If rooms are particularly dirty, the work grows even more demanding.
"If people leave wads of gum on the floor, you have to scrape it off," Rosenman says. "I did a room once that had 50 pieces of gum."
So what makes students sign up freely for such perilous duty?
"You get to the end of the week and you're done--there's a definite sense of completion, especially when you've been there two weeks," Rissmiller says.
Dorm Crew workers also get the chance to meet one another in a more relaxed setting where t-shirts and shorts are de rigeur.
"Harvard people are really intense, so it's nice when people aren't so stressed out," Rosenman said. "Plus, the weather is really nice that time of year, so it's cool to be outside."
And if that's not enough, there is the money. Workers are paid $8.85 an hour, and during clean-up period many students work eight to 12 hours.
But Medina insists money isn't the only reason he stays.
"It's more of a team effort," he says, "I was proud of what I did."