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If you’re thinking about doing some spring cleaning and lack the motivation or find yourself wondering, “how do I clean my bedroom in the Spring?” give these 19 fast and easy spring cleaning chores for the bedroom a try.
Our goal is to help you break items down into more manageable pieces, which should only take 5 minutes or less each, depending on the size and state of your bedroom. We also provide how-to instructions, helpful habits, and tips to make the cleaning process easier for you, now and in the future, or even just a regular old kitchen timer.
We also offer tips for those who might suffer from a bad back, hips, and joints, as well as individuals who might struggle to sit on their knees or to get up or down from the floor.
Always feel free to do them at your leisure, and don’t forget to bookmark us so you can come back to where you last left off.
In this post…
- What to Do
- What You’ll Need
- Tips to Get You Started and Motivated
- 5-minute Spring Cleaning Chores for the Bedroom
- Conclusion
What to Do:
- Pick at least one out of these 19 spring cleaning chores for the bedroom and try to complete it in 5 minutes.
- Plan ahead by knowing what you’ll be working on as well as how you’ll be going about it.
- Prep the area with whatever you’ll need, such as a trash bin, donation box/bag, cleaning products, tools, step stool, duster, etc.
- Set a timer for five minutes or longer if desired.
- Try to clean without stopping or getting distracted.
- Clean as fast you’re able to move.
- Treat it as a game.
- Allow enough time to clean up after you’re finished, or opt to go 5 minutes longer before you begin.
- Whatever you don’t finish can be moved to the next day or even later in the day.
- If you want to go longer than 5 minutes, avoid going too long since the goal is to set more manageable timeframes.
- Try merging sessions. For instance, if you were to work in the kitchen, you could do a few drawers for 5 minutes and then work on the microwave and whatever else for another five.
What You’ll Need:
- Whatever items you’ll be using to clean.
- A timer.
- Anything that will help prevent extra trips (i.e., trashcan, step ladder, etc.).
- A donation bag (optional).
Tips to Get You Started and Motivated
1. Make It Entertaining!
If you think you’ll be going longer than 5 minutes, or hope to do more than one task or challenge at a time, make things fun for yourself by adding entertainment you can do at the same time. However, make sure you won’t get distracted by whatever entertainment you choose.
Some popular types of entertainment typically include music, YouTube videos, podcasts, the news, or audiobooks. You can also use songs, videos, or programs like Audible’s timer feature to time sessions.
2. Pay Attention to How Long Cleaning Projects Take
People commonly overthink how long cleaning chores will take, leading to procrastination, ineffective cleaning routines, and practices—all of which can lead to actually cleaning taking more time than it needs to, all while adding more stress to your life.
By keeping track of how long chores take, you’ll better understand what to expect, how to plan and may feel less overwhelmed or likely to procrastinate.
3. Combine Spring Cleaning Bedroom Chores
If you finish before your 5 minutes are up, consider doing other similar chores back-to-back.
For instance, if you plan to dust the baseboards, perhaps consider doing anything above the baseboard level first to avoid having dust and debris fall onto areas where you’ve already cleaned. That pesky, Gravity!
Have fun with it, experiment, and get creative. I love turning it into a game to see how much I can really get done in x-amount of time.
5-minute Spring Cleaning Chores for the Bedroom
Do these bedroom-themed spring cleaning chores in whatever order makes sense to you. But try to move in a direction that saves you time and effort. As an example, it helps to work in the same direction throughout the room (clockwise vs. counter-clockwise) and from top to bottom. This way, you won’t have to clean an area or item more than once. You’ll also be less likely to skip over things by accident.
Depending on the size of your room and the number of items in it, some chores on the list may take longer than 5 minutes. Again, customize the challenge or task to suit your preference, household needs, and schedule.
If you need to break down some projects into even smaller chunks, feel free. You can also do more at once or spread it out throughout the day, week, month, or even quarter. Don’t forget to bookmark us so you can finish out the room at your own pace.
Don’t forget that you can expand and contract each task to see more or less information. Under each task, you’ll also spot helpful habits and spring cleaning tips about certain chores.
1. Tidy and declutter the room.
Decluttering can be ideal for making your home look and feel cleaner and more comfortable. It can also speed up your cleaning time and help you spot areas that need your attention while you clean.
You may even find that you’ll sleep better, have better focus, and feel less stress due to fewer distractions and less visual stimulation. Even in the bedroom, having a decluttered space can make you feel more productive and proactive throughout your life and day.
Mission
Declutter the area before you begin spring cleaning chores in the bedroom. Don’t worry about the interior of anything (i.e., drawers or cabinets). Just focus on the actual room.
