It's a safe bet that ten percent of all housemate related murders occur over the odd socks that litter the stairs and landings of shared houses. Where do they come from? Who knows. What you do know though is that your housemates are big washing machine hoggers and clothes horse overusers which leaves you with a pile of washing that's nearly the same height as you and a smell of sweaty clothes that means your boyfriend won't come anywhere near your room without a sweatshirt handy to tie around his nose and mouth - quarrantine style.
Here's how to deal.
Keep your washing powder in your room
This isn't like loo roll or toothpaste - washing powder is expensive - especially if you go for the liqui-gel stuff. Don't feel bad or miserly about keeping it stashed in your room rather than the kitchen cupboard otherwise it'll go in a flash and you'll end up pouring shampoo on top of your clothes to get them clean. If you don't give your housemates a chance to test your patience, they won't bug you.
Invest in some nan-esque drying options
Nans know a thing or two about housework you know - thanks to a fabulously patriachal system when they were younger, a lot of them are experts in it. So take laundry tips from them. Like those sock hangersthey've all got - which means you won't lose seven socks every time you do a wash. Or one of these shirt hangers which means your tops won't dry wrinkly and you've got more space on the old clothes horse for other stuff.
Get some clever clothes horses
Drying space is a nightmare in a shared house. Which is why your banisters, radiators and doors are covered in half damp sheets, jumpers and dresses. Not to mention the socks. Get inventive with your space; this clip on radiator clothes horse obviously helps things dry super quickly and doesn't take up much space, whereas this one is HEATED, which means your clothes dry in half the time. This one is the clear winner for those short on space, it attaches to the wall and folds away when you're done.
Consider other options
If all else fails on the drying front - head to your local launderette once you've washed the clothes. Our local is like a quid for half an hour so for two quid, and an hour of putting your feet up with a nice book, you've got nice warm and dry clothes that don't stink of your housemate's cigarette smoke.
Get your iron on
If you work in a place that requires you look smart when you go to work then you'll know that dry cleaning everything isn't an option because last time you checked you hadn't won the lottery. Bascially you need to iron but unfortunately your house doesn't have the space to store an ironing board. Check out this clever little thing then - an over the door fold down ironing board meaning it doesn't take up any space and doesn't require any fancy drilling. Finally you can be that girl that looks just as fancy as she's pretending to be.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.