He Said/She Said

He Said/She Said

by Drew Riebhoff/Flipside Editor & Bailey Harris/Staff Writer

Dear Drew and Bailey,My roommate recently started working out all the time, and he’s leaving all his sweaty workout clothes just lying around and not washing them and now our room is starting to smell. What do I do?-Dirty in Detroit

He Said…Gross!! While I give snaps to your roommate for having the gumption to work out and improve his bod, he loses points for being a skank and not doing the laundry. Straight boys tend to forget that a reeking room is a guaranteed way to kill the mood, so if you or him ever plan on getting laid again, you should fix this issue soon.If he’s leaving his clothes all over the apartment you can start by piling them up, hopefully he’ll notice that the reeking pile is growing and get the hint and wash them. Or if the smell is that bad, go to CostCo and buy some air fresheners and Febreeze in bulk to keep your room from smelling too bad.If he does have a girlfriend or just a good friend thats a girl, you could always get her to do the laundry, or if she’s domestically challenged, you could at least talk to her, and maybe she can talk some sense into him. And you could always just start doing his laundry for him. I know it sounds a little odd, but if it’s bugging you that much, maybe after the first couple times he’ll notice, get the hint and do it himself.But if the pile of clothes, massive amounts of air freshener or people doing his laundry for him doesn’t make it clear, you can always just tackle the issue head on and call him out. If you’re good enough friends, he shouldn’t get too upset, and when you explain to him that his reeking laundry is sure to prevent any females from wanting to stay over, I’m bet he’ll be more than willing to do his laundry. Then your room will stop smelling, laundry will be done and everyone will be happy, in more ways than one.

She Said…Ok, gross. It’s one thing to put off a pile of barely worn jeans for a week or two, but leaving smelly workout clothes is another thing entirely. No one wants to be known for their disgusting room, and good luck getting any girls to hang around when your apartment smells like jock strap.You could start by throwing around hints, and passively adding air fresheners to all the rooms. If he doesn’t take the hint, and you’re still afraid of confrontation, invite a couple girls or outspoken friends over while he’s around. They’re sure to loudly complain about the smell and put your roommate on the spot. If Tommy-Poor-Hygiene still doesn’t catch on, tell him his stuff reeks and if he doesn’t start doing laundry or confine his crap to his room, you’re just going to have to throw it out. Offer to teach the chump how to pour detergent and push some buttons. Offer to call his mother for him and beg her to help you out.But for God’s sake, don’t let the poor guy continue living ignorantly in his own filth! Not only is it unhealthy for him, but it’s a disgusting habit and he’s probably successfully cock-blocking both of you because of his nasty clothes. And hey, if worse comes to worse, get out of there! Explain your unfortunate situation to your CA or whomever and find a cleaner, more responsible roommate. Maybe that will be the shock he needs to force him to get off his lazy butt and take care of himself. Hopefully this guy will get the hint one way or another so that he doesn’t have his mom doing his laundry for the rest of his life, but if you have to move, you have to move. Just man up and tell him to get his crap together so you can both be healthy and clean again.