Living in a small rented space can be really annoying, especially if you have to share it with roommates. To help make things a little easier, here are some of my favorite pointers that I picked up from observing renters over the years that you might find useful in your own apartment.
1. Put glow in the dark tape on the corners of your dishwasher and oven door so you don't bark your shins on them if you leave them open in the middle of the night.
2. Have a clogged toilet? Add a cap of laundry detergent, let it sit for 10 minutes, then pour in a bucket of warm (not hot) water from about hip height. You may need to repeat a couple of times.
3. Place a hook for your house keys on the door next to the lock so you don't forget them. This is better than keeping keys in the lock itself, as a heavy key ring can damage both lock and key over time.
4. Throwing a party? Leave a sign on your front door with a number where you can be reached by neighbors in case you are being too loud. A plate of cookies is also a nice touch.
5. Mattresses in the alley are a sign of bedbug problems inside. Always make a point to check the condition of the trash bins behind the alley when you're apartment hunting!
6. Do you suspect that your roommate is stealing your food? Keep a grease pencil handy. It washes off! Use it to label not only your food containers, but also the level of the food inside.
7. Ground floor storage lockers are great for holding items purchased in bulk from places like Costco so you don't have to haul and store huge containers upstairs.
8. Use a couple of carabiners to hook multiple shopping bags into unified points for carrying. This makes it much easier to haul your groceries up all those stairs.
9. Moving? Use your linens and clothes to wrap up your glassware and plates. It's just as good as packing material and already on hand.
10. Use a little poster putty or removable window weatherstripping to fix knick-knacks to shelves. That way you can dust around them without knocking them over.
Do you have any shortcuts you use around the apartment to make life easier? Let me know in the comments!
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