The bedroom. Your place of rest and comfort. Unfortunately, it's also the easiest place to get messy and disorganised. Have no fear, we've got 19 brilliant tips to make your room clean and organised, so you can unwind and relax after a long day.
1. Wardrobe diet
Open your wardrobe and take a good hard look at everything that you own. Get rid of all the clothes that don't fit you and the clothes that you haven't worn in the past year. Sort them into piles to give to charity, or to friends and family. Be ruthless.
2. Under-the-bed storage
That valuable space underneath your bed is often overlooked. Use this precious area to store bulky objects or your shoe collection. You can buy special drawers with rollers, or why not use old cupboard drawers to store all your bits in?
3. Hairdryer duster
If you've got delicate lampshades and ornaments in your bedroom, use a hairdryer to gently blow away dust. This way you won't damage an item by accident.
4. Wash your sheets
Keep your bedsheets clean by washing them once a week. This will help get rid of skin cells and moisture that accumulates in your bed when you sleep. Why not buy a mattress protector to help keep your bed even cleaner?
5. Change your side table
Side tables often have slim drawers, which you can just about fit a book into. Have a look at some different options, such as a trunk, or small chest of drawers. You can store a lot more in this way and your room will be less cluttered.
6. Dust-free blinds
Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a bowl, dip your sock-covered hand into the mixture and run it over the blind slats. Use another sock to wipe it dry - hey presto, less dust will collect there!
For tips on how to clean vertical blinds, check out our other guide.
7. Hang all your hangers in the same direction
If you're having trouble getting rid of old clothes, then arrange all your hangers facing the same way. If you wear the item, turn it to face the opposite direction. After the end of the year, remove any items that haven't been worn and give them to charity. Sorted!
8. Dividers
We have some of these - they're mega-useful and allow even the messiest person to organise. You can get them at high street shops, and Ikea.
9. Surfaces
Make it your goal to keep all surfaces in your bedroom as clear as can be. You don't need lots of beauty products, or magazines left everywhere, so aim to remove all clutter every morning.
10. Multi-purpose furniture
Purchase multifunctional furniture - it can do more than one job! An Ottoman at the end of your bed can be used as a storage space, seating and a table.
11. Store your bits
Have you got lots of ties, scarves, and belts knocking around? Get a rack to store them on, hang them on a trouser hanger, or roll them up in a drawer.
12. Arrange by colour
Sort your clothes out by colour, as well as type! This will organise your cupboard and drawers, and allow you to see which colours you're missing out on.
13. Shiny windows
Using a spray bottle mixture of white vinegar, clean your bedroom windows. Grab an old newspaper to finish them off with.
14. Magnetic strip
Organise all your little bits, such as tweezers, nail clippers and hair clips on a magnetic knife rack in your bedroom. They are for more than just knives!
15. The logical way
Put those items you hardly use in a hard-to-get place and the things you use often in an easy-to-reach home. This will help keep everything neat and orderly.
16. Out-of-season stock
Don't keep your off-season clothes in your bedroom, they can take up way too much room. In the winter, bundle up your flip flops, summer dresses and light jackets in a box to be put in your loft or away in a cupboard.
17. Air freshener
Want to make your bedroom smell great? There are plenty of natural ways to make your home smell wonderful. Why not add a reed diffuser or spritz some homemade air freshener?
18. Fold your t-shirts the clever way
If you own lots of t-shirts, then you should fold them so that you can easily see what the t-shirt is, without pulling them all out of the drawer.
19. Clean a mattress with Bicarbonate of Soda
Here's an easy and effective way of cleaning your mattress, using only bicarbonate of soda, a sieve and a vacuum cleaner. Follow the helpful instructions at instructables.com to show you how.
Enjoy cleaning! Don't forget to share this with your friends.
Didn't realise or thought of so many uses of things
Hope you enjoyed reading Margaret!
Get real Who has time to do all this?
Hi Christine! You don't have to do all of the steps. Just one or two will make a huge difference!
I love these tips. will they be made into a book, I find some hints invaluable, I am an awful housekeeper and need all the help I can get.
So glad to hear you like them Sandra, keep your eyes peeled for more helpful tips! :)
I agree with Sandra, please put some (all!) your great tips into a book I promise to buy it.
Great tips! I have a storage box under my bed and if any clothes gets damaged or to worm off I store it there. When it gets full, I reclycle the clothes. It is quite handy, especially with having 2 growing kids.
Fantastic tips there Hana. Thanks for sharing, I might just try it out myself.
love these tips I use a lot so would buy a book if you print one Oggie
Thanks June, we'll let you know about that one! ;)
I'm off to my bedroom, going to take your advice. I could be gone for quite a long time
Ha ha. Have fun Brian!
love the ideas with moving the hangers once you've worn something as well as pegging scarfs onto them - might try that now and free space for more clothes aarggh!!!
Enjoy all that free space Lindsay!
5. I've just found a wall-fixed bedside table. One drawer (they do have drawer and shelf or two drawer) only - fewer places to put all that junk. Easy to vacuum under them and the bed without having to haul out two tables, move them around so that I can pass by with the vacuum, and jiggle lamp wires, hairdryer cable and sundries. Hairdryer - a hook UNDER the bedside table keeps it in its place.
That's great!