How to declutter your bedroom, one zone at a time
To declutter your bedroom, work through it one zone at a time with four boxes or bags: keep, donate, toss and belongs elsewhere. Start with the floor and the chair that collects clothes, then the dresser and nightstand tops, the drawers, under the bed and the closet. When a zone is clear, clean it before you move on.
January is a natural time for it. Any month works.
Why declutter the bedroom first?
It's the room you start and end the day in. It's also the room that's easiest to let slide, because guests don't see it.
Clutter makes cleaning slower, too. Dust settles on piles, and you can't vacuum a floor covered in clothes. A clear room takes a fraction of the time to dust and vacuum.
What do you need?
- Four boxes or bags, labeled: keep, donate, toss, belongs elsewhere
- A laundry basket for clothes that just need washing
- A timer
- A microfiber cloth and a vacuum for when each zone is clear
How do you declutter a bedroom, zone by zone?
1. The floor and the chair. Everything on the floor gets picked up and sorted. Clothes go in the hamper, in the closet or in the donate bag. The chair that holds a week of clothes gets cleared too. This is the biggest visual change, so do it first.
2. The bed. Strip off the throw pillows and blankets you don't use. Wash the bedding while you work.
3. Surfaces. Dresser top, nightstands, windowsills, the top of the radiator cover. Keep only what you use there or love looking at. Our guide on how to organize a nightstand goes through that one in detail.
4. Drawers. One drawer at a time. Dump it on the bed, sort it, and fold back only what you wear. Socks without a partner and stretched-out shirts go.
5. Under the bed. Pull everything out. Keep lidded bins for off-season clothes or spare bedding, and nothing loose.
6. The closet. Save it for last, or for another day, because it's the biggest job. Our post on cleaning and organizing a closet walks through it.
At the end of each zone, take the belongs-elsewhere box to the rooms it belongs in, and put the toss bag out.
How do you decide what to keep?
- Did you use it or wear it this year?
- Would you buy it again today?
- Does it have a home in this room?
If the answer to all three is no, it goes. Sentimental things can have one box. When the box is full, choose.
How do you clean the room once it's clear?
Top to bottom, the way you'd clean any room:
- Dust the light fixture, the top of the door frame and the curtain rod.
- Dust the dresser, the nightstands, the radiator and the windowsills.
- Wipe the light switches and the door handle.
- Vacuum under the bed, along the baseboards and then the whole floor.
- Put the clean bedding back on.
How do you keep it decluttered?
- A hamper in the room, so clothes never reach the floor.
- A donate bag in the closet all year.
- One in, one out for clothes, shoes and books.
- Five minutes before bed: clothes away, mugs out, surfaces clear.
Want help with the cleaning?
The decluttering is yours. Once the room is clear, book House Cleaning or Deep Cleaning online, and put any priorities in your booking notes.
FAQ
Where do I start decluttering my bedroom? Start with the floor and the chair that collects clothes. They're the biggest, most visible piles, and clearing them first makes the room feel different within half an hour. Then do the surfaces, the drawers, under the bed and the closet.
How do I declutter my bedroom fast? Set a timer for 20 minutes, grab a laundry basket and a trash bag, and clear only the floor and the bed. Anything that belongs in another room goes in the basket, and you put the basket away when the timer goes off.
How do I keep my bedroom from getting cluttered again? Give every item a home, keep a hamper and a donate bag in the room, and do a five-minute reset before bed. One in, one out keeps the closet and drawers from filling back up.
Can I get help with a cluttered house in Philadelphia? Decluttering is yours to do. For the cleaning afterward, book House Cleaning or Deep Cleaning online, or call or text (215) 798-7576, 9 AM to 9 PM, every day.
Book a cleaning
Our service area: every Philadelphia neighborhood, plus the Pennsylvania suburbs within about 30 miles of Center City, in Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks and Chester counties. Book online at phillyscleanteam.com/book-now, or call or text (215) 798-7576, 9 AM to 9 PM, every day.
