We talk a great deal here at Apartment Therapy about keeping things clean and our persistence about it is quite strong when it comes to our bedrooms. They seem like a magnet for dust and allergens — not to mention clutter from other parts of our home. Today we're taking a stand and saying, enough is enough!
We've talked time and time again about how to keep your bedroom as tidy as can be, but we thought having all that information in one place would make a nice resource for those who might have missed a few. Each one was a good refresher (even for us) as we read back through them and now we're off to tidy up a few things we'd forgotten (the joys of working from home)!
• How To: Clean the Bedroom in 10 Minutes: Even if you think your bedroom is a lost cause, 10 minutes a day (even if you need a repeat session the next day) can make all the difference in the world.
• 20 Ways to Organize Your Bedroom Closet: One of the most challenging places to keep clean and organized is the bedroom closet. No matter how hard you try, unless everything has its place, it just feels like a jumbled mess. Here's 20 great ways to tame the chaos in ways that will withstand the tests of time.
• How To: Create a "Dust-Free" Bedroom: Do you know the temperature at which your sheets and curtains should be (frequently) washed at? Run through this dust-free checklist to keep the bunnies at bay.
• 12 Steps to Deep Clean the Bedroom: Although cleaning the bedroom should seem simple, sometimes a checklist is the way to go. Tackle them all in one day, or 2 a day so you have a super clean and comfortable place to take a Sunday nap.
• Make Your Own Linen Spray: Linen sprays are a great way to freshen up your sheets, curtains and even rugs from time to time. The only downfall is that they seem ridiculously pricey when you're at the store. Don't be afraid to make your own and customize it, so it's exactly what you're looking for.
• 5 Ways to Naturally Clean Whites: If your sheets or curtains aren't as bright as they used to be, put aside the bottle of bleach and give these eco-friendly options a try.
• How to Care for Your Mattress: Do's and Don'ts: Did you know you're supposed to vacuum your mattress every 3 months? We didn't either, hit up this list of other do's and don't in the bedroom coming from the authority — Martha Stewart.
• Tips for Washing Dirty Windows: You can wash your sheets, make the bed, sweep and add some nice accent lighting, but what will really lighten and brighten a bedroom best is clean windows. Check out these tips, some of which can even be done in winter months.
Images: Living Etc. , Sarah Coffey, Crate and Barrel
Edited from 1.11.2010 SRT
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you mean 8 other articles to go read about cleaning :[
This past weekend I realized that having homes for things everything means I barely have to clean. From the netflix envelope to the extra blanket to the clothes that need to be hemmed. Nothing that lasts more than an hour or two in my apartment doesn't have a home.
Since I've really done this? Cleaning is all about surfaces, a vaccuum, a quick dust, make the bed and that's it. Yeah it took a lot of work to make sure each single thing could have a home but now it is cake to keep it looking great.
loudlyquiet: Nice work! It truly is the key to harmony in the home!
Flokati rugs seem to be problematic. They look and feel lovely underfoot, but the dust bunnies they create are HUGE!
agree, loudly...getting rid of excess (meaning: no set home) clothes, linens and other stuff in the bedroom makes cleaning much easier.
btoddster: Flokati rugs can be shaken out and washed in the washing machine as often as you'd like (assuming they'll fit). A tennis racket and a porch railing also do wonders!
I love having a neat and clean bedroom, and I spend a few minutes tiding up every morning before I leave, but it makes it really hard to keep things neat when every minute I spend cleaning my guy spends making a new little mess.
a clean bedroom means restful sleep.
1. keep the dogs out
2. keep the cat out
3. keep the husband out
wow and i did it in only 3 steps! :)
I'm with emmymgreene, my husband is the reverse Rhoomba. I go around cleaning up little messes here and there and he comes along behind me spitting out dirt and dust all over the place.
loudlyquiet, you're dead right. Takes a bit of initial thought, but after that it's the simplest way to go.
My husband didn't seem too thrilled (ok, he wasn't at ALL) with me wanting these delicious 100% glass mirrored side tables for the bedroom. They were $90 each, and he saw some that were dark wood, that were half the price. Plus it had two drawers on his, and only one on mine. I stuck to my guns and said I wanted the mirrored ones.
Those tables not only brightened the room, they look invisible since it's nothing but glass reflecting the light and wall colors, and the 1 drawer on each holds everything we need it too (including my book, 4 magazines, cell phone, ipod, and probably an elephant if I tried). Although I have to clean them with windex, I just spot over them when I'm cleaning all the other mirrors in the house, just like I would have with duster on all the woods. The room appears bigger, and since it always stays tidy, it just reflects all the clean surfaces. Win/win.
We also bought IKEA clset organizers, eliminated all the extra throw pillows from the bed, took the lid off our clothes hamper (it's amazing how much time we wasted just lifting up the top and putting it back down every day), and I have just two jewelry holders, both out in the open: a tree stand to hold all my bracelets and necklaces, and a glass hand to hold all my rings. I paired down my collection significantly, and all I have to do is drop them on the stands each night and move on instead of fumbling in drawers or other organizers.
And the biggest, best investment we've made (other than those fantastic tables!) was blackout curtains. They keep the light and cold/heat out, so there's no need for blinds to have to fumble around with. Can you tell how excited this room makes me?
Thank you, Sarahrae! 8^D
I'm so thankful for this post. My goal this week is to totally clean-up and organize my bedroom. This info looks helpful!
life is messy- enjoy the gritty details :)
If you're in a hurry, I've found that just making the bed always seems to make a bedroom look cleaner