The Clean Freak:

There is one of these in every single household. And to be fair, they are extremely useful. No one likes sitting around in a disgusting bachelor pad, and with 3 or 4 (or more) people living in a house, regular cleaning becomes essential. Especially for the guys (no joke your houses are terrifying).

Now, there is one main issue with this roommate, and that is their “dirty house” threshold is probably a lot lower than most peoples’. Therefore, they feel the urge to clean long before other roommates do, meaning they feel like they’re the ones doing all the cleaning, because they are the ones doing all the cleaning. No one else thinks it’s a problem, so no one else cleans. I am absolutely guilty of this. I’ll clean the bathroom when I think it needs cleaned; if it never gets to the point where I think it needs cleaned (because you keep cleaning it before it gets there), you will never see me cleaning the bathroom.

As a result, they will often assign “cleaning schedules.” Something like this:

And, since we’re all adults, this can come off as a little annoying. More than annoying actually; you’re not in grade school anymore, you don’t have chores. But having said that, here are a couple ways you can react.

High Road: Talk to them. Just ask why the “cleaning schedule” was made. Gather your other roommates at the same time so everyone can hash out everything out in the open. It might be that your super clean roommate is completely OCD and can’t handle so much as a speck of dust on the back of the toilet. In that case just humor her and wipe the bathroom down with a paper towel after you use it. It can’t be that difficult, and you come off as slightly more mature, even if it is just faking nice.

Low Road: Don’t do anything. Completely ignore the cleaning schedule until she approaches you like an adult. And by adult, we mean coming to you and asking for a little help around the house. That counts, and yes you should be helping out around the house. She’s not your mother, after all.

The “Quiet Time” Nazi:

Ah, the QTN. This is the roommate who’s noise schedule revolves around her only. I’ve had many, many an encounter with this roommate. I once lived with a girl that wanted no lights on at night, so I would stay up in the living room and do homework when she went to bed, and expected the same to happen when I worked nightshifts and slept during the day. It didn’t though. She’d have people over, turn the radio on, talk on the phone in our room, it was a disaster.

High Road: Be quiet. Sorry, but there’s not a lot here to discuss. Be quiet and you shouldn’t have anymore problems.

Low Road: If you live in the dorms, you can push it clear until quiet hours start (usually around 10:00). But if you have your own place, I say use strength in numbers. If you’re planning on having a party, and she wants to relax in solitude, tell her too bad. People are coming over and if she wants quiet time than go to her boyfriend’s house. Or a hotel. Or just come downstairs and drink with everyone else for crying out loud.

The Diva:

This is the roommate who thinks the world revolves around them. When they say “jump” you say “how high.” When they need something (first in the shower tomorrow) you are expected to immediately let them have it.

High Road: Offer to compromise, immediately. If they want something, offer a trade for it. That way they get what they want, and you get at least something out of the deal. No trade? No deal.

Low Road: Do the opposite. Sound a bit juvenile? It is, and it’s worth it. I once had a roommate like this and I was at the complete end of my rope. If she needed something I found a way to have that specific thing first. She wanted to watch American Idol? Well we were ALL already watching a Friends marathon. She wanted first shower? I’d have my ass up at 4:00 in the morning draining our apartment of hot water. Immature and a pain in the ass? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.