Filthy Dorm Life?

[kittendog41]

Not sure if this only happens in my game or?? But every time I send a sim to University to live in a dorm/sorority etc, absolutely NONE of the other housemates ever clean up after themselves. I noticed it the most when I was playing my alien sim Asewuk who has the neat trait, so I had the option to 'clean house' and every single day she would make all the beds, do the dishes, pick up dirty clothes, put the books away and I'm pretty sure she was the only one who did laundry or repaired a single thing for the entire term. Might I add that while doing all this she still managed to study every night and complete her degree perfect <3 But anyhow, is that just a glitch or is it supposed to represent the laziness of real university life? hahaha

[strongsoylatte]

It happens in mine too. At one point, there was almost no room left to eat in because the dining room was covered in dirty dishes. And it's like no one bothers to bathe. They'd only go to the bathroom to chat. It's really annoying and disgusting. At first, I let my sim clean up but I was trying to gain a high social group influence so I ended up hiring a butler to clean up after them. I also replaced the toilets/showers with the all-in-one bathroom because I noticed that they would at least make an effort to go to the toilet so at least that would kill two birds with one stone.

[kittendog41]

Next time I go to uni, I'm going with the butler idea! I have problems with dishes too but clothes are the worst in my dorms, they end up in big stinky piles on the ground! The only reason my sim could manage cleaning the whole thing was because she was an alien and didn't need to sleep so she spent that time cleaning up the filthy dorm so everyone wouldn't have bad moodlets in the morning. How nice of her!

[strongsoylatte]

I removed all washing machines, dryers, and hampers in my dorm (and even in my household) because it's just annoying. It's great to get the clean clothes/sheets moodlets but it also adds another task for them to do. If I tell my sims to do laundry, they'd stand for a while in front of the hamper/dirty clothes before picking it up. Then it takes them a few more seconds to actually pick up the clothes. Then more standing there before they actually begin to walk. Then they'll go around the entire dorm to pick up all the clothes before they actually head to the washing machine. By the time they get the clothes into the washer, it's like 3am. That is if they actually get to the washer and not just stop midway and drop all the clothes in a pile on the floor.

I wish the butler would automatically do laundry but in my experience, they don't. They wait till my sims put the clothes in the washer. Then they'll just transfer it to the dryer and get the clean clothes after.

[Steellace]

I haven't tried the butler idea in a dorm, but I have tried a Bonehilda, and she did pretty well.  When she gets stuck on an unproductive activity, I just dismiss her and call her back out, and that seems to work pretty well. 

I have also made changes that significantly helped.  I also removed all hampers and washers/dryers, and I spend some money on modifications.  I upgrade the stove and fridge, add a dishwasher and trash compactor (and fire alarm!), and upgrade showers and toilets.  I've found since doing so that the roommates tend to wash dishes more often when they can just throw them in the dishwasher.  Also, they seem to like to serve meals, which can be put into the fridge and not spoil.  They still won't clean the showers or toilets, but they don't seem to get dirty as quickly (might be my imagination), and they certainly don't break as often.

Like Strongsoylatte, I usually get rid of the laundry stuff in my homes.  It's tedious to maintain in the game, and butlers, maids, etc., don't reliably take care of it.  Besides, I hate doing laundry, lol.

[_Annika_]

I usually modify the dorm in buy/build and give my sim an ensuite and kitchenette, lock all the other sims out, and try to make a direct path from the front door to my sim's room so they don't have to deal with the mess.

[Magpie2012]

Hmm my game must be weird then because I've never had problems with mess in the dorms. Granted I've only sent sims to Uni four times for the maximum length.

[kittendog41]

Omg, I've never thought of just simply removing the washine machine and laundry hampers, I'm definitely doing that next time lol, and I'll take a handy sim to make everything self cleaning also, dragging dishes into the trash is always a good idea if your sim doesn't have the time to clean them all

[Steellace]

What I really like is that when you play multiple generations as I do, any upgrades or modifications you make stay with the dorm.  So, as long as you pick the same place to live with each student, you have the upgrades you've made before.  I'll have to take a handy sim to school next to make everything self-cleaning.  What a great idea!

Also, related to the dragging of plates.  After a long night of partying ... er, I mean studying ... they don't always have time to eat before class.  if you have leftovers in the fridge, you can opened it up while the student is in class and drag a leftover into the backpack.  Then you can make them grab a plate between classes and drag the plate back to the fridge before it spoils. 

[strongsoylatte]

Hmm my game must be weird then because I've never had problems with mess in the dorms. Granted I've only sent sims to Uni four times for the maximum length.

You're lucky. I seem to always get stuck with messy roommates. The first couple of times, I've had roommates die because they refuse to take care of themselves. Then my sims would get the mourning moodlet. And then right before the moodlet goes away, another one would die. It's so annoying. I eventually just decided to remodel the dorm to make self care easier for the NPCs.

Also, related to the dragging of plates.  After a long night of partying ... er, I mean studying ... they don't always have time to eat before class.  if you have leftovers in the fridge, you can opened it up while the student is in class and drag a leftover into the backpack.  Then you can make them grab a plate between classes and drag the plate back to the fridge before it spoils. 

Another thing I do (because I always forget to return the plate to the fridge before it spoils) is stock their inventories with fruits. I usually keep a garden in my household and stock the fridge with produce. So before I send a sim to uni, I transfer some fruits into their inventory. Or I let them harvest some of the wild plants around campus if the season permits.

[Magpie2012]

Be very careful about dragging stuff into dishwashers and trashcans. I think there's a thread somewhere on Carl's about that causing glitches! Turns out sometimes the plate/rubbish gets caught "between" being there and being gone and this can cause issues

[Sindocat]

This supposes that you have already purchased the "Observant" LTR, and are ready to chat up everyone around at the Student Union meet-&-greet when you arrive.

Rent a house for the term - they are cheap - and get to know the other students. Then befriend a sim who has the "Neat" trait, and ask them to be roommates. They will clean up after themselves and, if you are rushed, after your sim as well.

Or hire a butler, who are "Neat" by default. But a roommate will actually pay you, rather than the other way around.

[strongsoylatte]

Be very careful about dragging stuff into dishwashers and trashcans. I think there's a thread somewhere on Carl's about that causing glitches! Turns out sometimes the plate/rubbish gets caught "between" being there and being gone and this can cause issues

Oh I didn't know that. I always drag things to save time. Yikes!

[MagpieC]

Dorms don't have washing machines so you avoid that problem at least but they do tend to leave showers, toilets etc. dirty and dorms also usually have a dishwasher/garbage disposal so relatively little in the way of dirty dishes. Sorrorities & Fraternities do have washing I don't remember about dishwasher etc. (the  first time I sent one of my sims to university I tried a Sorority and got annoyed by the dirty clothes and used Dorms from then on) so Sororities & Fraternities are always going to be dirtier.