What are some nice and subtle things I can do to have my roomate keep the house clean?

ooooooh, i've had this problem before... i guess it depends on what type of approach you'd like to take.

mine was as follows:

i had a roommate who never picked up after herself, mainly dishes and such. now, being a patient person, i don't much mind picking up the occasional glass or plate and putting it in the dishwasher, but this got out of hand.

this roommate would leave her pots and pans dirty on the stove, bowls of cereal milk on the coffee table, and cups with a half inch of liquid molding on window sills.

ew.

as we shared our dishes, i eventually started using only one glass, one plate, one bowl, and one set of silverware... which i kept clean and in my bedroom. the roommate got the picture after about a week of eating nothing but fast food because she was too lazy to do her dishes.

if you aren't quite that passive-agressive, you could simply leave a note and ask for your roommate to please be considerate of the space you share, ie, "please keep your messes confined to your personal space".

lol... or you could ask for the roommate to start chipping in for the maid you just hired. :)

good luck!

Tell the roomie to help clean or you'll throw it away. If after a week still nothing is done take everything they leave lying around and put into a trash bag and hide it in a closet. When the roomie questions you tell them you asked them to clean and they didn't so you threw it away. After they calm down and finish screaming pull it out of the closet and give it to them and tell them its the last and only warning, next time they won't get it back.

hi, try going out and getting a few cleaning supplies; like dishwashing liquid, air fresheners, scented candles, etc. and leaving them in sight of where your roomie will be sure to see them..

Try: "Could you please clean up the messes you make, or I will be forced to hire someone to do it for you and charge you for their services. Thank you for your cooperation." Works every time!