An organized home reduces stress and anxiety. It also boosts productivity and creativity. This means you can get more work done around the home for a better life.
Decluttering the bedroom, in particular, also comes with several additional benefits. For instance, decluttering eliminates allergens, leading to a healthier life. It also reduces the risk of accidents, such as tripping, and boosts sleep. If you’ve recently struggled to get enough sleep, cleaning up and organizing the space can help you sleep better, longer, and with fewer nightmares.
We’ve rounded up seven practical steps to get you started if you’re wondering how to declutter bedrooms.
1. Create a vision for your space
The first step to decluttering and organizing any room is reimagining the layout. Form a picture of your ideal bedroom layout in your mind and begin thinking of how to actualize that layout. What do you need to change? What do you need to bring in? What needs to go?
You can also read magazines, watch a few videos, and speak to colleagues and friends about the issue to get ideas on how to improve your bedroom.
2. Declutter bedroom surfaces
Once you have a picture of your ideal bedroom in your mind, the next step is to clear out the room. Start with the flat surfaces, getting rid of everything you don’t need or use. The easiest approach is to put the items you need where they need to be while putting aside the items you love but don’t actively use and those you don’t need.
The aim is to keep surfaces clear. For instance, the dresser top should be clear by the time you finish decluttering. The same applies to reading tables and chairs. Put the items you don’t need in one standby basket and the ones you need but don’t actively use in a second basket.
3. Declutter bedroom storage
Begin with the dresser. Open it and pour all the contents on the floor. Then put back the items you need one by one while putting aside those you like but don’t actively use and those you don’t need. Then move to the drawers, shelves, and the closet, and do the same. Again, only put back the items you love or actively need while putting aside the rest.
If you’re not sure where to place an item, it’s likely you don’t actively use it. So, place it in the second bast.
4. Clear away stray clothes and shoes
We have a habit of throwing clothes anywhere in the room, especially when the room is already disorganized. Sort the clothes and put them where they belong. This includes the dirty clothes in the laundry room and laundry baskets. Fold the clean clothes neatly and arrange them nicely in the wardrobes and other designated storage areas.
As for the dirty clothes, you need to wash them immediately. Don’t wait until the next day when your priorities may have already shifted. Don’t forget to check under the bed.
5. Sort books, movies, and magazines
You don’t want books, magazines, and movies lying around aimlessly. It usually becomes a habit and eventually ends in a cluttered and heavily disorganized room. So, sort them and store them where they should be.
At the same time, remember that old movies and magazines are rarely helpful. So, yes, it makes sense to keep your favorites around. However, you can’t keep everything unless you’re a collector. So, you must form the habit of giving away the ones you’re done reading or watching. The same applies to books. Donate those you’ve read, only keeping your favorite ones.
6. Sort and purge jewelry and accessories
If you’re not careful, jewelry and accessories can easily turn your bedroom into a market. Jewelry, in particular, are difficult to deal with because we attach a lot of value to them. For instance, what do you do with a $500 watch you purchased ten years ago now that you no longer wear it?
Our advice is to learn to let go. You can safely store accessories in the wardrobe if you love collecting. If not, sell them off at the pawnshop and use the money to purchase new items. It’s the nature of life.
7. Evaluate, donate, and dispose
You’re almost done. Now that you’ve put the items you need where they should be, it’s time to deal with the other two categories – the items you don’t need and those you need but don’t actively use.
The best advice is to store away those you need but don’t actively use. Arrange them properly in cabinets and wardrobes you don’t often use and lock them away. Then evaluate those remaining items once more to confirm that you don’t need them and, if so, dispose of them or put them in the vehicle for donation drop off or recycling.
Summary
Keeping your bedroom clutter-free and organized is good for your peace of mind, sleep, health, and wellbeing. Therefore, you should make it a habit to declutter bedrooms at least every few months. And, no, it’s not difficult to declutter the bedroom.