Depending on how many items you have and how frequently or well you clean the room normally, it should only take a few minutes. If you need more time or want to work on it throughout the week, adjust accordingly.
Before starting your timer, pick a place for items to go as you declutter. These items might include anything you need to put away, donate, repurpose, or deal with in whatever way you see fit, whether after you’re finished cleaning or later.
Create bags, bins, or designated spots for like items to go until you can get to them later. Such things might include:
- A hamper for laundry, if necessary
- A donation box or bag.
- A bag, bin, or hamper for items you need to take elsewhere in the house once you’re done with your challenge(s). This might include toys, clothing, towels, etc.
Set the timer for five or so minutes and try to finish before your time is up. If you start in the bedroom and have time left over, see if you can squeeze one of the tasks below in before the time is up. Or try to hurry and put away items you just decluttered that still need to be put away.
Tip #1
Tote-ly awesome hack: As mentioned in the kitchen and dining 5-minute spring cleaning posts, one of our favorite cleaning hacks is to have laundry hampers, totes, or baskets around with me as we clean and/or declutter a room.
This way, you can save a couple of trips going back and forth. And, as mentioned above, you can easily cart items to their next destination with ease.
We previously did an in-depth review of our favorite go-to basket to use: the Clevermade Laundry Tote 2-Pack set from Costco (review link).
We love Clevermade laundry hamper’s sturdy metal frame and how it effortlessly snaps closed for compact storage. They’re easy to stash away behind couches, between the washer and dryer, car seats, under furniture, or in closets, and are quick to grab.
We keep several of the Clevermade hampers hidden throughout the house just for the sake of decluttering. Doing so gives me fewer excuses to blow things off, and it’s super-convenient.
I’m actually thinking about getting one of their adorable Luxe versions, which comes with a shoulder strap or insulation (optional), and several cute patterns to choose from. If you have one already, let me know what you think down in the comments.
Either way, any hamper, basket, or bag will do.
Tip #2
KonMari: If you struggle with getting rid of items that you no longer need, we recommend checking out The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. She has some pretty awesome decluttering and folding methods, along with other household issues.
2. Dry dust the room.
Mission
Take a little time to dust your room thoroughly. We recommend using something like the Swiffer 360 or another type of stick-styled duster that extends that does with attracting dust, such as a microfiber duster.
The main goal is to get as much dirt, lint, and debris off all surfaces in the room as possible. However, you don’t have to be super-meticulous either, providing you’re willing to go back to clean the surface later, which is actually a lot easier than it sounds.
This should speed up the cleaning process once it’s time to wipe everything down for a deep spring cleaning.
Examples of items to dust:
- Walls and ceiling
- Any light fixtures, switches, outlets, and vents
- Furniture as well as under or around furniture
- Wood trim, such as baseboards and doors
- Wall decor and other decorating pieces in the room
Tip
Dry dusting is excellent to do before using any cleaning product or doing any wet dusting, such as using furniture polish and cloth or water and microfiber cloth. It helps remove dirt and lint that can stick to surfaces once wet, making cleaning more difficult.
3. Clean the walls (optional).
Cleaning the ceiling and walls might sound complicated and maybe even pointless, but it can make a big difference in the way your room looks or even smells. It’s also great for making the area look cleaner and can help maintain paint for longer.
Property Perk
In fact, it can help maintain or add to your property value in a way since both lenders and buyers like to know you’ve taken care of the place. And buyers love it because they won’t feel grossed out or like they need to clean as much.
Landlords also love it, making it ideal for future references and getting your deposit back.
This is something we learned a few times in recent years and several moves. Once while selling my mother’s place in just a few days and well above asking (during COVID, no less). And also, during two different appraisals appraising well (hers and my former place), with the mention of stellar upkeep both times.
Test First
However, make sure that the paint on them is washable, as not all types are. Flat paint, for instance, may not be meant for water to be used on it, and it’s generally harder to clean. When in doubt, check with the paint manufacturer and always test in an inconspicuous spot first.
Mission
Clean your walls and, if possible, your ceiling. You can wash the walls using your favorite cleaning method, but most people prefer to use a microfiber cloth and just a little bit of water (test first).
You can also use an easier and faster “cheat method” known as mopping the wall, which we mention down below and happens to be growing in popularity over the years. It also helps when trying to clean the ceiling to some extent.
Timing
If you plan to work in 5-minute increments for this task, it sometimes helps to separate cleaning the ceiling and walls from each other and put them into different sessions so that you have enough time to finish.
Always test first and make sure your paint is washable. Check with the manufacturer if you’re unsure or refer to their recommended cleaning instructions.
