Cleaning and Maintenance
Cleaning and Care of Rental Units
Residents are responsible for the regular cleaning and care of the fixtures in the units they rent. Neglect, prolonged lack of cleaning, and careless use may cause damage. The university does not provide general cleaning supplies or household chemicals. The below guidelines may help to preserve the appearance, durability, and functionality of student unit fixtures.
Countertops: The formica countertops in bathrooms and kitchens can be damaged by burns, stains, and scratches. Residents should take care not to sit hot cookware, irons, or curling irons directly on countertops, or to cut directly on the countertops without a cutting board. Stains from juices, gelatin, and other foods can usually be removed by rubbing pure bleach on the stained area within a few days.
Showers and tubs: G Building and some of the handicap-accessible apartments have fiberglass showers. These can be cleaned with a basic tub cleaning solution and a rag or sponge. Abrasive cleaners, steel wool, or sandpaper may damage the surface coating. The rest of the apartments and Banfield Hall have high-quality corian walls for the shower or tub enclosures. Corian requires minimal cleaner with a sponge and general cleaner. All showers, if cleaned with a solution with mildew and soap scum remover, will leave surfaces more attractive and help to reduce soap buildup.
Sinks and drains: Hair should be removed from drains, and residents should not wash off mud, grass, or other substances in the shower or sinks that may cause clogs or backup. Grease or caustic chemicals should not be poured down drains. If a sink or a shower is not draining properly, students should attempt to plunge the drain or submit a work order rather than using clog-removing chemicals such as Drano. These may deteriorate certain pipes in housing.
Toilets: The only substance that should be flushed down toilets (other than human waste) is toilet paper. Feminine products, paper towels, condoms, and other waste does not dissolve properly and will clog toilets. Overflowing toilets are not only inconvenient but potential health hazards, and staff do not like to deal with them any more than residents do, especially when this mishap can be avoided.
Drapes, upholstery, and mattresses: Draperies should not be washed; they are dry clean only. Damages to curtain hooks that cause drapes to droop can be repaired if a work order is submitted. Upholstery on student furniture has been stain treated and should be fairly easy to clean with soap and water or a household upholstery cleaner. However, leaving stains and spills untreated will make cleaning more difficult. The material on couches, chairs, and mattresses might also deteriorate if chemicals, grease, or heat come in contact with it.
Carpeting: Spills on carpets should be blotted with soap and water, and persistent stains should be treated with carpet stain remover.
Refrigerator and microwave: Both the refrigerator and microwave should be wiped out with non-abrasive cleaners on a regular basis. Spills and expired food should be removed to prevent bacteria from growing where several people store and prepare food. Discolored meat, green cheese, chunky milk, and hairy tupperware contents are all indicators that it may be time to clean out the refrigerator.
Oven and stovetop: Spills and grease should be cleaned regularly from the stovetop. Coil burners can be removed and replaced with gentle pulling and pushing so that drip pans can be emptied and scrubbed out occasionally. Grease should also be cleaned from the hood above the stove. A silver grease trap screen can be removed and soaked in soapy water from time to time to make the hood fan more effective. Most ovens in student apartments are self-cleaning models. For the few that are not, an oven cleaner should be used as described in the instructions on the can. Residents should use rubber gloves when handling this abrasive cleaner. To use the self-cleaning feature of most apartment ovens, residents should follow the following directions carefully:
- Turn the OVEN TEMP dial to “CLEAN”
- Turn the SELECTOR dial to “LOCK-UNLOCK”
- Slide the door lock to the right
- Turn the SELECTOR dial to “CLEAN”
- Push in the STOP button and advance the timer 2 hours. The oven is now in self-cleaning mode.
- After the cycle is complete and the oven has cooled completely, slide the door lock lever to the left. Turn both the SELECTOR and OVEN TEMP dials to “OFF.” The door should open and the oven can be used regularly.
Pets
Several problems are associated with pets staying in any university-owned housing unit. Among them are odor, noise, mess, damages, and health issues such as allergies. For these reasons, the only pets that can be kept in residence hall or apartment housing are fish and aquatic amphibians that can be kept in a full tank of water. This may include salamanders and frogs. Aquatic reptiles, including turtles, are not permitted due to their tendency to carry and transmit salmonella. Stray animals should be taken to the Gastineau Humane Society.
