knows nothing about). Hopefully, by sharing some of my stories I can help others avoid these problems.
Tips: Get to know you someone’s living habits before you agree to room with them and always take their self-assessment with a grain of salt. If they say they are fairly neat it probably means they are slightly messy. If they say they are slightly messy they are probably quite messy. If they say they are fairly messy do not room with them.
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