Decluttering of a Bedroom:
Decluttering is not new; it’s been here for years. We keep filling up our home as the size of it grows with years. We start with necessary items, and the things keep on multiplying slowly. The space in our home keeps shrinking, and all of a sudden, we found the house is now a cluttered mess. The bedroom gets the worst of it as we take it as our hiding space.
A cluttered bedroom can increase your stress level and make you feel tired. Taking time to clean and get rid of extra mess will give you a new high to carry on your daily life. The journey of ‘The Chaos’ before and ‘Calm and Clean’ after needs effort and time, but it will be all worth it.
You are here already. Now all the cluttered mess will be the past because you are looking for ways to declutter your bedroom step by step. Here we provide some basic declutter bedroom ideas and steps to guide you.
How to Declutter a Bedroom In simple steps:
Deciding to finally ‘declutter my bedroom’ is the first thing one has to do and stick to it. So, if you are the one who decided to take the steps, then you are at the right place. We will give all the basic steps and tips needed. You can do the steps in a single stretch or part as we take one thing at a time.
Step 1: Goal for Decluttering
The first step to declutter your bedroom is to have your goal or after image in your mind. Are you just cleaning your room or decided to go for the minimal approach as much as you can? Are you going to rearrange or paint your room? Here you are setting the right expectation for decluttering. Expectation setting will make the next steps easy and simple to follow.
If you are painting or rearranging the room, you need to put everything out of the room first, paint and then arrange the big items accordingly.
Step 2: Tools to Declutter
The basic tools needed here are as simple as few boxes, baskets, trash bags/ bins, bags, tape, etc., and a marker or sticky note. Keep three simple categories of :
- Trash
- Donate/Give away
- Keep
Mark the bags, bins with the category with marker or sticky note, and Voila, you are now ready to start.
Step 3: Start With Your Bed
Start with your bed first. In the process of decluttering, whenever you take a break, you will have a bed to rest at least. Remove any extra pillows and cushions used just for decoration, and you have to throw them down for the space on the bed. There is no need to repeat this step every day; donate or give away those pillows to someone in need. It will make the process of making your bed a lot faster.
Clean the edges of your bed, flip the mattress if needed, change the sheet, and put the clean one. Also, put another sheet for daytime or here for the process of decluttering.
Step 4: Declutter Your Wardrobe/Closet
Take everything out of your closet on the bed (remember to put an extra sheet on the clean bed). Now sort those belongings into different categories or varieties.
- Discard the unwanted and torn clothes in the trash.
- Give away or donate the ones you have not used in the past 12 months and still in good condition.
- Keep only the ones which you are regularly using and which bring joy to you.
- Seasonal clothes can be put aside in a box, under the bed, when not in use.
- Hang the clothes or fold and keep neatly (You can use Marie Kondo’s folding method), saving space and avoiding confusion.
- Don’t forget to thank each piece before putting it in the trash or donate.
- Try not to keep other miscellaneous items in the closet.
Step 5: Tidy Bedside Tables
The bedside table’s surface should only have a lamp, alarm clock, and 1/2 essential items. Clean the drawers and make the sections. Recycle your small boxes of mobile etc., to separate the items and arrange them neatly. Again, discard any item which is old and not usable or broken.
Step 6: Reorganize All Drawers and Table
Empty and clean the drawers of your dresser and table. Keep only useful stuff and rest in other labels. Arrange your stationery and important items with DIY methods. Keep the table surface clean and empty so that you can use it all the time. You can have only necessary items on it, which are regularly needed or gives you happiness.
Step 7: Remove Extra Furniture
Remove extra pieces of furniture from the room and make the space to walk freely. You can hang some boxes on the wall for the necessary things. Only one chair is enough in the room. You can keep a folded mat in your closet.
Step 8: Get Rid of Broken or Unused Items
Discarding unused items is the most effective step in the whole decluttering process. You need to throw away all broken items out of your space to make it more positive.
If anything is not used regularly in the bedroom, it can be placed anywhere else in the house, or you can simply donate. You can also make a ‘Fix It’ labeled box to keep very important and fixable items, but the count should not exceed 10 in total. You can keep the box under the bed but fix the stuff in 30 days, else throw them out.
Step 9: Remove Screens
It’s difficult but try not to keep the television in your bedroom. It’s the biggest destruction in sleep. Keep the laptop or computer out of your bedroom too. If not possible, keep everything on the table (like a laptop, tablet, and mobile), far away from the bed, before going to sleep. You should also keep charging stations on the table or far away shelf.
Step 10: Arrange All Cables and Wires
Tangled wires and cables are the most irritating things for your mind. Tidy them up with DIYs (velcros, bands, etc.) and tie them neatly. Tying your cables will give you the cleanest environment every time you step in.
Step 11: Arrange All Your Papers and Books
Papers and documents not just create a mess physically but also in your mind. Arrange all your documents neatly so that the next time when used, you don’t have to search through a pile of papers and waste your time. Shred the old and unwanted papers and arrange them in the files separately.
Keep only the books you are interested in. You can donate or give your books to your friends and family members to maintain the rotation and keep the stack short.
Step 12: Use Hooks to Hang Stuff
Use the wall areas instead of the floor whenever possible. Hang a shelf to keep the stuff from the table. Hang hooks behind the door for your regular jackets or towels. Don’t overload it, though.
Step 13: Clean the Floor and Shelves
Clean the floor after arranging all major items in the room. You will now find space to easily reach out to corners and under the table or bed. Clean your room walls, too, and use the fresheners in the room to make it alive.
Step 14: Have a Mirror Installed (Not in Front of the Bed)
You can avoid this step, but it’s my personal favorite. The mirror gives the illusion of a bigger space and makes your room more attractive. You should not keep any mirror in front of your bed as this will distract you.
Step 15: Take Pictures – Before and After Decluttering
Just take out the trash and give away the items you have sorted. After keeping everything in its place, your room has a new look and feel. Now that your room is perfectly clean, you must take a picture of it and set this as your every day or at least every week’s goal. You should take a before picture as well.
Some Extra Tips:
- Declutter your bedroom step by step and not in a single go.
- Remember, things will look so much worse before they look better.
- Although, you love your mess and can work on your needs accordingly. But when you get the habit of a clean environment, you realize how easy things can be and how calm and energetic the environment is.
- Maintain the habit of keeping things in place, and it will save your energy and time.
- Spend 30 min weekly to declutter your room.
- Have a laundry basket to keep all your dirty clothes and make it a habit.
- Get a small trash bin and keep it under your table. Throw only dry waste there, like papers.
- Make your bed daily in the morning. You will get a nice room waiting for you to relax, after a long and tiring day.
Conclusion:
The perks of having a decluttered room are huge. You will have less stuff to clean daily. Less debt as now you will try to follow a minimal approach to keep your room clean. It will decrease the stress and anxiety the moment you enter your room. The calmer and cleaner space gives you positive energy. The things will be easier to find, and you will have a sense of completion all the time.
Sometimes to declutter your room becomes a very big decision as humans tend to procrastinate. But when you decide, you will see a huge shift in life. So keep your physical and mental space clean by decluttering regularly. It will be your habit soon.
