Dear Neat;

This is a problem many college students find themselves facing. The first thing you need to do is sit down and talk to your roommate. Calmly and rationally explain to them that their messy habits are making you uncomfortable. Let them know that you want to bring people into your shared living space and would hate to embarrass them by allowing a stranger see their dirty underwear strewn across the floor.

In my experience, your roommate will most likely respect you for approaching them and talking face-to-face rather than behind their back or leaving passive-aggressive sticky notes for them to find. They are likely to respond by making more of an effort to keep your shared living space clean.

If that doesn’t work, I would go to your resident assistant and let them know about the problem. Resident assistants have received training to resolve these types of issues and will most likely work with both you and your roommate to solve the problem.

If problems persist, you may need to approach the Department of Residence about getting a new roommate but be sure to request a clean roomie!