The kitchen is a beloved oasis in any home, yet in a shared space, the kitchen has the explosive potential of a minefield to blow relationships asunder. A grimy, funky, kitchen can divide even the closest of roomies, so it’s important to follow a few general rules of thumb when it comes to caring for shared rooms in a home. Check out a few of the suggestions below and it may just save your friendship!
The Dreaded Dirty Dishes
Mother Goose must’ve been inspired by someone like my old roommate because the pots and pans that accrued in our old sink could’ve grown legs and run off with the dish and the spoon. That is to say, unless your roommate is a mycologist, the sink is no place for experimental growth.
To address such a problem with your own housemate, it’s best to talk things out. Try to work out a schedule to share responsibility. If you prefer each roommate wash their own dishes, set a time limit of one or two hours after each meal that dishes can remain in the sink.
If problems with dishes persist, biodegradable, single-use cutlery and plates are available at just about any grocery store.
Counter Space
In most apartments, kitchen counter space is at a premium. For this reason it’s important to respectfully share space. Save space by keeping cookbooks on a separate bookshelf and keep appliance cords tucked out of the way. Lingering grocery bags and food items also take up valuable space, so put items in drawers or cupboards as soon as you get home from the store.
Odor vs. Aroma
Like so many rooms, the kitchen can smell delightful or appalling. A weekly cleaning will keep general scum at bay and will prevent creepy crawlers from foraging for leftovers in your kitchen.
Food odors are a little trickier. Badly burnt food items, for example, have a terrible odor and should be removed from the kitchen immediately after you ensure the item is not on fire. This might sound silly, but often an item can continue smoldering after it hits the trash. This is especially true of grease fires – don’t douse these in water, as it might spread the flames. Instead use baking soda to extinguish the flames.
The odor of burnt food isn’t the only off-putting kitchen smell, however. Some individuals have strong aversions to scents such as grease, popcorn, or curry; if your housemate has a sensitive nose, be considerate of their opinion. Cook the offending item when your roommate isn’t home and turn on kitchen fans to ensure plenty of ventilation.
Any renter is likely familiar with the time-honored tradition of the security deposit, a fee (often a month’s rent) paid in advance by the renter to cover any damages made during occupation of a property.
“It’s quite common for landlords to require their tenants to pay a security deposit at the beginning of a lease. And this makes economic sense,” professor Peter Malaguti explains in the Massachusetts School of Law podcast “A Point of Law”.
“Landlords often don’t discover that a tenant has damaged a rental unit until the end of the lease when the tenant is gone and often hard to find,” he says.
“My advice to tenants is that you too should learn the law of security deposits in your state,” he says. “Most states consider the security deposit to be your money and you should take reasonable steps to protect your deposit.”
Below are a few suggestions for renters on how to ensure the return of a deposit.
For renters experiencing a conflict with a landlord, such as a deposit the renter feels is being unfairly withheld, Malaguti suggests consulting a professional. “An experienced landlord-tenant attorney in your state is the person best qualified to render competent advice on security deposits,” he says.
At some point, just about everyone is looking for a roommate. Sometimes it’s as easy as calling a long-lost friend, other times it’s tougher than an overcooked pork chop. If you’ve opened your roommate search to include strangers, there are some very important questions to ask before committing to a lease with someone you don’t really know.
Just to make sure you cover all the bases, make a checklist of important matters to discuss before you meet your potential roomies. It’ll be easier to compare notes later if you ask all the candidates similar questions. Use those below as a starting point, and add your own. Remember, if you don’t ask, you’ll never know.
1. Whaddya got?
It’s important to discuss the volume of belongings a potential roommate will be bringing in, especially if the residence has shared storage space. Discuss furniture and electronic item placement in shared spaces only with serious candidates. You can plan accordingly after you choose a roommate.
2. Are you looking for a new best friend or half the rent?
The above is a surprisingly overlooked question for its importance. You may be surprised to find a new BFF isn’t quite what you’re in the market for, or that a seldom-seen loner isn’t your idea of company. It’s up to you, but it’s certainly a question worth asking.
3. What’s up with your love life?
Love is inconstant, temperamental, and in the case of roommates, up in your face. Don’t be afraid to ask your potential roomie about their love situation, as it’s more than likely the significant other will spend the night at your house at some time or another.
