That time of the semester is approaching. As finals week dawns upon us, a number of us will inevitably be going back home for the summer, which means cleaning out that den you call an apartment before leaving. We at the Clog understand that this can be a struggle, especially during finals week when it feels like everything around you is falling to pieces. Here are some tips for cleaning out your apartment:

Start early in the day

Cleaning up can get messy. It’s best to start sooner and get it done earlier rather than later in the day — that way you can wash off all the grime with a shower and devote your time to something else for the rest of the day.

Take it slow

Cleaning up is difficult, and without fail you’re likely to have accumulated a lot of unnecessary junk here at Cal. Instead of trying to get it all done at once, clean up slowly. Divide and conquer: don’t clean out all your stuff in one day. Sometimes it’s better to clean out a different room each day — that way you don’t get exhausted and you can ensure you did a good job.

Divide up responsibilities

More likely than not you live with roommates. Instead of carrying the burden of cleaning the apartment yourself, enlist the help of your roommates to clean the communal areas of your apartment, such as the kitchen, living room and bathroom — that way everyone is contributing and you can get the job done a lot faster!

Make sure you have all the supplies

This seems like something so obvious but it’s so important. Before you start the whole cleaning process make sure you have enough Swiffer refills, wet wipes, kitchen towel rolls, trash bags, gloves, surface cleaner and a duster — that way you won’t have to stop the cleaning process in the middle to go out and buy supplies.

Organization is key

The most important thing when it comes to cleaning is to approach it methodically. If you simultaneously try and clean up the entire apartment in one go, you’ll end up creating more of a mess and you’ll be exhausted. Take a moment to organize how you want to approach your cleaning out process, whether you want to start with washing sheets or cleaning out your desk, and then execute your plan.

Cleaning out your apartment is a messy process (excuse the pun), but it is essential for us as we learn to adult. We at the Clog hope these cleaning tips help you have a more organized last week in Berkeley before returning home.