If you’ve stumbled upon this article, chances are you’re trying to figure out how to declutter your room properly, and how to keep it decluttered most, if not all the time.
Glad I can help you out.
Serene, relaxing, and clutter-free — that’s exactly how your space should be. If the condition of your room can be described by the dreaded “M-word” (messy), decluttering will help bring the magic back to your special sanctuary.
There’s no room in your home like the bedroom. Here’s where you retreat to at the end of the day for some peaceful zzz’s or when you simply want to relax.
But if there is chaos of clutter buzzing in the background like an annoying mosquito, you’ll struggle to de-stress, sleep soundly, and feel at peace — that’s what research studies say.
Stick around as I fill you in on how to declutter your bedroom correctly. By the end of this article, you’ll have all the best practices to help you maintain a clutter-free bedroom at your fingertips.
Happy reading!
How to Declutter Your Room:
Let me show you how to declutter your bedroom by following these simple steps.
- Get everything off the floor.
- Declutter your room surfaces.
- Declutter your dresser.
- Declutter your closet.
- Remove bulky bedroom furniture.
- Minimize knick knacks.
- Buy furniture with storage options.
- Try a wardrobe wall.
- Use decorative containers.
- Use vacuum bags to store seasonal items.
- Use a multi use nightstand.
- Store less used items under your bed
*This post contains affiliate links. Full disclosure here.
| “ Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor. It’s anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living.” — Peter Walsh |
#1 Declutter the Floor
For a less overwhelming decluttering experience, it’s best to declutter one area at a time. So, let’s start with your floor.
To declutter your bedroom floor, pick up all the shoes and clothes and return them to their designated spot. For the dirty clothes lying around, take them to the laundry room.
Collect any trash lying around, I always keep extra bags at the bottom of each small trash can, so as I empty one, I have another one right there I can use. Doing this saves me a pile of time.
If there are items on your floor that belong in another room, grab a basket and toss all of them in there. You can take these items to the designated room later.
When you get rid of all that visual clutter on your floor, it becomes so much easier to declutter other areas of your bedroom. That’s because you won’t bump into stuff on your floor, or have to step over trash as you clear the cluttered mess on the rest of your room.
#2 Declutter Your Room Surfaces
Take a moment and picture your dream bedroom.
I may not know what you have in mind, but I’m sure of one thing — the dresser top, bedroom shelves, nightstand, and other flat furniture surfaces aren’t packed with excess items.
To declutter your room surfaces, collect all items that don’t belong in your bedroom’s flat surfaces and toss them in a basket (you’ll sort them later). Throw away things that qualify as trash — bill receipts, snack wrappers, and more.
Return any used utensils on your bedside tables to the kitchen, and take any magazines or newspapers to their respective spot. If you’ve already read them, get rid of them.
Be sure to collect any clothes on your bedroom chair and place them where they belong — either in the hamper or back into the closet.
#3 Declutter Your Dresser
There’s a special type of horror that comes with cluttered dresser tops — tangled necklaces that make you run late for work every morning, earrings playing and seek with you, and too many items that make it hard to actually see the surface of your dresser top.
A clutter-free dresser will enhance your bedroom’s overall look by far, that’s why you need to get ruthless when clearing this area.
To declutter your dresser top, start with the jewelry.
Arrange all the jewelry you wear often neatly in a jewelry organizer, get rid of the damaged jewelry pieces that are beyond repair (or those with missing partners), and donate those you barely wear (if they have no sentimental value). Instead of putting your jewelry on the dresser, you might want to hang it in your closet instead.
#4 Declutter Your Closet
Cleaning out closets can be a daunting task to do, but it comes with lots of benefits.
Who enjoys taking up the role of an archeologist every single morning, digging through drawers and squeezed hangers just to find something to wear?
The best way to declutter your closet is to empty it, analyze one clothing item at a time, and ask yourself whether it deserves to take up your closet space.
This is a time consuming task, so you may want to organize your clothes in bits. For example, you could set a timer for this task, and do it in 15 minute increments, so you don’t get overwhelmed. Make sure to include this in your weekly cleaning task.
Carefully decide which clothes you’ll keep, donate, sell, or throw away.
Pro Tip: For a smooth decluttering process, I’d advise you to have a couple of labeled boxes indicating what clothes will go in there. So for example, a box to hold clothes you intend to donate, a box for clothes you’ll get rid of, and a box for clothes you’ll sell.
Consider donating or selling clothing items you feel no longer fit you, don’t match your current style, or ones that you don’t love anymore. For the super worn-out clothes and shoes, throw them away for goodness sake.
It’s also a great idea to put things back in order. For example, store all your socks in the same section, all your t-shirts in another section, colored blouses together, and so on. I used these to keep the kids drawers organized in the RV, and they worked brilliantly.
You may want to organize your closet by seasons or by work and casual clothes. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure it works for you.
Drawer dividers can come in handy if you’d want to take the organization of clothes in your closet’s drawers to the next level.