4. Do you have any pets?
This question is a vital one if your apartment doesn’t allow pets. Ask in advance and make sure your candidates understand the policy. If your place doesn’t have such restrictions, it’s still a good idea to ask. People keep interesting pets these days – you never know what could show up at your doorstep.
5. How do you relax?
It’s important to know how your potential housemate spends their free time, as you may find the hobby conflicts with your lifestyle. Does the person ski? Play computer games non-stop? Collect rare poisonous bugs? Drink paint thinner? Whatever the case, you’ll be glad you asked.
Pests such as rodents and insects live in every city in the world and, for the most part, these creatures keep to themselves. A problem arises, however, when these creepy critters seek to set up camp in human homes. A severe infestation is definitely a matter for professional exterminators; but, if the problem is small or you’d just like to keep the creatures at bay, there are a number of simple steps a regular Joe can take to keep a home bug-free.
Mosquitos
In an urban environment, a small backyard or patio can be an oasis for pests. Mosquitos, for example, are an abundant nuisance in Louisiana. Like many creepy crawlies, mosquitos lay their eggs in water; specifically, standing water. Items such as bird baths, buckets, or even ashtrays that collect rainwater act as ideal nurseries for young mosquitos. Mosquito larvae take approximately one week to develop into adults, so it is important to dump out standing water in weekly increments so the buggies don’t have the chance to hatch.
Ants
These tiny creatures, while popular in cartoon form, are the bane of picnic baskets the world over. To combat these weensy kitchen invaders, it is most important to keep countertops clean. If this doesn’t work well enough, shed some light on the situation – literally! A nightlight, plugged in near an area of high ant activity, can be used to confuse and disperse parties of scavenging ants.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are at the top of the list of creepy household pests. Though these insects have a reputation for indestructability, there are ways to discourage them from setting up camp in your house. Some individuals suggest keeping bay leaves or citrus peels around the house to deter the insects, but these means may be too gentle.
Another suggestion is to stash catnip around the house. Nepetalactone, the active ingredient in catnip, is an incredibly strong roach repellant. Stash sacks of catnip around the house or mix catnip and water, boil, then pour the liquid into a spray bottle and spritz in problem areas such as bathrooms and kitchens. Do not, however, use this method if you have cats.
If you’ve seen more than a few roaches in a certain area, you may wish to try boric acid. Cockroaches won’t be deterred by boric acid, but this is good; a cockroach will unknowingly haul boric acid back to its nest over and over until the chemical finally kills the host insect and subsequently the rest of the nest. While boric acid isn’t terribly toxic to people, individuals with children or pets should restrict use of the compound to out-of-reach areas like cabinet tops.
If one’s home is a castle, the bathroom is surely the all-important throne room. As such, it is only appropriate that this space is outfitted with finery befitting a king! Luckily for modern gentry, the amenities available for one’s bathroom are markedly more posh than medieval. Consider adding a few of the gizmos below to your throne room to add a little royal treatment to your daily routine.
The warmth and tranquility of a soothing hot shower are qualities likely to put one’s mind at ease. With the chattering of the day’s activities locked securely outside the door, the bathroom provides a haven for the mind to wander at leisure. As such, you might have a great idea or two, too, while you’re relaxing. But what can you do with an idea you have in the shower?
Two words – waterproof notepad! AquaNotes has designed such a notepad, complete with suction cup backing to secure the pad to a shower wall. There’s even a pencil included with a suction cup holder to mount alongside the pad.
Liquid is the favored state of soap in the modern day, but the Kikkerland company has introduced a gadget for the bathroom that may just change the tide. The Suction Soap Holder Magnet is designed just for bar soaps. This handy gizmo consists of a suction cup, to be attached to a smooth surface, and an arm with a cap type fixture at the end that suspends the bar of soap. Say goodbye to gooey bar soap messes!
The company that brought the Roomba vacuum cleaner to the modern world, iRobot, is now tackling the toughest room in the house with their robot cleaning machines. The Scooba 230, which retails for just under $300, promises to eliminate 97 percent of common household bacteria on surfaces including linoleum and tile. The Scooba 230 does need to be filled with a special iRobot cleaning solution, but like its Roomba brother, the Scooba 230 is designed to scoot under cabinets and around toilets for the utmost in robot-delivered cleanliness.
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
