Your bedroom, as the name of the room implies, is where your bed is. It is supposed to be a place where you can climb into that bed, close your eyes, and sleep…a room that is devoted to rest and relaxation. The bedroom can easily get disorganized and downright dirty, however…and a messy bedroom, as you may know, is a difficult place to relax. You don’t have to lose sleep over your messy bedroom though; here are some tips to help you unclutter this room, so that you can have sweet dreams again:

Clean Up

Like any other de-cluttering project, you should start by taking inventory of what you have in the room. Take everything out from under the bed, behind your nightstand, or from any other place it might be hiding. Take inventory of these items and sort them into different piles or boxes. You should have a pile or box for items that don’t belong in your bedroom and need to be put away one for trash, one for items that you can sell or donate, and one for items that should be stored elsewhere. From here, you can start to get rid of things that aren’t needed in your bedroom. This will give you a great start in getting your bedroom organized.

After getting a handle on the things in your bedroom and putting everything where it belongs, you need to make sure that it is clean. Vacuum and dust the entire room, wash the windows and wipe down the sills, clean the light fixtures and lamps, and make the bed. A little bit of cleaning will make your bedroom look like new.

Use the Area Under Your Bed

A king-sized bed takes up about 40 square feet of space. That is a good chunk of real estate in your bedroom that you can put to good use. The space under your bed is perfect for storing clothing that is out of season, bulky sweaters, or anything else that needs storage. Many inexpensive organizing products work perfectly for this area, such as plastic bins or baskets. The best part of storing things under your bed is that they should all be hidden by your bed skirt. Don’t let this prime storage area in your bedroom go to waste.

Make Your Furniture Do Double Duty

If you are selecting bedroom furniture, look for pieces that will do double-duty by adding storage space. For example, a headboard that includes a bookcase or a chest that has seating space on top. You can often take the furniture that you already have and create simple storage solutions with a few modifications. Try adding a fabric skirt to a dressing table to conceal storage space or storing items underneath a chair.

Create a Spot To Store Things Where You Enter the House

Many things that have no business being in your bedroom get carried there every day; your car keys get thrown on the dresser at the end of the day or your mail ends up on the night table as you look through it.  One way to prevent your bedroom from getting messy quickly is to stop clutter before it enters. Try setting up a place near where you enter the house to hold things like your keys, wallet, sunglasses, or mail. You don’t need anything fancy for this, a basket, bowl, or just about any other container placed strategically near the front door or garage will work wonders in keeping your bedroom (and the rest of your house) clean and organized.

Closet Organization

An organized bedroom requires an organized closet; otherwise, clothes will pile up on the floor. The key to keeping your closet organized is considering what you use most often and putting those things where they are easiest to access. Items that you only access infrequently can be placed at the back of the closet in a plastic bin or a basket, or stored elsewhere.

Keep It Clean

If your bedroom is going to be a place for you to rest and relax, it must stay clean and organized. To do that, you must continually clean it. Come up with a regular schedule of tidying, vacuuming, and dusting that works for you and keeps your bedroom looking good. One of the most important routine cleaning tasks you can do in your bedroom is to make your bed each morning. It doesn’t take much time to do, and you will be surprised at how much an organized bed will help you to keep the rest of the room looking its best as well.