Bedroom beautiful

Transform your home

You tell yourself you’re going to clean and organise your entire home in one day and set off with the best intentions, only to lose motivation and feel deflated when you can’t get everything done. We say spread it out – take on one room each day, and by the end of the week your home will feel clean, calm and clutter-free.

Bedroom beautiful

Ah, the bedroom. Where to start? Your over-stuffed wardrobe or the drawers you’ve been meaning to organise for ages? You may want to go at the bedroom over a couple of days because once you start, you might realise you’ve opened a can of worms. It will be worth it though, and you’ll feel so much better once you transform your bedroom back to the haven it ought to be.

Back to basics

We suggest starting with a good old-fashioned declutter. Separate the junk from the treasure – be methodical and break down the job into manageable chunks. Target certain types of clutter to begin with, like clothes or shoes, and decide what you’ll be keeping and bag up other bits to donate or recycle.

Beat the bulk

Move onto all the bulky coats, sportswear and jumpers you only need at certain times of the year, and gather together soft, space-hungry items like spare duvets, blankets, pillows and cushions. Sort out those worth keeping, those which need cleaning, those which can be recycled and those which can go to charity or straight to the bin. Store everything you’re keeping in protective vacuum storage bags that reduce their contents down to a quarter of their space. Gaining back valuable space in cupboards and under the bed is an instant win – it frees up storage, helps you feel more organised, and makes a bedroom much easier to clean.

Take on your toiletries

Once your clothes and shoes have been brought to order, toiletries and make-up are your next port of call. Lots of lotions and potions find their way into the places where we like to get ready, so make sure you’re storing make-up, jewellery and accessories in a way that doesn’t clutter your bedroom. And let’s not forget all those awkward appliances you use to style your hair – whether you have a hairdryer, straighteners or tongs, or all three, store them away neatly and safely, ensuring there are no loose wires hanging around.

Get cleaning

Now your bedroom is tidy, you’re ready to clean. Start by having a thorough dust; remember to do radiators, skirting boards, blinds, tops of wardrobes and behind furniture. Next, get your windows gleaming on the inside so you can make the most of the sunshine without seeing smears. Give your carpet a good once-over with the vacuum cleaner, and use the nozzle attachments to do away with dirt, dust and fluff in awkward areas. If your carpet is a high traffic area and it’s dirtier than you’d like to admit, give it a deeper clean with some carpet cleaner or stain remover.

Sort the spare room

The spare room is rarely ‘spare’ at all, and is often home to all those things we don’t have space for anywhere else. To transform it from an ironing room/wardrobe overflow/general dumping ground, start by tidying away or getting rid of as much clutter as you can. Have a bin bag at the ready and be decisive about what you really need and what you could take to a charity shop or recycling centre.

For anything that’s left, store it away neatly. Clear out drawers where you’re storing out-of-season clothes or spare bedding by packing them into vacuum bags to store in the loft, and use weather-proof storage boxes to stash bulkier things in the garage if you have one. Tackle the spare room as though you’ve got guests staying that evening – would you be proud to put them up after your tidying efforts?

Clean this room the same way as you would your bedroom, but remember it might have had more time to gather dust, so have a duster at the ready, and give it a good once-over with your vacuum.

If you have more than one bedroom, all this organisation might take you a little while, but when you get to admire your restful rooms with order restored, you’ll agree it’s been time well spent.