How to Be a Good Housemate

These are a few helpful tips to make sure you get along well with your housemates. I've been through different living arrangements - dormitories, share-a-condo's, solo apartments - and there are things that you just HAVE to consider when there either your mother or household help is not around to clean up after you.

Don't throw rotting food in a "clean" trash bin

Trash bins in the bathroom should not contain rotting foods that will attract cockroaches. You seriously don't want to test how valid this suggestion is. I've been there - no, it wasn't me who threw the food but I sure saw a lot of cockroaches around the place because of somebody else's unfinished meal. I know there are other things that spoil when you throw them in the trash bin in the bathroom (like napkins, diapers) but they don't attract cockroaches as much as food.

Don't "throw" your trash in the trash bin if it wouldn't fit

Because that does not even mean you're throwing it IN. That means you're putting it beside the trash bin and that also means extra work for whoever's throwing it out, which should really be you - you either throw your own trash out or since you'll be going out anyway, then you might as well take it all out. (Note: I have a double standard on this because if someone DID single-handedly made the trash bin overflow, then you can't make me clean up after her).

Don't leave your dirty dishes in the sink overnight.

It's O.K. if you're a little lazy in the afternoon to clean up after you ate, but you definitely should not leave your dirty dishes over night. Think of it this way, since you're only cleaning up after yourself anyway, then there really shouldn't be THAT much to fix. If you are taking turns cleaning up, then that means you're not doing it so often so you might as well do it properly when it's your turn. Cockroaches greeting you early in the morning when you reach out for a glass is NOT a good way to start the day. That should also have you start thinking if the glass you're holding is as clean as you assume it to be.

When you do your laundry, wash the area with clean water

Or you'll get molds all over the walls of the place. If you're thinking, "oops, too late! How do I get rid of it?" I don't know anything about maintaining the textiles or whatever, but this works in getting rid of nasty stains in bathroom tiles: Make a bleach-water solution (like 1 part Zonrox, 8 part water) and soak the walls with it for 2 hours. Then wash it off water.

Shut up when someone's sleeping

Especially if it's a studio type unit. Because no matter how hard you try to keep the noise down, when your blabbering then everyone can hear you. It's inconsiderate to entertain guests late at night when they're only YOUR guests. When one of your roommies is trying to get some rest be reminded that you're all splitting the expenses equally so everyone has a right to his/her basic neccessities and that includes a good night's sleep.

Turn off your alarm when it rings

I know there are a LOT of people who likes hitting the snooze until they're practically running late. But if you're sharing your room with someone else, then that's just a no-no. They might look like they're ok with that shit but they're not. Their sleepy little heads are screaming, "TURN THAT FCKING THING OFF!".

Don't ever think, "oh he/she doesn't mind". Because they do. Don't be thick. Put it this way, if you can't get along with nice people, you're probably not a nice person and should follow some of these simple, unspoken house rules.