How To Declutter A Bedroom In Five Easy Steps

A bedroom should look and feel like a sanctuary, calm and clutter-free. This is the one spot in your home where you are expected to destress and have a good night’s rest. Decluttering a bedroom helps to create a space that encourages quality slumber. Read on to find out how to declutter a bedroom in five easy steps.

Before my husband and I moved into our own condo, we stored everything in our bedroom. At one point, I even kept our luggage in our bedroom because I was constantly traveling. After a while, I realized our messy bedroom increased my anxiety because I felt I never had enough time nor energy to clean.

I knew I wanted to have an organized and clutter-free bedroom when we moved. So, my husband and I joined forces to declutter our entire bedroom using the five steps below.

Related to How To Declutter A Bedroom:

How To Declutter A Bedroom In Five Easy Steps

What to prepare before you declutter a bedroom

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and not know where to start especially if you’re decluttering a bedroom for the first time. Here’s what you’ll need to prepare before the decluttering session:

1- Three large storage boxes

Take out three large storage boxes and label them before you begin. These boxes will be used to store things that you would like to donate, recycle and keep respectively.

2- Vacuum cleaner

Have your vacuum cleaner ready so you can clean any dust and debris after you declutter.

3- Good music and good company

Both of these are completely optional but having good music and good company can make decluttering feel like less of a chore. My husband is such a good sport and hardly says no when I’m in the mood to declutter. It gives us a good opportunity to catch up with each other while we organize!

How to declutter a bedroom in five easy steps

Step 1- Declutter all the flat surfaces in your bedroom (including the floor!)

I like to start with the easiest places to declutter first. When it comes to the bedroom, several flat surfaces come to mind. For instance, a vanity table, the top of a dresser, a chair, and the floor.

Remove everything from the flat surfaces and decide if they belong in your bedroom. Be intentional with the things you do decide to keep in your bedroom. I often ask myself, “Do I need this item in my bedroom? Will keeping this item in my bedroom bring me convenience AND joy?”

Some of my bedroom must-haves include a candle, a book I’m currently reading, and a photo frame of my family. I remove everything else I don’t need and find ‘homes’ for them in other areas within my condo.

Step 2- Clear your nightstand

I used to treat my nightstand like an emergency kit. I kept water, medicine, hand creams, lip balms, books, a pair of glasses, and my phone on my nightstand every night.

It didn’t take long before I got frustrated knocking over things whenever I reached for my glasses in the morning. Now, I only have my glasses, my phone, and a bottle of water on my nightstand. I store other essentials like medicine, hand creams, and lip balms in the drawers of my nightstand for easy access.

Step 3- Declutter your closet in the bedroom

Clothes make up the bulk of the clutter in a bedroom. We minimized our clutter using the following methods:

Create a separate area for your closet

We didn’t have enough space to create a walk-in wardrobe. So, we installed a custom-built crittall divider to divide our room into two areas. As a result, our sleeping area remains clean and cozy at all times.

Opt for an open wardrobe

I know you might be thinking, “What? An open wardrobe? That would only make my mess stand out!” However, having an open wardrobe actually kept me accountable because it made me diligent in organizing.

Organizing an open wardrobe is manageable if you consistently abide by these three rules:

Store clothes you use regularly like your work, lounge and workout attire
Group your clothes by category and length
Color coordinate your clothes whenever possible

Store your formal and seasonal clothing in a separate wardrobe

If you keep all of your clothes in one wardrobe, chances are your wardrobe is filled to the brim and you can’t find what you’re looking for in the morning!

My husband and I are fortunate enough to have a second wardrobe in a different room, which we use to store our formal and seasonal clothing. Not only does this helps us to reduce clutter, but we know exactly where everything is.

Declutter and reorganize your dresser and chest of drawers by category

Similarly to the flat surfaces in your bedroom, remove everything from your dresser and chest of drawers and ask yourself these questions:

Do I use this item daily?
Do I use this item in this room?
Is this item still in good condition?
Does this item make me happy if I keep it in my bedroom?

If you answered no to most of the questions above, the item in question doesn’t belong in the bedroom. If you still can’t find the right space for it within your home, it’s time to donate, recycle or discard the item.

Once you’ve decluttered, you can start to reorganize your dresser and chest of drawers by category. My husband and I have designated drawers for the following categories:

Beauty drawer – stores skincare, make up and first aid kid products
Linens drawer – stores pillow cases, duvets and quilt covers
Lingerie and socks drawer – stores our undergarments, socks and belts

Practice minimalism

This may come as a surprise but I used to be a massive shopaholic! I struggled with anxiety and I thought retail therapy would help me feel better. On the contrary, it made me feel worse because I was overwhelmed by all the stuff I accumulated over the years.

After I left my job last year, I decluttered and reorganized my entire condo. I felt a huge sense of relief once I got rid of everything I didn’t need. That’s when I realized material things did not make me genuinely happy. Since then, I only purchase what I need and what I truly love.

If you are often stressed about a messy home, I highly recommend adopting a minimalistic lifestyle. There’s no point decluttering every so often if you’re going to add more clutter!

Step 4- Create zones with storage solutions

Limited storage space in your bedroom? Create zones with the right storage solutions like boxes with compartments, baskets, and clothing hampers.

Using the right storage solutions enables you to group similar things, which makes it easier to locate things! You can even store certain storage solutions in a chest of drawers to keep your belongings in order.

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Some of my favorite bedroom storage solutions are:

Step 5- Declutter the furniture in your bedroom

Bulky furniture can make a bedroom look smaller than it actually is. If possible, limit the number of furniture in your bedroom. Do you really need a dresser and a chest of drawers? Remember, the more storage you have, the easier it is to accumulate clutter!

My husband and I only have an open wardrobe in our bedroom, which works great for us. Because of the open concept, we know exactly where everything is. We can also tell when things are starting to pile up, which is a sign for us to declutter again!

When to clean and declutter a bedroom

It’s easy to declutter before a big move BUT consistency is the key to maintaining an organized room at all times. My bedroom is my haven so my husband and I follow this cleaning and decluttering schedule religiously.

Daily

Make your bed every morning
Store skincare and make-up in designated drawers after usage
Fold or hang clean clothes in the wardrobe
Place dirty laundry in clothing hampers
Take out the trash

Once a week

Change your sheets
Do your laundry
Dust all surfaces
Wipe down furniture
Vacuum and mop the floor
Declutter flat surfaces
Organize flat surfaces

Once a month

Organize your closet, dresser and chest of drawers
Clean windows
Clean under furniture

Once in three months

Declutter your closet, dresser and chest of drawers
Wash curtains

I hope these five steps have taught you how to declutter a bedroom. Decluttering is an ongoing journey so embrace the process and enjoy your refreshed space!

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