How to organize and clean a nightstand
To organize a nightstand, clear everything off it and out of the drawer, clean it, then put back only what you use in bed or first thing in the morning: a lamp, a charger, a glass of water and what you're reading. Small things go in the drawer with a divider. Everything else finds a home somewhere else in the room.
It's a ten-minute job. It also happens to be the first thing you see in the morning.
What belongs on a nightstand?
Ask one question about each item: do I use this in bed, or as soon as I wake up?
- Keep on top: a lamp, a phone charger, a glass or bottle of water, the book you're reading now, glasses if you wear them
- In the drawer: hand cream, lip balm, earplugs, a sleep mask, a notebook and pen, tissues, any medicine you take at night
- Elsewhere: finished books, receipts, loose change, hair ties, mugs, the remote you never use from bed
How do you clean a nightstand?
- Clear the top and empty the drawer.
- Dust the lamp. Lamp off and cool. A lint roller on a fabric shade picks up dust without spreading it. Wipe the base and the bulb.
- Dust the top and sides. Use a dry or barely damp microfiber cloth. On wood, follow the grain.
- Wipe marks. Water rings and fingerprints come off with a cloth dampened with a drop of dish soap and water. Dry the wood right away.
- Vacuum the drawer. A crevice tool pulls out the crumbs and grit in the corners, then wipe it with a damp cloth.
- Dust underneath. Nightstands with legs collect dust and stray socks underneath. Vacuum the floor there, too.
How do you organize the drawer?
A drawer with no dividers turns into a junk drawer in about a week. A small expandable divider or a few shallow trays fix that. Give each thing its own section, and put what you reach for in the dark at the front.
If there's no drawer, a small lidded box or a basket on the lower shelf does the same job.
How do you tame the cables?
Charging cables are where nightstand clutter starts. Run them down the back of the nightstand, hold them with a small cable clip on the edge so the plug doesn't fall behind the furniture, and keep one cable per device. A small charging tray keeps everything charging in one spot.
What about a small bedroom?
In a narrow rowhome bedroom or a trinity's small top floor, there may only be room for a narrow table or a wall shelf. That works fine as long as the rule stays the same: lamp, charger, water, book. A wall-mounted reading light frees the whole surface.
How do you keep it organized?
- Clear it each morning: mug to the kitchen, book back in its spot.
- Dust it when you dust the rest of the bedroom, once a week.
- Empty and wipe the drawer every few months.
For the rest of the room, see our 10 bedroom cleaning hacks and how to declutter your bedroom.
Want help with the cleaning?
The clearing is yours. For the cleaning, book House Cleaning or Recurring House Cleaning online, and put anything you want looked at in your booking notes.
FAQ
What should you keep on a nightstand? A lamp, a phone charger, a glass of water and whatever you read before bed. If it's not used in bed or first thing in the morning, it belongs somewhere else.
How do you organize a nightstand drawer? Empty it, wipe it out, and add a small divider or a few shallow trays. Give each thing a section: lip balm and hand cream, glasses, earplugs, a notebook and pen.
How do you clean a wooden nightstand? Dust it with a dry or barely damp microfiber cloth, following the grain. Wipe water rings and fingerprints with a cloth dampened with a little dish soap and water, then dry it right away.
How often should you clean a nightstand? Dust it once a week when you dust the bedroom, and clear it in the same pass. Empty and wipe the drawer every few months.
Book a cleaning
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