Ever had housemates that don't clean up after themselves?

[VanTheMan]

I have 4 housemates, all guys. Two of them pretty much do their part, one of them leaves messes sometimes and the last one doesn't really care about filth at all. I'm the only one who cleans stuff up all the time because I don't want to live in the mess, but I can't seem to motivate them to keep things clean. They're all longtime friends and it's not so bad that I want to move out.

Has anybody been in a similar situation? Any recommended solutions? I talked with one of them about assigning chores and imposing a penalty system. It would be something like "If you don't complete your chores on time, then you pay a dollar the first day, two dollars the second day, etc."

 

[michaels]

That's one reason why roommates suck. My first roommates were two girls..horrible idea.

 

[HN]

if you really are good friends, you can jokingly say "hey bitch, clean your ****** up." it works

 

[Plifzig]

I roomed with my buddy and he was a total slob. He went out of town and left a microwave pizza on the stove just sitting there. I had a party that night and we put the pizza in one of his pillow cases. He found out about it 3 days later when he was going to bed and it was fvcking hilarious! I would also put anything he left out in the "community area" in his room so he could live in his own filth.

 

[The Batt?sai]

Originally posted by: michaels
That's one reason why roommates suck. My first roommates were two girls..horrible idea.

haha lol

 

[The Batt?sai]

Originally posted by: HN
if you really are good friends, you can jokingly say "hey bitch, clean your ****** up." it works

one groin kick, coming right up!

 

[VanTheMan]

Yeah, sometimes I joke with them about cleaning up and they'll do a little bit. Then, in no time, messes are back again. We tried putting the one messiest guy's stuff in his room when he left it out, but he just got all annoyed and mad. I want stuff to stay clean, but I don't want to be a jerk about it and piss my friends off. If we can all agree on the monetary penalty system, then that will hit them where it hurts... the wallet.

 

[HN]

Originally posted by: quasarsky

Originally posted by: HN
if you really are good friends, you can jokingly say "hey bitch, clean your ****** up." it works

one groin kick, coming right up!

man, that's 2 kicks to the junk tonight

anyhow, i guess you don't joke with your friend's the way i do. *shrug*

 

[Plifzig]

Originally posted by: VanTheMan
Yeah, sometimes I joke with them about cleaning up and they'll do a little bit. Then, in no time, messes are back again. We tried putting the one messiest guy's stuff in his room when he left it out, but he just got all annoyed and mad. I want stuff to stay clean, but I don't want to be a jerk about it and piss my friends off. If we can all agree on the monetary penalty system, then that will hit them where it hurts... the wallet.

I think the monetary system will split your friendship much faster than just being a "jerk". Isn't disrespecting everyone's shared space, even after having a mature conversation about it (assumption), being a lot more of a jerk than fighting fire with fire?

 

[RCN]

Only my daughter......I threw all her sh!t away...........

 

[Powermoloch]

I used to have a roommate during the summer of 2003 @ college. I move his sh!t on his side lol.

 

[VanTheMan]

Originally posted by: Plifzig

Originally posted by: VanTheMan
Yeah, sometimes I joke with them about cleaning up and they'll do a little bit. Then, in no time, messes are back again. We tried putting the one messiest guy's stuff in his room when he left it out, but he just got all annoyed and mad. I want stuff to stay clean, but I don't want to be a jerk about it and piss my friends off. If we can all agree on the monetary penalty system, then that will hit them where it hurts... the wallet.

I think the monetary system will split your friendship much faster than just being a "jerk". Isn't disrespecting everyone's shared space, even after having a mature conversation about it (assumption), being a lot more of a jerk than fighting fire with fire?

Well, the penalties would go into a pot for the house. We could buy stuff like cleaning supplies, trash bags, etc or just have a party when the pot gets big enough.

With the monetary system it's more like "Dang, I was stupid and didn't get my chores done, so now I have to pay." than "Man, that SOB keeps bugging me about chores all the time." If we all agree on the monetary system, then nobody should have a problem with paying. I know none of them want me reminding them to do chores all the time.

 

[rezinn]

Just talk to the person, don't be gay. I, on the other hand, just throw ****** away when it is left out rather than getting all pissy about it. If someone leaves too much crap out, I just put it infront of their door so it doesn't bug me.

 

[Journer]

Originally posted by: Plifzig
I roomed with my buddy and he was a total slob. He went out of town and left a microwave pizza on the stove just sitting there. I had a party that night and we put the pizza in one of his pillow cases. He found out about it 3 days later when he was going to bed and it was fvcking hilarious! I would also put anything he left out in the "community area" in his room so he could live in his own filth.

 

[Geekbabe]

my poor husband rountinely has to do dishes/spend close to 1 hour cleaning the kitchen just so he can prepare our dinner as our housemate thinks that rules regarding cleanilness and hygene only apply to us, her lowly roomates.

 

[jagec]

Knock on their door with a flamethrower. When they open, hit them with a quick burst...just enough to burn all the hair off their bodies and crisp the edges of their wall posters. Then, calmly state "I think you need to do your share of kitchen cleanup from now on."

