On Feb. 2, Meredith College residential students, including students in the Oaks Apartments, received an email from the Residence Life team outlining a new procedure for requesting cleaning for mildew in their rooms and bathrooms. In the email, Residence Life said that “[a]s part of [their] commitment to maintaining a safe and comfortable living environment, [Residence Life has] been working with campus housekeeping to address concerns about common mildew growth.”
The email from Residence Life further explains that students can place a work order as they would for other commonplace issues, and in the description section of the order, students are to list a two-hour block of time between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. the next day that their room will be vacant for Housekeeping services to complete the cleaning. According to the Feb. 2 email, the two-hour block is necessary for the room to air out the bleach-based cleaning solution. To prepare for the treatment, students are to clear the room of all belongings so they will not be damaged by any residual treatment.
Dean of Students Ann Gleason is currently supervising the Office of Residence Life, and she told The Herald on behalf of the Office that the email sent was primarily to notify students of the “new bleach-based solution to treat mildew” so that they could prevent damage to their belongings. She said, “The Office of Residence Life sent out an email to resident students to provide instructions that were provided by the housekeeping coordinator. The goal of the email was to make students aware of [what] the process involved.”
Regarding the updated treatment, Dean Gleason explained, “In many buildings and homes that are located in the South, it is common for high humidity and precipitation to result in mildew growth.” She also told The Herald that “Residence Life takes student concerns seriously, and [they]remind students to use the facilities work order system so that [Residence Life] can continue to respond to their needs.”
The Residence Life Team encourages students with any questions to reach out to their Residence Director or Apartment Manager.
By Cady Stanley, Associate Editor
Photo by Shae-Lynn Henderson, EIC