5 Household Student Skills

So you're living away from home for the first time, and you think you're ready for your first independent living experience, right? Well take it from us, there are bound to be situations ahead when you're at a complete loss as to what to do. We have put together a guide to those basic household student skills that you've never thought to learn.

1 - Doing Laundry

Firstly, separate your colours, whites, and delicates (such as silks) into individual loads. Items like towels that could leave fluff over your clothes should also be separated. Go through your pockets and remove anything if not you'll be picking out bits of tissue for the next few months. Turn jeans inside out to retain the colour and pay attention to care labels. Make sure you wash items at the right temperature - too hot and they might shrink, too cold and it won't get clean! Finally, always follow the directions on your washing powder/liquid and you should be fine!

2 - Boiling an Egg

Should be simple, but even the best chefs get it wrong! Firstly, never use a refrigerated egg; you'll get much better results from those at room temperature. Set a small pan to boil on the stove, with just enough water to cover the egg. Prick the fat end of the egg with a pin to stop it cracking, and drop it carefully into the boiling water. Now, for the important part! For a soft boiled egg with a runny yolk and lightly cooked white, boil for no longer than 3 minutes. For a hard boiled egg with solid white and yolk, boil for 8 minutes.

3 - Changing a Light bulb

Switch off the light that you'll be changing, and allow the existing bulb to cool before touching it. Twist the bulb anticlockwise until it is free - if it is a bayonet bulb it will only take one twist; a screw bulb will take slightly longer. Fetch your replacement bulb, making sure it's the same wattage as the original. Don't touch the new bulb with your bare hands, as you could damage the filament inside. Screw the bulb back in clockwise

4 - Defrosting your freezer

Your first task should be emptying the freezer. Once your freezer is empty (remove the drawers/ice tray also), unplug and leave the door open, putting some old towels around the bottom to soak up the inevitable deluge of water. Boil the kettle and fill a bowl with the water. Place the bowl in the centre of the freezer and use a cloth to spread the warmth around. Remove any large chunks of ice by hand, and then refill the bowl with boiling water and let the steam go to work. Repeat until all the ice is gone, dry off with a towel and you're good to go.

5 - Dusting

Empty the room entirely. This requires moving furniture as well as smaller items in the room, and you may need a helping hand. Put on some good music or a movie to entertain yourself while dusting. Get a*dust rag or a feather duster and begin dusting at the highest points of the room such as ceiling fans or the tops of window frames.Scrub and sanitize the woodwork and floors in the room thoroughly to remove all dust which may have accumulated. After dusting, many people forget that the dust eventually settles somewhere. If the room is carpeted, then vacuum the room.