De-marking
You can sometimes remove certain marks and scuffs from the walls by carefully cleaning them with a microfiber cloth. Some scuff marks can also be removed with products such as a Magic Eraser.
In either case, always test whatever product you’ll be using in an inconspicuous spot. It’s beneficial to demark with a Magic Eraser before cleaning your walls due to the material they leave behind on surfaces. And avoid scrubbing any surface too hard to avoid removing too much paint.
Washing the Walls By Hand
Some people prefer to wash their walls by hand and using a lightly damp cloth, step ladder, and whatever else they need. However, I like to try to at least attach my microfiber cloth to something like an OXO Tub and Shower Scrubber for easier reach and maneuverability when in a pinch.
Wall Mop Method
In Part 1 of our 5-Minute Spring Cleaning Kitchen Chores post, we mentioned cleaning the walls and how some individuals, myself included, use a sponge or flat microfiber mop with a swivel head to “mop” walls.
It’s similar to the technique with the Oxo scrubber mentioned above but a little more practical and a lot simpler to use. Flat-styled mop heads tend to work better than other types since they usually cover more surface area and with greater reach. In fact, it works just like mopping the floor. You can often finish a large wall in well under a minute.
While it’s not a perfect solution, it can be faster and far easier than by hand. They can take some getting used to, and success may depend on the mop being used. We love to use the E-Cloth Floor Mop for washing and their Dust Mop for the initial dusting, but we’re always looking out for new options.
There are also actual wall mops on the market, which are essentially the same thing. But it’s also up to personal preference.
Update: We also just started to work on testing for a review about the new, larger version of the Swiffer 360 (Amazon link) and found that it’s excellent for dusting walls and ceilings too.
Disclaimer: No matter which method you use, check to see if your paint can handle washing and use a mop at your own risk. Avoid using too much water. You should only need a little bit. Too much water can soften the paint and cause damage.
It’s also important to be careful with the mop you use, should you decide to mop the walls. If not careful, they may potentially scratch the surface, such as if the pad were to slip out of place or the mop itself while against the wall.
Tip
Dry Dust: Always try to dry dust before using anything wet, using something like a Swiffer 360 or microfiber duster. It’ll help prevent lint and debris from sticking to any surfaces, resulting in a bigger mess to clean up.
4. Clean wall décor and wall/ceiling fixtures.
Mission
Make sure to give your light fixtures on the walls and ceilings a good cleaning and any wall decor, too, such as pictures or metal wall art.
Try to plan your steps and prep the space with whatever tools you’ll need before setting your timer.
Keep it minimal (not sponsored)
It also helps to keep your cleaning products to a minimum to reduce steps further. We love using E-cloth general purpose cloths with their polishing cloth with a minimal amount of water.
The general purpose cloths are great for getting grime, dust, and debris off surfaces. And the E-Cloth Polishing cloth can be used for a streak-free finish on glass items, such as mirrors and pictures.
5. Dust and clean baseboards.
Mission
Spring cleaning time is a good chance to dust and clean your baseboards in your bedroom if you haven’t already.
Keeping up on the baseboards and trim, even just dusting-wise, can make them easier and faster to clean throughout the year. This is due to dust and dirt having less of a chance to stick to surfaces. Above all, it can make a significant impact on how your bedroom looks and feels.
Tip #1
Drop that base: Try spending a few minutes detailing your baseboards by hand if you’ve not done them in a while.
When you’re done, you can work toward doing regular maintenance cleaning, such as by dusting them at least once a month so that they stay cleaner for longer.
Use a good-quality microfiber cloth and a little bit of water to speed up the process. Make sure to wring it out well—you only need a small amount of water to allow the microfiber to attract dirt and dust, but not so much that the water clogs up the fibers before any dust or dirt can attach to them.
Tip #2
When in doubt, cheat: As with walls, you can use a lightly damp mop on baseboards to speed things up if you choose—more so if you dust and/or clean them consistently. We love this trick for maintenance cleaning, but if you haven’t cleaned your baseboards in a while, you may need to clean them by hand first initially. You can then follow up with a maintenance schedule (i.e., dust weekly or at least once a month; clean quarterly).
This is also an excellent trick to use if you suffer from a bad back or hips, or if you struggle to kneel on the floor, which are all issues for me. It’s also extremely quick! We so far love using my O-Cedar Spin Mop on baseboards, but I’m still on the lookout for other options. Play around with what you have and see what works best, but, as mentioned before, do at your own risk.
