As well as making your space feel more fresh, a clean and tidy room can have a positive impact on your health, too. You’re more likely to get a good sleep, feel less stressed and procrastinate less within a clutter-free bedroom, as well as feeling less overwhelmed.
From tips for a quick blitz to instructions for a deeper clean, our guide will help your room look spick and span in no time. If your space needs decluttering as well as a deep clean, you could consider a storage unit for some extra breathing space.
Browse our short-term storage and long-term storage options to find your local Space Station unit.
Step-by-step guide to cleaning your room
- Prepare your equipment
- Get in the right mindset
- Make your bed
- Take out the bins
- Make sure everything’s put away
- Give your surfaces a quick wipe down
- Hoover your floors
- Wash your sheets
- Clean your mattress
- Shampoo your carpets
- Dust your walls and skirting boards
- Organise your wardrobe
- Clear out your bedside table or dresser
How often should you clean and tidy your bedroom?
Weekly cleaning is recommended to keep on top of your space. The more often you work tidying your room into your routine, the less of a chore it will feel. If you have the time, doing one or two small tasks every day will mean you’ll find it easier to keep on top of things.
7 steps for a quick-blitz clean
Step 1: Prepare your equipment
Getting your cleaning gear together before you start will mean you can get the job done much more quickly. Things you’ll need for a quick blitz include;
- Microfibre cloth for dusting and polishing
- Furniture polish and window cleaner to get your surfaces gleaming
- Hoover, mop or sweeping brush for your floors
- Bin bags to get rid of any rubbish lurking in your room
Step 2: Get in the right mindset
Start by assessing the damage: with half an hour on the clock, you’ll need to prioritise which areas need the most attention. To get yourself in the mood for a cleaning session, try putting on some upbeat music or your favourite TV series in the background to keep you company while you’re tidying. Open the windows to get some fresh air in your room and remind yourself of how much better you’ll feel once everything’s clean and tidy.
Step 3: Make your bed
If you haven’t got time to strip your sheets, simply making your bed can make a huge difference to how calm your room feels. Pull your sheets tight across the mattress and plump your pillows for a hotel feel.
Step 4: Take out the bins
The next step to make your space feel fresher is to clear out any rubbish. Collect up any old mugs, glasses and dishes and take them into the kitchen. Grab a bin bag and empty your rubbish bin, as well as any empty bottles and recycling. Ridding your room of clutter will instantly make it look tidier.
Step 5: Make sure everything’s put away
Now that you’ve got rid of any items you don’t want to keep, it’s time to put away the ones you do. If you have any clean clothes left hanging out to dry, fold and put them away. Gather up any dirty clothes in your laundry basket and put a wash on once you’ve finished sprucing up your bedroom.
Step 6: Give your surfaces a quick wipe-down
Using a microfibre cloth, dust any drawers, bedside tables and windowsills, as well as any picture frames or decorations you have. Spritz your windows and mirrors with glass cleaner, buffing them in circular motions with a clean cloth to make them sparkle.
Step 7: Hoover your floors
Once all your belongings have been put away, you can move on to the last step in your tidy-up: tackling the floor. Hoover your carpets and rugs, or mop and sweep your floors if you have wooden flooring in your bedroom.
Next steps (for when you’ve got more time)
Step 8: Wash your sheets
If you have a little more time on your hands to deep clean your room, one of the first ports of call should be your bedding. Strip the sheets and put them straight in the washing machine to make sure they don’t clutter up your freshly cleaned room. If you can, dry your bedding outside for extra freshness.
Step 9: Clean your mattress
While you have your hoover handy, now’s a good time to run it over your mattress. Dust and bacteria can build up underneath your bedsheets, so it’s recommended that you vacuum it thoroughly every 6 months.
Step 10: Shampoo your carpets
Whether you have a rug or carpet in your bedroom, regular use means your floor coverings attract dust mites and dirt, as well as stains from your shoes or drink spills. If you have more time to clean your room, treating your carpet with carpet shampoo will help lift stains and freshen up the entire space.
Step 11: Dust your skirting boards
Using a feather duster, remove any dust from your skirting boards. Clean them with a warm, soapy microfibre cloth to remove any scuffs and scratches.
Step 12: Organise your wardrobe
Hang up any clothes that have fallen down, pair up any errant socks, and fold your clothes neatly into your drawers to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. If you find any clothes you don’t wear anymore, consider recycling or selling them to create some extra space.
Step 13: Clear out your bedside table or dresser
Hang up any clothes that have fallen down, pair up any errant socks, and fold your clothes neatly into your drawers to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. If you find any clothes you don’t wear anymore, consider recycling or selling them to create some extra space.
Step 13: Clear out your bedside table or dresser
Maybe you keep paperwork you no longer need stuffed in your bedside drawers, or you have half-used toiletries you’re hanging on to: whatever’s causing the clutter, now’s the time to get rid. Try to stick to tight rules when it comes to choosing what to bin, recycle or keep. The more unused possessions you remove from your room, the calmer your space will feel.
Cleaning FAQs
How can you stay motivated to clean your room?
If you’re feeling uninspired, putting on your favourite podcast or playlist is a great way to give both your mood and cleaning routine an extra boost.
Another way of keeping yourself motivated is to set a timer for 10 minutes (or however long you have spare) and challenge yourself to get as much as you can done in that time. Knowing you’ve got a time limit means you don’t have to feel guilty if you can’t get everything finished: however, you might surprise yourself with how much cleaning you can tick off your to-do list when you have a set time in place.
How do you organise a bedroom on a budget?
It doesn’t have to cost the earth to keep your room organised. Try using multifunctional items like shoe racks to maximise your wardrobe space, or DIY dividers to make the most of your drawers.
Why do I struggle to keep my room tidy?
Even with a solid cleaning routine in place, you might find it difficult to keep things tidy. Belongings stacked on your surfaces or floor can be more difficult to clean, so finding homes for all your belongings, whether in storage baskets, under the bed or in drawers, can help you feel more organised.
If you’re still struggling for extra space, putting the possessions you don’t often use into secure storage can help keep your living space clear and clutter-free. For more advice on decluttering your home or storage unit, check out our advice on storing shoes, or learn from our experts on maximising floor space.