#5 Consider Your Bedroom Furniture
I get it. You want to make your room look cozy with a few bulky, fancy pieces of furniture here and there.
But the truth is, having too many bulky furniture pieces can kill the vibe in your room. Your space will look cramped and cluttered every time, no matter how hard you clean.
So, to keep your bedroom clutter-free, you could potentially ditch some of the big furniture pieces (If you can), your floor space will look more spacious and organized.
It’s also a wise idea to make use of vertical storage solutions. For example, if you have two bulky bedside tables, remove one and install simple floating shelves on that side of the bed.
Shelving will help you break your room’s cluttered look and offer extra space to display a few eye-catching items.
#6 Minimize Knickknacks
Sometimes, we get so used to the things in our bedroom that it becomes challenging to pinpoint what qualifies as clutter.
Take knick knacks, for instance.
Most of us enjoy collecting these cute little pieces of décor. But the thing is, they make the worst clutter culprits when displayed in excess. Not to mention the extra dusting you will have to do in your bedroom.
You don’t have to put out too many knickknacks in your bedroom. They’ll all compete for the spotlight with the other things in your room, making the space look too busy.
Plus, knickknacks lose their special factor when you display them in excess. Limit how many items you want to display in your bedroom so you can achieve a clutter-free space. I enjoy things like candles,, I also have this cute light up tree (I love it in the winter), and these cute fake plants brighten up my room.
#7 Get Furniture With Storage
If you’re looking for more ways to add storage space around your room, one of the best decisions you can make is to invest in a few storage-friendly furniture pieces.
For example, you can get a bedroom ottoman with a detachable padded seat that you can lift and stash things that don’t have a home in there. The ottoman, in this case, will serve as a cozy bedroom seat and a handy storage unit.
Amazon is a good place to start — you’ll find plenty of storage-friendly furniture options here.
#8 Try A wardrobe Wall
If you don’t have the bedroom’s space or budget to accommodate a walk-in closet, consider making the most out of a section of your bedroom wall by installing a wardrobe wall.
With a wardrobe wall, you’ll have extra storage space to home different things.
You don’t have to install a sophisticated wardrobe wall — a simple one with open shelves will do. And instead of installing doors to enclose your wardrobe wall, you can use a gorgeous curtain that matches your bedroom’s décor.
#9 Use Decorative Containers
To avoid cluttering up your dresser top or nightstand, get a few small decorative containers that you can use to store small items such as makeup brushes, sun glasses, and hair accessories. These type of storage containers are great for storing and hiding your book.
When you have a home for these things, you’ll get used to returning them to their designated container after use instead of leaving them scattered anywhere.
#10 Categorize and Group Stuff
Don’t have enough storage to keep those extra throw blankets or seasonal clothing items?
The best way to store these extras is to get a few decorative storage baskets and sort these items into groups.
In other words, get a separate storage basket for all the excess throw blankets, I recommend storing your seasonal clothing pieces in vacuum packed bags, doing this can drastically reduce the space you need for clothes you don’t use all the time.
And to ensure your room doesn’t look too busy and uninviting, opt for uniform baskets — same color, shape, and material.
#11 Get A Multi-Use Night Stand
Thanks to the amazing world of modern invention, you can find a nightstand that serves double duty — sorts out your nighttime needs and still provides storage advantages.
If you’re running out of ample storage in your bedroom, consider getting a nightstand fitted with small cabinets or drawers.
With such a multipurpose nightstand, you’ll have additional storage for items such as magazines, excess knickknacks, chargers, and other small things that can easily clutter up a room. We have one of these to charge our elctronics, we keep it in our office and it keeps things clutter free.
#12 Use the Space Under Your Bed
If there’s an area in the bedroom that’s often overlooked yet has a huge storage potential, it’s the space under the bed.
There are under-bed storage bins in the market today designed to slide under the bed. And since these bins come in different shapes and sizes, you can get a few that will fit the space under your bed.
These under-bed storage bins are perfect for stashing things such as out-of-season clothing items that don’t have a home, excess blankets, shoes and extra items that need to stay hidden.
8 Things to Consider Removing From Your Bedroom
Your room, your rules — I agree. I know you’re free to keep any items you feel like in your bedroom.
But to create and maintain a healthy, serene bedroom environment, you should keep some things away from your bedroom.
To help you out, here’s a list of things that most experts think shouldn’t be in your room:
#1 Food and Drinks
Eating or drinking in bed is anything but hygienic for your bedroom.
You may end up staining your bed linens, cluttering your bedroom floor with snack wrappers, or attracting nasty critters to your bedroom.
Small pests like ants and cockroaches survive well on mere crumbs. So if you’re always eating in bed, you’ll invite unwanted roommates into your bedroom.
#2 Knickknacks
There are many things that are essential in a bedroom, and knickknacks aren’t one of them. If you already have items that stand out (which I bet you do), try to get rid of knickknacks (at least some) from your room.
#3 Your Mobile Phone
Ensuring your bedroom is a smartphone-free zone — particularly before bedtime — is vital for a quality night’s sleep.