Students found with an unauthorized pet inside a UAS facility will be subject to a $50-100 fine (for each resident of the room) plus any cleaning or repair costs associated with the presence of the pet, possible judicial action, and the appropriate, immediate removal of the pet. Unapproved pets may not even visit student residences for short periods. Additionally, animals cannot be kept or kenneled in vehicles for an extended period of time.
Two exceptions to this rule are guide dogs for the handicapped (approved by the Disability Support Services Coordinator) and full-time professional live-in staff members, who are permitted to have small pets in the privacy of their university-owned apartments, as approved by the Director. These staff members are required to pay a refundable cleaning deposit of $250 upon confirmation of employment with the college, or when they obtain the pet. Additionally, there may be one dog residing on campus that is cared for by one of the live-in professional staff members to remain in the Lodge during workdays for students to visit with. For more information, refer to the Lodge Dog section of this handbook.
Trash Disposal
Residents are expected to remove household trash from their apartments regularly for sanitation reasons. Trash is to be carried to one of the two dumpster sheds. It is important to secure both locks on the doors to prevent bears and other wildlife from accessing the dumpsters. Trash should at no time be left on porches, in Banfield corridors, or outside of the dumpster sheds. Banfield residents are expected to carry trash from their suites to the dumpster rather than filling up lobby trash cans. Trash that is improperly disposed of and that can be identified will result in a trash removal fine that will be assessed to the offender or shared between all members of the suite/apartment if a specific individual within that unit cannot be identified. Trash, garbage bags, boxes, and other refuse is unsightly, congests walkways, and may cause health or wildlife risks. Non-residents are prohibited from dumping garbage in the campus housing dumpsters. Likewise, furniture, batteries and oil, large household appliances, mattresses, computer monitors, and other sizeable or toxic substances may not be disposed of in the dumpsters. Residents wishing to dispose of these objects must transport them to the city landfill.
Recycling
UAS Student Government sponsors a campus-wide recycling program that is widely utilized in student housing. Each apartment has been provided with a blue recycle bin, which is expected to remain in the unit and to be used solely for recycling items. The replacement cost for these bins is $25 each. The housing recycling shed is located next to the E-Building dumpster shed and is accessible to residents. Inside, sorting bins are clearly marked and residents are asked to carefully sort their recycling to make the job of the student Recycling Coordinators easier. Additionally, smaller recycling receptacles are located inside the front entries of the Lodge and Banfield Hall. Recycling is generally removed regularly once during the week and once on the weekend. UAS recycles the following materials:
- glass
- aluminum and tin cans
- #1 and #2 plastics
- cardboard
- mixed paper (including colored paper, cereal boxes, junk mail, and egg cartons)
- magazines and newspaper
- white office paper
- plastic grocery bags
Damages
Restitution for damages to one’s room or furnishings will be taken from the $200 security deposit, and any additional costs will be charged outright to the student’s account. Upon check-out, or when a resident has been found to vacate his or her room, the condition of the room and its contents will be compared to the conditions documented in the Room Condition Form that was completed when the resident assumed occupancy of the unit. Anything other than regular wear and tear will be charged to the student’s account. This might include damages to walls, broken desk or dresser drawers, torn or stained mattresses or draperies, burn marks, broken windows or mirrors, carpet stains, smoke and other odors, etc.. Additionally, missing furniture, trash cans, mattress pads, etc., will be charged to the student’s account. Damages identified during the semester may be charged to a resident’s student account at the time the damages are discovered, and the damages will be repaired at that time.
For damages to common areas within the living unit, such as to apartment living rooms, kitchens, halls, and bathrooms, as well to Banfield suite entryways and bathrooms, the roommates will be questioned and the resident responsible for the damages will be charged. If the staff is unable to determine responsibility, the replacement or repair costs will be split between all residents of the suite or apartment and assessed accordingly. Residents are responsible for the behavior of their guests, so damages caused by non-residents will be charged to the resident who was hosting the individual(s) who caused the damage. Residents are encouraged to report such damages to their CA when they occur to avoid being held financially responsible, in part, for the damages. Additionally, any resident found to be responsible for damages to or defacement of common areas such as lobbies, porches, the exterior of buildings, or any structures or grounds on university property will be charged accordingly.
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