Hey First-Years,
Welcome to the third installment of our Life at Barnard blog series! Today's theme is all about being a floor-mate in the quad. Beyond your room, you’ll also be living on a floor with other people. You’ll share bathrooms, a floor lounge, and a laundry room with your floor mates. Let’s talk about proper etiquette and how to be respectful of these shared spaces:
- Bathrooms
- Floor bathrooms are cleaned twice daily by facilities staff (seriously, some of the best and nicest people on campus), but that doesn’t mean you can just trash it. Be respectful to facilities not just in your dorm, but every part of campus! If you spill a bottle of shampoo on the floor clean it up.
- Always remember to flush the toilet.
- If you get water/toothpaste all over the counter, wipe it down with paper towels.
- Make sure you take all of your items out of the shower when you leave (including hair that’s on the wall or drain).
- It may be a little gross, but the extra 30 seconds you take to keep the bathroom clean makes a huge difference for the people who use it after you and enables everyone to have a clean and happy bathroom experience.
- Floor Lounges
- Floor lounges are community gathering spaces. In each lounge, there’s a TV, a kitchenette with a stove, oven, sink, and microwave, and couches and tables to hang out at and do work. If you ever do any cooking your first year, it will be done in the floor lounge. As such, it’s really important that you respect the space. After you cook in the lounge, wipe down the counter and stove top. Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink and especially don’t try to put food down the drain (there’s no garbage disposal in the lounge sinks). Just try and keep it neat and clean.
- Laundry
- We all need clean clothes, so you will need to do laundry at some point. Be considerate of how you’re using the laundry room.
- Don’t use all the washers and dryers at once if you can help it (unless it’s like 3 AM).
- After using a machine, be prompt about removing your clothes. We’re talking 10 minutes TOPS here. I (Nina) always set a timer when I’m doing my laundry so I know when the cycle will be done and I can go get my clothes. People will need to use the machines after you.
- Wet clothes can begin to smell moldy if they sit in the washer for too long and dry clothes will get wrinkly if they stay in the dryer.
- If you go to a machine and it’s not on, but people’s clothes are in the drum, wait 5-10 before removing someone’s clothes to put your own it. Give them the benefit of the doubt that they’re running a little late to finish their laundry. If you do remove someone’s clothes, place them on top of the machine or on a table in the laundry room.
- ALWAYS REMOVE DRYER LINT FROM THE MACHINE. For you laundry novices, lint collects in the lint trap during a dry cycle. You should always remove the lint from the machine before you start it. It’s rare, but sometimes the lint can catch fire if the dryer gets really hot and there’s a lot of lint buildup. (This has happened multiple times in Columbia dorms) Even better, be a kind launderer and remove the lint from the trap after you remove your clothes.
- Laundry detergent - you need less than you think. Don’t overfill the machines with detergents because you can cause a huge sudsy bubble overload. If you’re using laundry pods, as opposed to a liquid detergent, then be especially careful not to overfill the machine with clothes. If the machine is too full, the pods won’t dissolve fully and can leave a slimy plastic residue on your clothes and the machine. (Side note: the pods go IN the machine with your clothes, not in the liquid detergent tray)
(Don't be like Paris; only use the amount of detergent you need)
Whew, now you know how to be a great floor-mate! We hope this information is helpful, and we will see you all soon!
