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What to do about messy housemate?
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I live in a 5 person shared house. We all clean as we go which reduces the need for tension or having a chore list. I (and the other housmates) would hate to have a list telling us what to do.
Theres just one problem housemate that leaves his mess in the kitchen all the time. He will use all of his stuff (baking tray, cups, glasses, teapot, knives, forks and everything elese) and leave it on every surface in the kitchen. No one will do it for him as this isnt fair so I move everything on the side next to the sink (as a hint and so I can clean the table and the food prep area). It just stays there. With no room for anyone else to put anything there. His clothes are all over the floor like hes forever getting around to cleaning it, so I put it in a bag in his room. It comes out into the kitchen again in no time. He will leave smelly eggshells and walnut cases everywhere too. He does this to the garden too
Sorry for the rant there though XD Hes been told time and time again and doesnt seem to care. I refuse to be a nag, it wont help at all you know? Leading by example and gentle hints arent a help. I just want him to keep the shared area nice like the rest of us do as its such a lovely house!
What should we do? (it isnt just me being bothered by this at all).
Theres just one problem housemate that leaves his mess in the kitchen all the time. He will use all of his stuff (baking tray, cups, glasses, teapot, knives, forks and everything elese) and leave it on every surface in the kitchen. No one will do it for him as this isnt fair so I move everything on the side next to the sink (as a hint and so I can clean the table and the food prep area). It just stays there. With no room for anyone else to put anything there. His clothes are all over the floor like hes forever getting around to cleaning it, so I put it in a bag in his room. It comes out into the kitchen again in no time. He will leave smelly eggshells and walnut cases everywhere too. He does this to the garden too
Sorry for the rant there though XD Hes been told time and time again and doesnt seem to care. I refuse to be a nag, it wont help at all you know? Leading by example and gentle hints arent a help. I just want him to keep the shared area nice like the rest of us do as its such a lovely house!
What should we do? (it isnt just me being bothered by this at all).
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Comments
Eventually he will get the message.
I and another housemate once put all his washing up in the drainer and on the floor next to the back door. It just sat there instead. And I am always putting things into his room or on his bed. Doesnt do shit. Hes in his own little world. I havent been able to talk to him for 2 days as hes having a bad couple of days mood wise (happens now and again). I dont want to make him feel worse...
sorry to hear about your situation, that is really frustrating when someone doesnt do their fair share of the work especially if the rest of you are making effort, and i should know as i used to live in a 7 person student house (all female) and 2 people were messy as hell. despite drawing up a (fairly flexible) cleaning rota this had some althought little effect in the short term and absolutly no effect whatsoever in the longterm and the culprits totally went against the other housemates wishes even when it came to leaving their (washed) clothes in the washing machine for days at a time or never cleaning the bathroom etc etc.
have you though about trying a cleaning rota? i know you say you clean as you go but perhaps it could be worth a try for the four of you who do clean to be assertive and send a clear message that you all have to do your fair share.
or you could do what lea says above which is to put it all on his bed...i guess my only other suggestion would be basically to confront him about and say look if you dont do it we'll have to ask you to leave - sounds harsh and i dont know how long your living together for? - but its just not fair and you shouldnt have to put up with someone making so much mess and after awhile it will really get to you.
hope that helps!
Send him this
Sorry - couldn't resist! that probably wouldn't work but it does sound like littlechattabox22 might be on the right track with advice to talk to him. It doesn't have to be a confrontation - perhaps you could have a house meal or a house meeting where you bring it out into the open and explain how you are all feeling about it. Perhaps being prepared to compromise might be a good idea - saying you understand that sometimes it's nice not to have to wash up straight after you eat but when he does this, asking him to keep his dirty dishes out of the way in a certain box/cupboard until he has time to do it over the next couple of days.
Probably best to have a bit of awkwardness over this conversation than let resentment build up
not everybody is co-operative in life.
:yes:
nothing worse than messy kitchens.
that's just mea.
i'm mean!
you could always try excluding him as well. no, seriously. if he finds out that he's being excluded from what the others are doing, he may sense something is wrong and try to fix it.