The Passive-Aggressive Hint
If you’re unsure of how to bring it up in person, one approach is the “casual” text in the group chat. Something like, “Hey, does anyone else feel like the kitchen is an absolute mess lately? Maybe we should think of a way to make sure we all keep it looking tidy?” Insert a cute emoji for extra damage control. It might prompt someone else to suggest a rota without you looking like you’re the one wagging a finger. But be warned: if your flatmates are the type to ghost the group chat, this strategy could just lead to hours of twiddling your thumbs waiting for a reply.
The Big Family Meeting
Sometimes, direct is best. Gather everyone for a flat meeting and try to make it sound less painful than it is. Maybe bribe them with snacks – a packet of biscuits works wonders. Start by acknowledging how busy everyone is, and then gently suggest a rota or cleaning schedule. Emphasise that it’s for “everyone’s benefit” and use the classic guilt phrase: “It’s really unfair if the same person always ends up cleaning.” Keep the tone light and suggest rotating jobs weekly to avoid anyone feeling permanently on dish duty.
Make Cleaning Less of a Chore
For the brave, try making it a fun activity. Declare that a certain part of the week when everyone is free is “Power Hour” cleaning time, throw on a playlist, and challenge everyone to clean as much as possible in an hour. It’s surprisingly effective, and you might even start a bizarre tradition. Working together on cleaning can actually make it feel less like a task and more like a team effort, especially if you all commit to it regularly.
Rotate Responsibility
An effective strategy is to establish a rotating chore system, where everyone is assigned a different task each week. This avoids any one person from feeling like they’re always responsible for a particular job, and it ensures that everyone has a fair share of the cleaning duties. By rotating responsibilities, the cleaning load is distributed evenly, and everyone can play their part in maintaining the space.
At the end of the day, whether you go full confrontational or try to sneak in the rota while everyone’s distracted, just remember – in flat life, even a small cleaning win is worth celebrating. If all goes well, you might even find yourself in a kitchen without any science experiments growing on the counter.