If you always tuck into your bed and spend hours on your phone, you’ll have difficulty getting to sleep. And when this happens every other night, you’ll mess up your sleeping pattern.
The blue light from phones interferes with the brain’s ability to release melatonin, the sleep hormone. Melatonin promotes healthy sleep and better circadian rhythm (prepares your body to get ready to sleep).
So, try as much as you can not to have your phone in your room before bedtime. It’s for your own good.
#4 Television
TVs have the same effect as smartphones — they emit blue light that disrupts quality sleep.
If you own a bedroom TV, you may develop the habit of watching it at night when you’ve already gotten to bed. Consider keeping your bedroom a no-TV zone so you can enjoy quality sleep in your special sanctuary
#5 Exercise Equipment
Getting exercise equipment for your bedroom sounds like the most convenient way to bring the gym closer to home.
But it won’t do justice to your bedroom’s overall look. And as it collects dust, you’ll find yourself spending a lot of time cleaning and dusting your room. Try to keep exercise equipment somewher else, or look for equipment that would fit under your bed is a great alternative.
#6 Clothing Piles
To keep your room looking clutter-free for the most part, always remember to toss piles of dirty clothes into your laundry basket, or put them straight into the washer, if it’s close by. Don’t leave them heaped up on your bedroom floor or on your chair till God knows when.
The same goes for clean laundry. I like to get my laundry folded and put away as soon as it comes out of the dryer.
Don’t let piles of clean clothes camp on your bedroom chair for too long. Remember, cluttered spaces lead to cluttered minds. If your bedroom looks chaotic, your mind will feel the same way.
Remember your bedroom is your sanctuary, so in order to keep it clear of items laying around, make sure to put stuff away immediately.
#7 Your Work Stuff
Avoid bringing items you use for work to your bedroom.
The sight of work-related materials sometimes evokes feelings of pressure, stress, and all that negative energy that can ruin your bedroom’s calming atmosphere
Carrying paperwork into your bedroom is also the quickest way to paper clutter buildup in this space. So, try to keep work-related stuff stay away from your bedroom. You could use your home office if you’re lucky enough to have one, otherwise use your dining table.
#8 Coats, Boots, and Outwear
Bringing items such as outdoor coats and footwear to your bedroom will turn your space into a cluttered mess. Always make it a habit to keep any outdoor footwear or clothing away from your bedroom.
I use this for daily shoes that we all wear, and I have this for coats etc, both of these are stored in the garage, so nothing comes inside. You could use the coat one in the hallway too.
Maintaining a Clutter-Free Bedroom (4 Top Tips)
Decluttering your bedroom in one day is one thing, and ensuring it stays clutter-free most or all the time is another thing.
Here are a few tips for maintaining a clutter-free room:
#1 Do Regular Decluttering
To avoid clutter build taking over your bedroom and every other space in your home, get into the habit of doing quick decluttering sessions daily.
Set aside a few minutes to clear clutter from your bedroom — it can be returning items to where they belong, picking up trash, collecting the clothes on your floor and bedroom chair…………you know, just simple decluttering tasks.
These daily decluttering sessions will go a long way in making your room look organized at eye level.
Check out my best tips for setting up a nighttime cleaning routine that works for you.
#2 Declutter Closet Regularly
Closets tend to get quickly cluttered, so you need to stay on top of tidying up this area so that it’s not always in a jumbled mess.
Try to spare a few minutes every day to return any unhanged clothing item to its respective spot. If you come across underwear that have holes in them, throw them out immediately.
Doing this on a regular basis, will help to keep the clutter out of your closet.
I would also recommend that you give your closet a deep decluttering session on a seasonal basis. This will give you a chance to get rid of out-of-season clothing items.
#3 Utilize Wall Space
Rather than stuffing your closet with new clothing items, invest in stylish wall hooks. You’ll have extra storage to hang clothes that would have otherwise cluttered up your closet.
#4 Take Advantage of Ceiling Space
See that space between the top surface of your closet and the ceiling? Utilize it If you don’t have enough storage in your room.
You can get a few small decorative storage baskets to store items that don’t have a home, then place these baskets on this ceiling space.
How to Declutter Your Bedroom: Conclusion
The bedroom is a special area in your home for this one good reason — you start and end your day from here.
Your bedroom is supposed to feel like a safe haven, and it can only feel this way if you don’t let clutter take over. That’s why knowing how to declutter your room is important.
Decluttering is a great way to restore a sense of order and calmness to your space, which can be beneficial to your mental well-being.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I organize my bedroom when faced with a clutter problem?”, now you know what to do to declutter your bedroom so you can enjoy your safe haven.
I hope all the practical tips I’ve shared on how to declutter your bedroom, (one area at a time) will help you create a serene environment that you’ll feel happy to be in.
You have to make decluttering your bedroom and other living spaces a priority. It may not be the most glamorous task to do, but it’s worth every effort.
As I always recommend, put on some music or a podcast, and have some fun while you are decluttering items.
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