Bedroom reading is usually meant to make you sleepy, but this advice for cleaning your bedroom is designed to get you going. So get up and clean your bedrrom.
Sort the Clutter
Begin with clutter — drinking glasses, loose change, magazines, paperwork. You get the idea. Put everything away, even if "away" is a decorative box or basket.
Empty the trash when you finish with the clutter, and then clean the inside of the trashcan with a disinfecting wipe and line it with a plastic grocery bag.
Tip: Keep a few extra bags in the bottom of the can, under the liner bag, to quicken the pace next time.
Separate Your Laundry
Put clothes in their proper places: put away the clean clothes and toss all dirty laundry in the laundry basket or hamper. To make more room, store out-of-season clothing in containers under the bed, on an upper shelf in the closet or wherever you have room.
Tip: Clear containers with lids let you see what the container contains, without having to pop open the lid. These are great to have when you clean your bedroom.
Remove the linens from the bed, but don't replace them with fresh ones just yet.
Remove the laundry basket, pillows and bedspread or comforter from the room before you proceed. That way, you don't have to keep moving them around or, worse, fall over them.
Divest the dust
Tip: You can use your blow-dryer to gently blast the dust from lampshades and other hard-to-dust items. Do it first so you pick up the dust during the rest of the cleaning.
Armed with a microfiber cloth or a clean rag sprayed with furniture polish, begin dusting, starting at the top and working your way down. Use an extendable duster and/or a stepladder to get to hard-to-reach corners, tops of tall furniture, door and window frames, ceiling fans and light fixtures. While you're up there, replace burned out light bulbs.
Now concentrate on mid-line surfaces. Dust bedside tables, shelves, headboard, windowsills and dressers. A microfiber cloth with or without window cleaner makes windows and mirrors shiny.
Break out the vacuum cleaner and use the brush attachment to clean curtains, lampshades and blinds. To freshen your mattress, sprinkle it with baking soda and let it rest, then vacuum with the upholstery attachment.
While you've got the vacuum out, clean the floors and carpets, including under the bed. Take advantage of the attachments to reach hidden spots, and don't forget to suck the dust off the baseboards. Take your time with the vacuum — the slower you go, the more dirt you pick up.
Clean Your Mattress
If it's been awhile, start by flipping and/or rotating the mattress. (Some styles of mattresses have only one sleeping side and can't be flipped.) In the future, flip or rotate the mattress at the change of each season to evenly distribute wear.
Use a mattress cover to protect your mattress from dirt, allergens and dust mites. The mattress cover goes on first, followed by the fitted sheet.
Here's where it gets a little muddy. Do you like extra sheet at the top of the covers? Do you prefer the blankets be tucked in or loose? Does your bedspread cover the pillows, or do the pillows rest atop the comforter? (Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight? Yes, and break that habit right now). In whatever fashion pleases you most, make the bed. Add shams and throw pillows for a magazine-worthy finish.
Clean Your Bedroom Regularly
The best advice for keeping your bedroom clean? "Put away." It takes only a few seconds to put clothes in the laundry basket rather than near it, or in the dresser rather than atop it. Make it a habit to change clothing near the hamper, and have hooks or hangers handy for clothing you can get another wearing out of before cleaning them.
Also can employ the "take it with you" mantra — take your nighttime glass, newspapers, mail, etc. with you when you head out for your first cup of coffee.
Possibly the easiest way to a clean bedroom is to make your bed every day (yes, even though you'll just be sleeping in it again in a few hours). You mom was right — when your bed is made, the whole room looks neater.
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