Cleaning
Cleaning. Everyone's favorite chore that is sometimes (more often than not) neglected. But a clean house is a happy house. It's a great stress reliever.
trash
In Japan, you must sort your trash into different categories, place that trash into the correctly labeled bag (depending on where exactly you live and how your town handles trash), and then place that trash into the common receptacle on the correct day of the correct week of the month. It sounds difficult, but it's actually really easy. We'll teach you how!
A great guide on how to separate your garbage! 100% in English.
Another guide to garbage disposal with advice on how to be more eco-friendly! Please protect our planet.
Cleaning Supplies
Kabi Killer and Kabi Fighter
These two products are used for dealing with mold (which is easy to get in this humid environment).
Dish Soap
The word for dish soap in Japanese is 食器用洗剤 (しょっきようせんざい) and can be found in any supermarket, drug store, or even 100 yen store.
bleach
Don't look for a plain white bottle! Look for this pretty bottle instead.
This blog goes more in-depth with cleaning products. You can usually tell what the product is by looking at the bottle, but just in case check out this site. You don't want to buy glass cleaner and use it for in your kitchen sink. Be careful!
Or check out this blog for even more options!
Caring For your bathtub
In Japan, people wash their bathtubs every single day. Why? Because they only get in the tub after they have already showered and they believe that washing the tub for about 1 minute each day is better than trying to scrub off any grime which would build up from waiting longer. Instead of teaching you, I'll let Rachel and Jun do it, because they made such an interesting video.
In this "Idiot's Guide to Japanese Apartments" along with their other "Idiot's Guide" videos, Jun and Rachel teach you how to survive moving to Japan as a foreigner with minimal knowledge of how to live in this country. While a lot of the things they talk about are easy to figure out on your own, or maybe even wouldn't directly relate to your own situation, these videos are a fun way to learn about how to care for your Japanese apartment.
Caring For Your Tatami
It might be your first time living with tatami, so here are some tips on how to properly care for it!
The easiest way to clean your tatami is to vacuum! Always make sure to vacuum along the grain to avoid damaging it.
For deeper cleaning, use a dry cloth and wipe along the grain. Don't use a wet cloth because tatami is highly absorbent and mold may grow.
To prevent smells from sticking to your tatami, use a small amount of regular vinegar and wipe it down with a cotton cloth. You can also find cleaners such as 畳用クリーナー (たたみようクリーナー).
Mold Prevention
It gets very humid in Japan and if your place isn't ventilated properly it's highly susceptible to mold. Follow these steps and you should be good to go.
Ventilation
Open air vents, leave a window slightly open, or use a fan to circulate the air in your apartment. Ventilate your bathroom after or during a shower or bath.
dehumidifiers
Use electric or disposable dehumidifiers. Put the disposable dehumidifiers in your closets and corners of your apartment.
They also make disposable dehumidifiers which can be hung with your clothes. Especially things that you won't wear for a long time, like coats and heavy jackets, can become moldy when you aren't using them.
Bathtub mold
To prevent mold in your bathtub and shower, you should wide down the surfaces after each use with either a sponge or a squeegee.
Tatami mold
If you find mold on your tatami, use ethanol (エタノール) and scrub it with a toothbrush. You can also use Kabi Killer depicted in "Cleaning Supplies" above.
BUGS
Since burning down your apartment is not an option, here's a guide for dealing with these lovely creatures. *WARNING* Contains photo's full of nightmares. Enjoy!
Bug Battle Plan.pdfBugs and pests
A packet full of bug descriptions and how to deal with them. No, you can't burn down your apartment. Stop asking!