Tip #3
Easy does it: Again, the purpose of these 5-minute challenges is to break things down into micro tasks. That way, you can fit them into your schedule or might have a better chance of fighting procrastination. If doing one or two baseboards is all you can do for the day, no worries! Go at your own pace.
6. Dust and clean any wood trim and doors.
Mission
Dusting your furniture can help to help remove any debris, loose dirt, and lint before cleaning. And it only takes a few minutes to clean and dust a few pieces of furniture.
Try to clean your furniture within the same timed session; however, you can also choose to start a new one back-to-back or do it at a later time.
Some folks like to do clean their furniture with polishing products, such as Pledge or Endust. We prefer a residue- and chemical-free method, using water and barely-damp microfiber cloth since it’s generally faster, cleaner, and furniture tends to stay dust-free longer. Do what’s best for the type of furniture you have and that suits your preference.
Clean any decor items in the order you feel is best, too, whether back-to-back or at a later time—especially if you have a lot of stuff to work on.
Types of trim to consider dusting:
- Doors (and handles)
- Door and window trim
- Cabinetry
Tip
Multitask: If there’s time left on your timer, try to squeeze in some of the things in the next section. Or, if you haven’t done them already, tackle those baseboards if you feel up to it, even if it’s one at a time.
7. Clean points of contact.
Mission
Make sure to clean any points of contact in the room if you haven’t already. These often include high-traffic areas and items that we frequently touch, many of which get their fair share of bacteria, grime, grease, and other unmentionables over time.
Common points of contact in the dining room:
- Door handles
- Light switches, pulls, and knobs
- Cabinet and drawer pulls, knobs or surfaces
- Remotes
- Tables
- Window treat pulls, batons, and cords
Tip
Don’t forget to clean around areas such as doorknobs and light switches. Whether we can see it or not, they get a little bit of abuse and gradually get dirtier over time. It might not be as noticeable until things start looking pretty filthy from a distance.
8. Clean the window treatments.
Mission
Clean your window treatments. This would involve anything from curtains and valances to shutters, blinds, and shades. If you need to split this up into small chunks, feel free and go at your own pace. Make sure to bookmark us so you can pick up where you left off!
Even putting them in your washer or dryer, in the car to take them to the dry cleaner later in the day, or doing a few of them a time—it all counts.
Blinds, shutters, and hard-surfaced treatments.
There are several ways to clean hard-surfaced window treatments like blinds, shutters, vertical blinds, and non-fabric shades. A lightly damp microfiber cloth is often the best and fastest choice in most cases.
Some people like to use specially designed tools for blinds, commonly found online, such as in stores like Amazon. Others may opt to go the DIY route, such as using one popular trick: tying microfiber cloths around a pair of tongs for easy cleaning.
It all basically comes down to what you’re dealing with personal preference. I find it easier to dust our blinds and shutters often (weekly) and then use a barely-damp E-cloth to clean about every 2-3 months.
One product that I so far love and started trying for a future review is this newer extendable Swiffer 360 for dusting the shutters, cabinets, fans, ceiling, baseboards, and walls. It’s like quickly mopping them—minus the mop and bucket, of course, and it’s even faster than their standard and 3-foot 360 dusters.
Curtains, valences, and shades.
With curtains or valences that need to be cleaned, it’s best to follow their care instructions. In some cases, vacuuming or steaming may work, but it also depends on how dirty they are or the kind of material involved. Vacuuming can sometimes even just be useful for dusting purposes.
Certain kinds of window treatments may need professional cleaning. Some individuals may freshen their curtains for spring cleaning time in the dryer, which is also great for removing fur and other types of debris, or they might decide to wash them in the washer first if they’re washable.
Helpful Habit
Rinse and repeat: When possible, try to clean, or at least freshen, your window treatments several times a year. Also, make sure to dust or vacuum them regularly—especially hard-surfaced options. Doing so will help reduce household odors, potentially increase their longevity, and better maintain their overall appearance.
9. Clean windows, doors, and tracks.
Mission
Clean the inside portion of your windows—particularly if you haven’t in a while. Also, feel free to get the outside, too, or put the windows into their own separate category if you’d rather focus on them throughout the house and all at once. Just make sure to adjust your time.
Clean the following:
- Window sills
- Tracks
- Trim, including locking mechanisms
- The interior-side of the screen, whether by hosing off entirely outside or using an old microfiber cloth that you don’t care if it might get stained.
Tip
Cheaters occasionally prosper: For those who hate hosing off the screen or cleaning it outside, only to have to wait for them to dry, try wiping them off with an old, somewhat damp microfiber cloth instead. This not only works great for cleaning the screens but ensuring they dry more quickly too.
