Akin to spring cleaning, White Glove, BJU’s annual cleaning of the residence halls, is scheduled for this Saturday.

Over the years, students have developed many ways to make the day enjoyable.

Student creativity shines during White Glove.

Pajama day, Disney music marathons, homemade contraptions and secret stashes students manage to create or find until after room check add an element of fun.

While a few dedicated students use the entire week leading up to it to spot check their rooms, the vast majority procrastinate or intentionally choose to begin bulldozing through early Saturday morning.

“Sometimes I wash my sheets the week before because [laundry’s] always busy [and] I like to color-coordinate my shirts in my drawers so it makes it look really nice,” sophomore nursing major Meagan Wilson said.

White Glove, as it’s been known by generations of BJU students, is officially titled General Campus Inspection.

The origin of White Glove’s name comes from the idea that a student’s room should be so clean that an inspector should be able wipe the furniture with a white glove and have the glove remain clean.

White Glove has become a social activity among students.

In years past, the party was on campus with campus radio shows, resident supervisors calling over the sound system for random items to be brought to the desk for prizes and hall members pitching in to order pizza.

Today, most students reward their strenuous cleaning accomplishment by going off campus with friends.

“Sometimes we go and get ourselves something from Starbucks if we pass on Sunday night,” said Victoria Rexroad, a senior early childhood education major.

Clay Bryant, a group leader in Johnson in past years, said he usually plans something fun for his discipleship group to do while the rooms are being inspected.

The RAs, mentors and supervisors stay behind in the residence halls from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. to conduct the inevitable check.

“I get handed the checklist and get to go through and make sure everyone did their White Glove and get to put the pass or fail stickers on their doors,” said Nell Sunday RA Jessica Wentworth.

“RAs have to do White Glove like everybody else has to do White Glove,” Ben Jacquot, an RA in Ironside, said. “I want my room to be clean, and my roommates want the room to be clean, and I want that for my guys on my hall.”

The residence hall staff offered their insight, sharing the most common things students fail for, why, and how to avoid failing them.

“Classic things that people tend to fail for, the big ones, are [going to] be your blinds, AC unit, and your floor,” Wentworth said.

“The two things that guys will typically fail for [are] dust and trash. [They’ll] forget something and so they’ll run [up] and clean something up really quickly and then they’ll throw it in the trash and walk out the door and never think about it,” Jacquot said.

Aside from vacuuming early, because it will be hard to commandeer a vacuum last minute, be sure to wipe down the baseboards and in between the double bunk bed and the sink.

Remove the sink stopper and empty the trash—forgetting either is an automatic fail.

The AC unit front cover should be completely removed and dusted in between the vent itself with a microfiber cloth; some students even clean it in the shower.

Save the blinds for last since they are extremely dusty.

Just like the little things in a paper, such as double-spacing or correct headings, it’s the little things to watch out for during White Glove.

The residence hall staff is understanding toward students who fail, and they leave a “sorry” sticker or flyer posted in their room.

They are happy to check students’ corrections the next day and even offer assistance if needed.

After multiple semesters participating in White Glove, upperclassmen have plenty of advice for freshmen and new students.

“I think you have to have a tub of Clorox wipes in order to begin White Glove,” Wilson said. “And if your room smells bad and you Febreeze it down, it gives it the feeling of cleanness.”

“My advice would just be to do your part and help your roommates out. Don’t make one person do all of the work, and don’t wait until the last second,” Rexroad said.