7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Bedroom

We’ve already tackled the living room, entry hall and bathroom with weeklong cleaning and clutter-busting plans; now it’s time to dive into the bedroom. If what you notice when you walk into your bedroom is not peacefulness but the overstuffed closet and the dust bunnies, put this strategy to work. Let’s get started.

Make a plan of attack. Assess your bedroom. Where are the problem areas? What is working well? The bedroom should be a sanctuary, a restful place in which to relax and dream. If your space is pretty clean, but your closet is stuffed to bursting and you can barely close your drawers, it makes sense to spend more time decluttering. On the other hand, if your wardrobe is already fairly streamlined but you suffer from allergies, you’ll want to devote extra time to banishing dust and pet hair. Read over the whole plan below before beginning and decide where to focus your efforts.



Day 1: Streamline the wardrobe.

Decluttering tasks: Take everything out of your closet and drawers. Assess each item by looking it over for damage and trying it on. Don’t skip trying it on! Put clothes that no longer fit or that you do not like in a pile to give away or sell. Put out-of-season clothes and accessories in a separate pile for storage. Put clothes you love that need alterations or repairs in a tote bag to bring to the dry cleaner.

The clothes you put back in your closet should be ones that you love, that fit you right now, that are appropriate for the current season and are in good repair. If your wardrobe needs serious paring, this could take all day, so plan accordingly. It’s no fun to get everything out and then realize you have somewhere to be, leaving your room worse than it was before! If you know you don’t have as much cleaning to do, consider tackling the closet today and the dresser tomorrow.

Cleaning tasks: While your closet is empty, vacuum the interior. Wipe down closet shelves and inside dresser drawers.

Simple Ways to Get Your Closet Organized Right Now



Day 2: Do a whole-room refresh.

Cleaning tasks: While the bedroom does not get as grimy as the kitchen or bath, it can accumulate a surprising amount of dust.
Vacuum the entire room from top to bottom. Use an attachment to clean window treatments and walls, and be sure to reach the wand all the way under the bed.Get on a stepladder and clean the light fixtures and the tops of high shelves.
Clean the tops of nightstands, dressers and other surfaces.Launder small rugs and curtains if they’re washable.Spot clean area rugs after vacuuming or take them to the dry cleaner.Mop wood floors.Decluttering tasks: As you make your way around the room, set aside things that belong elsewhere (dishes for the kitchen, borrowed clothes etc.) and return them.


Day 3: Spruce up the bed.

Cleaning tasks:
Clean the headboard.Vacuum and rotate the mattress.Launder the mattress pad and bedskirt.Decluttering tasks: Sort through your linen closet and take stock of what bedding you have. If the piles are a jumble, try folding each set and storing it inside a pillowcase for easy retrieval. Set aside any sets of sheets, blankets, pillows or duvet covers that are extremely worn out or are sized for a bed you no longer have.


Day 4: Take notes.

Now that you’ve removed much of the clutter and dust, it should be easier to figure out what needs changing or updating. Note anything you would like to change, remove or shop for.
Do you have adequate light, both mood lighting and task lighting (such as for reading in bed)?Are you happy with your bedding? How about your pillows?
Do you have a nice set of hangers in the closet?Do you have proper storage for your shoes, or are they in a big pile on the floor?Would it be helpful to have drawer organizers or shelf dividers, such as to keep sweaters from toppling over?


Day 5: Beautify the bedside.

Decluttering tasks: Sort through all of the books, magazines, journals and other things that have made their way onto your nightstand. Move all but the items you use nightly to a different space.

Cleaning tasks: Clean the bases and shades of your lamps, and dust the objects on your nightstands.



Day 6: Take care of the little things.

Decluttering tasks:
Sort through jewelry and other small accessories, letting go of pieces you no longer wear.Care for plants, dusting large leaves, trimming off dead leaves and repotting if neededToss old candles, ratty throw blankets and anything else that has seen better days.Now treat yourself to fresh flowers or blooming spring branches in a pretty vase.


Day 7 and beyond: Do maintenance every day.

Cleaning tasks: If you are not already in the habit of it, make your bed as soon as you rise in the morning and tidy up the bedside table before you leave the room. In the evening drop dirty laundry right in the basket and put accessories away instead of piling them on a chair or dresser.

Decluttering tasks: When you shop for new clothes, bedding or anything else that will live in your bedroom, let go of something similar to avoid accumulating clutter. Mark a date in your calendar near the start of each new season to overhaul your wardrobe and bedding, and store some of the previous season’s things elsewhere.

Tell us: What is the biggest cleaning or decluttering problem you face in the bedroom?

More 7-Day Plans:
Living room
Entry hall
Bathroom

URL: 7-Day Plan: Get a Spotless, Beautifully Organized Bedroom http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-23350.html