Dividing chores equally is essential to ensure roommate harmony. Students can make a list of all the chores that need to be done on a weekly basis, such as taking out the trash, sweeping and vacuuming, washing dishes and cleaning the bathroom. Divide the number of chores by the number of roommates to get the number of chores that each roommate should be assigned each week. Rotate the assignments every week so that one person doesn't feel that she always gets stuck with a dreaded task.
Organize your things so that everything has a place where it belongs. Get in the habit of putting everything away as soon as you are done using it. This will eliminate clutter and prevent your room from looking like a mess. Purchase containers from a home-organization store or mass-market retail store to create additional storage. Use boxes that are designed to fit under the bed and utilize high closet shelves by storing things you use infrequently in plastic bins on them. Get rid of things you don't need, such as old tests and papers. Recycle them immediately so you don't have them lying around your room.
Make sure you have the tools you need to clean. It sounds simple, but a lot of college students don't think about the array of supplies that their parents use to maintain their home. Invest in a broom with a dustpan, a small vacuum cleaner or a Swiffer Sweeper. These can all be stored easily and will make cleaning your floors quick and easy. Keep dusting cloths, multi-surface antibacterial cleaning spray, glass cleaner and toilet cleaner on hand. Ask your roommates to split the cost of these supplies with you and share access to them.
If you and your roommate can't agree on how clean to keep your dorm room, you may have to agree to maintain an imaginary line down the middle of the room and not place your items on your roommate's side. If one roommate is a neat freak, he will be assured that his space with live up to his standards, and you won't feel as if you have to clean everything to a shine all the time. If you are the cleaner roommate or your roommate is a slob, accept that you can't change his lifestyle habits. Ask him to pitch in by doing chores and splitting the cost of cleaning supplies, but don't demand that he keep his personal space as clean as you keep yours.