Listen up: This is how to clean your bedroom the right way

Whether you live with your ‘rents or are living it up in an apartment, you definitely have a bedroom that you sleep in. While it’s the area we spend a lot of time, obvi we aren’t spending that time cleaning it (unless you’re some kind of master sleep cleaner).

Reader, I hear you saying: “But mom, I don’t want to clean my room." I’m with you. I always put off cleaning my bedroom — I’d rather just jump into bed and ignore the mess around me. That being said, I always feel a lot better when it’s tidy. It makes me feel more relaxed prior to catching my beauty sleep.

If you want to make your bedroom as dreamy as poss, here’s how to clean it well. I’ve rounded up all the cleaning supplies you’ll need, put together the steps to follow, and answered questions you may have.

Good to know

Time: 1 hour max. This depends on how big your room is and how much dirt you have built up.

Difficulty: Easy

Helpful hints: Make sure to follow the steps in order and work from top to bottom, so you aren’t creating extra work for yourself by spreading around dirt.

Here's what you'll need

• Trash bag: Grab one from the kitchen, or if you’re all out these Amazon Basics ones are bestsellers.
• Extendable duster: This Oxo duster set is Amazon’s Choice and comes with an extendable one and a smaller one, so you can dust shelves of all heights.
• Microfiber cloths: I’m all about Spontex cloths, which you can get from Amazon. They’re super soft so won’t scratch your furniture and they’re machine-washable too.
• All-purpose cleaning spray: I’ve currently been loving the Mrs. Meyer’s all-purpose cleaner in peony, which comes in a pack of three on Amazon. 
• Vacuum: If you don’t have one already, we highly rate the Shark IZ862H Stratos Cordless Vacuum, which you can get from Amazon.
• Room spray: I like to use a lavender-scented spray, and Aura Cacia's is Amazon’s Choice.

How to clean your bedroom

Trust me: you’re gonna sleep so well after getting through this list.

Step 1: Carry your trash bag around the room

Take out a fresh trash bag, open it up, and walk around the room. Pick up all the pieces of trash and clutter that you no longer need, and place them in the bag. This will save you serious time, rather than going back and forth between the trash can. If you have lots of trash, chances are it won’t fit in your tiny bedroom bin anyway. Tie it up, tie up your bedroom junk too, and throw them away. Then, spray down and wipe your bedroom trash can before giving it a fresh liner.

Top tip: By starting with this first, you won’t be tripping over clutter when you are cleaning everything else. 

Step 2: Dust the furniture 

This is where an extendable duster (like the Oxo one I recommended from Amazon) will come in handy. Unless you’re super tall (in which case, I’m jealous AF), high-up areas are usually unreachable. For the top of the wardrobes and cupboards, wipe the duster across the surface from left to right. Then, for TV stand, desks, shelves, and nightstand, repeat the process on these, going from top to bottom. 

Step 3: De-clutter the desk and nightstand

These are the two areas that I always seem to get messy, as I’m a midnight snacker and always throw my makeup on my face in a hurry. To organize the desk, put any stray pieces back where they belong, such as stationery back in the pencil case and make-up back in their holders. For the nightstand, remove anything that shouldn’t be there, such as leftover tea mugs and wrappers, and rearrange so everything you need for bedtime is easy to access. 

Step 4: Wipe the furniture 

Now you’ve dusted all your furniture, you won’t be wiping around dust when you’re spraying them down. Using an all-purpose spray (hello Mrs. Meyer’s) and a microfiber cloth, spritz and wipe the TV stand, wardrobe, desk, shelves, and nightstand. Do this one piece at a time, so the spray doesn’t dry up before you reach the piece of furniture.

Top tip: Make sure to focus especially on handles, such as on wardrobe doors and drawers, as these gather serious germs.

Step 5: Clean the bed

This is the area that you use the most in the bedroom, so obvi it has its own section for TLC. Dust down the bed headboard, sides, and front, before wiping with an all-purpose cleaner and cloth. Then, change your bed sheets — this means removing the comforter sheets, pillow covers, and mattress covers. From here you can replace them with fresh sheets, re-making the bed and adding any decorative blankets or pillows on top.

Top tip: Once the bed is made, I use fabric spray on the sheets. This will make feel fresher for longer, especially if you’ve had them stored in a cupboard before flipping them over. Febreze’s lavender fabric refresher, which you can get on Amazon, is my fave to use.

Step 6: Vacuum the floor

Vroom vroom, vacuums are the best for getting rid of all those crumbs, hairs, and dirt that you can and can't see. Work from the end of the room, go around the bed and any other furniture, before finishing at the door. Be sure to move carefully, so you don't scuff any furniture or the skirting board. Gotta keep that deposit in check, obvi.

Top tip: If you have a wooden floor, once you’ve vacuumed you can go over again with a mop. Our editor-in-chief loves this Swiffer one from Amazon, as it is easy to use and great for storing in small spaces. 

Step 7: Finish off with a spritz of room spray

I’m such an advocate for using scents to change how you feel in a room. This is especially important in the bedroom, as you want to be as relaxed as poss so you get the best night’s sleep. I personally love using lavender scents, such as the Aura Cacia spray on Amazon, but make sure you pick a home fragrance that makes you feel good. You could pick your fave or even rotate seasonally, such as using floral and citrus fruit ones in warmer months and dark fruits and spicy ones in cooler months.

Top tip: As well as using a spray, you could put a diffuser on your nightstand, like I did in our essential oil diffusers round-up, to keep your room feeling and smelling consistently fresh.

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