 

[VanTheMan]

Originally posted by: rezinn
Just talk to the person, don't be gay. I, on the other hand, just throw ****** away when it is left out rather than getting all pissy about it. If someone leaves too much crap out, I just put it infront of their door so it doesn't bug me.

We've all talked about it, but it doesn't really do much good. It's not really that they leave trash around. It's like used plates, pots with a little bit of spaghetti in them, bowls used to make pudding with some pudding left in them, dirt tracked in from outside, chainsaw on the back porch leaking oil onto the concrete, etc.

This extends beyond just the kitchen, though. Last night I had to clean the bathroom that the two downstairs guys use because it was so disgusting that I didn't want guests to accidentally wander in there instead of the guest bathroom (which I also cleaned). This was after two weeks of asking them to clean the bathroom. I think about 99% of the messes and filth can be contributed to the downstairs guys.

 

[VanTheMan]

Originally posted by: jagec
Knock on their door with a flamethrower. When they open, hit them with a quick burst...just enough to burn all the hair off their bodies and crisp the edges of their wall posters. Then, calmly state "I think you need to do your share of kitchen cleanup from now on."

If they keep the common area of the house in such poor condition, they've probably got dangerous, flammable stuff growing out of the crud in their rooms. I don't wanna risk blowing up the house! Now, if I could just localize the explosion to their rooms... :evil:

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

Topic Title: Ever had housemates that don't clean up after themselves?

Yes.

What did you do about it?

I moved out. I live alone now and only have to clean up after myself. A good buddy once told me, "the best way to lose a friend and make an enemy is to live with them."

 

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: VanTheMan
I have 4 housemates, all guys. Two of them pretty much do their part, one of them leaves messes sometimes and the last one doesn't really care about filth at all. I'm the only one who cleans stuff up all the time because I don't want to live in the mess, but I can't seem to motivate them to keep things clean. They're all longtime friends and it's not so bad that I want to move out.

Has anybody been in a similar situation? Any recommended solutions? I talked with one of them about assigning chores and imposing a penalty system. It would be something like "If you don't complete your chores on time, then you pay a dollar the first day, two dollars the second day, etc."

It's called compromise. You sound like a neat freak who will need to relax a little. If the rest of your roommates disagree with you, then you will need to relax a lot.

 

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: VanTheMan
This extends beyond just the kitchen, though. Last night I had to clean the bathroom that the two downstairs guys use because it was so disgusting that I didn't want guests to accidentally wander in there instead of the guest bathroom (which I also cleaned). This was after two weeks of asking them to clean the bathroom. I think about 99% of the messes and filth can be contributed to the downstairs guys.

Turn in your man card.

 

[imported_goku]

Just take all of their ****** that is making the room nasty, put it in a laundry bin and hang it by a rope out the window (perhaps a tree).

 

[I Saw OJ]

Some people are just slobs and there is nothing you can do about it. You can bitch at them and you will just get tired of it, and they will resent you for it.

My current situation is one just like yours. I'm sick and tired of cleaning up after people so I have just stopped doing it. I keep my stuff in my room, and do my own thing. I dont use the trash can in the kitchen, I take alll my trash directly out to the big garbage can outside. I dont use plates, I dont use pots, I dont use anything. I dont clean up after people, and now the house is a complete mess. I'm going to be moving out in about a month so I could care less.

Like I said, there isnt much you can do when people are just lazy ass f*cking slobs. Your best bet is to move out and find a place by yourself, thats what im doing, and I cant wait.

 

[VanTheMan]

Originally posted by: Garet Jax

Originally posted by: VanTheMan
I have 4 housemates, all guys. Two of them pretty much do their part, one of them leaves messes sometimes and the last one doesn't really care about filth at all. I'm the only one who cleans stuff up all the time because I don't want to live in the mess, but I can't seem to motivate them to keep things clean. They're all longtime friends and it's not so bad that I want to move out.

Has anybody been in a similar situation? Any recommended solutions? I talked with one of them about assigning chores and imposing a penalty system. It would be something like "If you don't complete your chores on time, then you pay a dollar the first day, two dollars the second day, etc."

It's called compromise. You sound like a neat freak who will need to relax a little. If the rest of your roommates disagree with you, then you will need to relax a lot.

I guess I'm more of a neat freak than the two messy housemates, but the other two and one of the messy ones all want the house to look better. Everybody gets worked up about it and complains. I just happen to be the one who actually tries to remedy the situation.

 

[VanTheMan]

Originally posted by: Garet Jax

Turn in your man card.

I'm gonna go ahead and keep my man card because I step up to the plate and get done what needs to be done. I'm not some anal retentive neat freak who needs everything spotless all the time. I just don't want splatters of explosive diarrhea from two weeks ago covering portions of the toilet bowl while the sink is full of facial hair remnants dumped out of an electric razor last month and there are pubes on the floor around the base of the toilet. Does that give you a little bit better picture of exactly what was going on Garet?