Weekend Projects

This Weekend: Do This To Your Bedroom Right Now

Written by

Shifrah Combiths
Shifrah Combiths
With five children, Shifrah is learning a thing or two about how to keep a fairly organized and pretty clean house with a grateful heart in a way that leaves plenty of time for the people who matter most. Shifrah grew up in San Francisco, but has come to appreciate smaller town…read more
published Nov 4, 2017
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(Image credit: Liz Calka)

Chilly weather and holidays call for sleeping in and cuddling with fluffy blankets. But the cozy vibe is anything but restful if all you see is clutter and junk, especially when you’re in this one particular spot. This weekend, we’re going to recover some peace and calm.

A \Nostalgia (Image credit: Liz Calka)

Clean off surfaces

Go around your bedroom and gather everything that’s sitting on the surfaces of your bedroom furniture. You can go about this a few ways. One tactic is to gather similar items, or things that need to get put back in the same place. Then, you’re sorting as you pick up. If you tend to bring coffee mugs in and leave them sitting, pick up all of those and put them in the kitchen to wash. Extra book piles? Toss them into a laundry basket and bring them to the bookshelf.

Alternately, start with one surface, like your dresser, and put away each item as you pick it up. Then move on to the next surface — your nightstand, for instance — and deal with that. As you clear each surface, you’ll be motivated to do the next.

Pick up everything on the floor

Those laundry baskets you tossed in your room when company came over and the workout clothes that are still “airing out” on the floor? Out they go. Again, it may be easiest to pick up all the clothes that might be littering your room and dealing with them (tip: probably just toss them in the laundry if they’ve been sitting out for a while) before going on to another category of bedroom clutter. The key is to actually put everything away so that it doesn’t end up getting “hidden” in your bedroom again.

(Image credit: Liz Calka)

Dust, shine, and polish

Once you’ve picked up everything that doesn’t belong, you’re ready to dust. Start from the top, beginning with your ceiling fan or overhead lighting if you have them, and work your way down. Include your bed frame, if applicable, the tiny ledges on picture frames, everything. Next, use your favorite glass cleaner on mirrors and the glass on picture frames. Finally, use a wood cleaner to polish furniture.

Wash bedding

After all that dusting, your bedding should be washed. I prefer to wash after dusting so that the dust doesn’t fall directly on my mattress.

(Image credit: Liz Calka)

Clean under the bed

The final step, while your bedding is in the washer and dryer, is cleaning under your bed. Probably haven’t done that in a while! First, collect any items that have found their way under there. You may need a yard stick for that. Next, if you have a lay-flat vacuum cleaner that fits under your bed, vacuum under your bed. If your floor is something other than carpet, you could use a microfiber mop or similar to reach under your bed.

If your bed is easy to move or you have someone who can help you move it, the best way to clean underneath it is to move it.

Replace bedding and fluff pillows

Put your nice clean bedding back on your bed and as you’re replacing any throw pillows, see if you can edit them down a bit. Fluff what’s left and look forward to walking into an airy, perfectly ordered and clean bedroom tonight.

For more tips, check out: