A cluttered and dusty bedroom is a stressful bedroom. So many of us rationalize not bothering with spending a lot of effort clearing the bedroom “because the kids will just mess it up tomorrow and no one ever sees it.” But you see it and your family see it. Every day and every night and consciously or subconsciously, a disorganized bedroom has an impact on how you start and end the day.
There is always yet another chore left for “next weekend” calling to you from some corner of your home but both parents’ and children’s bedrooms should be top of the list. This is the place where you want your family to feel calm, relaxed, and peaceful. It should be clean and orderly, laying the foundation for a good night’s rest.
1. Start by Creating Storage That Works
One of the major culprits of clutter, besides lack of time during the daily grind, is inefficient storage space. Adding more designated homes for your family’s things ensures not only a cleaner space but also an easier time finding what you need and putting things away. Plastic storage bins and over-the-door organizers are inexpensive fixes to piles of seasonal clothes and shoes. For a more permanent fixture, consider adding floating shelves and modular closets to utilize more vertical space. These are great for holding more than just clothes: jewelry, shoes, handbags, toys, sports gear, workout equipment, and office supplies (if an office is the parents’ bedroom as has become the case for many this last year). Furthermore, modular storage units are customizable and can fit in any sized space.
2. Declutter Your Closet Items before You Put Them Back
Before you refill a newly redesigned closet with all of your stuff, it’s time to sort. Use the “Three-Bin Method.” Get three large plastic bins and label one “Love,” another “Donate,” and the last one “Undecided.” Obviously, anything that mom, dad or the kids enjoy and wear on a regular basis goes into the “Love” bin, and things that they dislike or have not worn in over a year go into the “Donate” bin. For items that are harder to part with (but aren’t necessarily needed), store them in the “Undecided” bin and hide them away for three to six months. Chances are the attachment will disappear by then. If it doesn’t, then keep that item. Toss out anything damaged or worn out.
Once the closet is sorted, you can add some extra pieces to organize stuff, in ways you might not have thought of: plastic storage bins are inexpensive fixes for out-of-season clothes, shoes, and accessories. Put away items that you don’t need in the current season, neatly and tidily. That way, they’re easy to find and ready to come out next season!
- A shoe organizer that hangs on the back of the closet door doesn’t have to be for shoes! They’re also great for costume jewelry, makeup, hosiery/socks, small toys such as action figures or legos, crayons, craft materials, and more.
- Hooks for scarves, handbags, backpacks, and caps ensure that you can see all your favorites, and don’t end up cluttering the closet floor.
- Add dividers into dresser drawers. Dresser drawers are the bane of many families’ existence. Why bother folding clothes if they mess up anyways every time you pull an outfit out to get dressed? Drawer dividers are a perfect solution for keeping clothes separated and nice and neat. Use anything from plastic grid inserts to fabric bins and DIY cardboard compartments to categorize belongings.
- Store jewelry, makeup, and other small items in shallow canning jars, tin muffin pans, and cutlery trays. For a creative flare, align the inside of the drawers with colorful, heavy-duty wrapping paper or cardstock paper before installing the dividers.
3. Give Your Bedroom a Deep Clean
In addition to avoiding clutter, you want the space your family spends 6-8 hours a night in to be pristine and clean.
- If you have carpeting, get it steam cleaned, including inside the closet and under the furniture.
- Flip and clean the mattresses: sprinkle it with baking soda, leave it for an hour or so and then vacuum up the powder. The soda will soak up any odors and the vacuuming will pick up dust mites and dead skin. If you don’t have one already, a mattress cover can go a long way to keeping your mattress clean and fresh.
- Clean all bedding. Even most throw pillows can go for a refresh in the dryer, to help get rid of any dust or dirt. The pillows you sleep on should be washed at least twice a year.
- Replace pillows regularly—they get flat and their support weakens—and mattresses every 7-10 years.
- Address window treatments and overhead fans or lights. These need to be cleaned and dusted thoroughly. If you are planning to wipe down the walls, start at the top and work your way down. Crown molding also needs a swipe!
- Clean under the bed and move furniture such as dressers etc. so you can clean underneath and behind and get the piles of dust bunnies that tend to collect there.
Now that you’ve organized and cleaned your bedroom, your family can look at it as a nightly retreat, a place to relax and unwind, letting go of the day’s stresses and looking forward to a deep and restful slumber. Sweet dreams!
