Make sure you know your cleaning responsibilities

What we do*

Every week we:

• Clean the stairwells and any common rooms
• Attempt to remove full kitchen refuse sacks from Monday to Friday and provide replacement refuse sacks.
• Clean communal bathrooms / showers / toilets that are shared by two or more people on a weekly basis, with those shared by two people located between two bedrooms cleaned on a monthly basis

We also clean communal areas within your flat (not your own bedroom or en-suite) once during the Christmas, Easter and summer vacations.

* For University owned and managed accommodation only. There may be slight differences in accommodation operated by our private partners. 

What you do

You need to keep clean and tidy:

• your bedroom
• any other communal areas, such as kitchen/dining space.

This means

• washing up
• keeping surfaces clear
• cleaning any microwaves, fridges or ovens regularly. 

Inspections and charges

We'll inspect your accommodation regularly. If your accommodation fails an inspection you'll be given a short time to improve it before we re-inspect. Any property in a poor or dirty state at re-inspection will be cleaned by contract cleaners. All the residents who share the space will be charged for the cost of the contract cleaners.

Cleaning tips

Shared accommodation gets dirty very quickly if everyone thinks someone else will do the cleaning. Follow these tips to make your and your neighbours’ lives easier:

• Tackle the issue of cleaning when you move in. It’s usually easiest to draw up a rota with your flatmates, so that you each take turns to do the housework.
• Remember to recyle when getting rid of your waste. Recycling facilities are provided at all University owned Be careful with sharp objects – wrap them in newspaper or take them straight to the external dustbins.
• Clean the cooker/microwave straight away after cooking. Burnt-on food is harder to remove. Use a damp cloth and, if needed, a multi-surface kitchen cleaning product. Soak dried-on food and tough stains with the kitchen cleaner and use a non-scratch scouring pad to remove. Avoid abrasive scouring creams or you'll damage the surface of the appliances.
• Wash up after eating. Don’t leave dishes and pans in the sink to soak – it's not fair on others who want to use it.
• Fridge/freezers need to be defrosted to work properly. If ice builds up, unplug the fridge and use sponges to soak up the water as the ice melts. Once free of ice, wipe the inside clean and dry it. Plug in the fridge again.
• If you spill anything in the fridge, wipe it up immediately. It’s much harder to clean later.
• Wash out baths/showers when you've used them and take hair out of the plughole to avoid blockages.
• Use a toilet brush and clean the toilet regularly with toilet cleaner or bleach. Never use these two products together – combined they produce toxic gas.
• Sweep or vacuum carpets and floors.