The struggles of living in a messy flat

When you first move into a flat, you don’t really get the true version of people. In the beginning, everyone is extremely polite and mindful of their things.

No one wants to expose just how truly messy they are until a good few months have passed by and they start to get more comfortable. However, once these traits have surfaced, you come face-to-face with many of the classic issues of living in a messy flat.

Not knowing if it’s safe to lend someone your things

You wanted to seem like the generous one in the flat, so whenever someone asked for a ladle or a bowl, you were the first one to offer yours up. However, times have changed. Now every time you offer someone your bowl, you know it’ll end up in a dark corner somewhere growing its own colony.

Attempting to create a bin rota

Notice the aggressive tear at the bottom.

You think this is a great idea. Undoubtedly, overflowing trash will never be a problem again.

Realizing the bin rota was a huge mistake

How long does it take to fill up a huge bin like that? Ten days or something, right? Wrong. Three days or less. If whoever’s next on the rota doesn’t take it out once it’s full, people will place their trash higher and higher on it like they’re playing a sick game of Jenga.

The stab of fear you get before looking into the sink

What will today bring? A few pineapple chunks? A frozen limb? My sanity?

Trying to find the right way to tell someone to clean up without destroying your friendship

This is a bigger issue when you first move in with your flatmates. You don’t really know the right way to tell someone they’re a slob when you first meet them. You try to play it cool, but you drop as many hints as you can.

The occasional chat outburst

This occurs about two to three months into living with your flatmates when confrontation is no longer an issue.

Tucking in the chairs becomes futile

In the beginning, you made sure you left the kitchen presentable. However, you’ve become used to waking up in the morning and finding these magnificent pieces of architecture. They’re more common to appear the morning after a night out. You can’t help but be impressed despite the sinking feeling in your chest.

Knowing you’re the one that’s going to clean things up

Basically, whoever can’t cope with the smell is the first to clean. You do so however, with a heavy heart, as you know the sink will be in the same condition by the time you cook dinner later tonight and the trash will be full again in the morning.

Eventually, you accept that things could be worse

Your flat may not be as clean as you want it to be, but you learn to deal with it. You have a roof over your head and you live with lovely people; you might as well accept you’ll have green milk in the fridge and some food stains on the wall for the next few months.