However, if your screens are filthy, we recommend hosing them off and giving them a good cleaning first, using microfiber as maintenance cleaning. It’s also advisable to only use a microfiber cloth that you don’t care about since staining can sometimes occur.
10. Replace worn or missing furniture pads.
Taking the time to replace worn or missing bumper pads may not be a crucial task to get done, but it can soften sounds within your home as well as protect your cabinetry.
It’s also relatively quick and easy to do, and you likely won’t have to do it again for a long while. Your neighbors with shared walls will thank you!
Mission
Take a few minutes to replace the missing or worn-down felt on your cabinet doors and drawers. Also, try to pay attention to any doors or drawers that regularly make a lot of noise when shut or that get slammed often by others in the home.
Tip
If you have some extra time on the timer, try working on other tasks on the list or get creative with the remaining time. For instance, you can try placing some felt pads under other items that are heavy, difficult, or even annoying to move.
This might include an oven, curio, dining chairs, and other pieces that aren’t always so easy to move on your own or that might hold you up when it comes to cleaning a space.
You can find of list of those items and more tasks you can do with pads in our post about 5 Ways to Use Leftover Rubber & Felt Furniture Feet Pads.
11. Wash textiles or fabric items.
Mission
While working on your bedroom spring cleaning chores, consider taking a few moments to clean any washable, textile-type items if you have any that need some tidying up.
This is also an excellent time to deal with any clutter that you don’t use, need, or that might belong someplace else. Such items can include shoes, coats, toys, and even dismembered pet toys.
We also like to include wiping down other types of wipeable surfaces, such as faux plants or baskets that can be cleaned by hand or according to the manufacturer’s care instructions.
Examples of textiles or washable items that can be cleaned:
- Small, machine-washable rugs or doormats, including doormats that can be hosed off outside. However, we cover this in the next few steps.
- Window treatments
- Coasters
- Toys
- Sports gear
- Pet gear
- Seat cushions
- Artificial plants
- Baskets
Tip
To wash or not to wash: If you love artificial plants, try to consider how hard they might be to keep clean before purchasing them.
Some types, such as silk, might too fragile and will require special cleaning. Other, often less expensive types can be wiped down with a lightly damp cloth or ran under the tap. Any excess water can be shaken off and left to air dry.
I call this “watering” my plants. The more often you do it, the easier they are to clean. So don’t let the grime buildup. We love places like HomeGoods, Target, and Amazon have great and affordable artificial plants. Plus, they’re usually a breeze to clean regularly. HomeGoods is always my favorite since their plants can look so realistic yet tend to be wipeable or rinse-off-able too.
12. Dust and clean any knickknacks and decor.
Mission
Use a lightly damp cloth to wet dust any knickknacks in the room (when safe to do so). How long it will take can depend on how many things you have as well as how long it’s been since you’ve last cleaned.
Once again, take as much time as you need and feel comfortable doing it in one day. Or work at it in 5- to 10-minute increments and as you have spare time.
Tip #1
Wet dusting: Dry dusting is great for upkeep and can make quick work of dusting in general—especially if you stay on top of it. However, it’s good to wet dust ever so often since it’s a little more effective.
Wet dusting can be done using a little bit of warm water, or even your favorite dusting product (i.e., Endust, Pledge) when it’s safe to use on surfaces and depending on your preference.
We love to use an E-Cloth and their polishing cloths as a faster, more efficient, and chemical-free method. They manage to get most items around the house looking ultra sparkly, from baseboards to our crystal lamps and mirrors. Above all, they speed up the overall process. And, as mentioned earlier, because there’s a lack of residue left behind, things seem to stay dust-free longer.
Tip #2
Less stuff = less work and less stress: While many people love their knickknacks and decor pieces, having too many items in a room can visually overstimulate us and become a distraction.
Because of the visual stimulation and distractions, too much clutter may potentially increase stress levels while giving us even more work to do when it’s time to clean—sometimes without us even being consciously aware of it.
And if dusting takes you a long time and feels like a huge hassle, it may be because you have too many items and might benefit from decluttering.
Decluttering speeds up the amount of time it takes to dust and clean. It can also help to make a room feel more comfortable and look better. Lack of clutter is often why model homes, hotels, homes in magazines or TV shows look fantastic and relaxing. They don’t have a lot of stuff sitting out.
You can also try rotating decorations when you feel you might have too much sitting out and aren’t ready or willing to get rid of certain items.
13. Wipe furniture clean.
Mission
Use your favorite furniture cleaner or polish, such as Pledge or Endust, or a slightly wet cloth or microfiber product if that’s your preference.
Make sure that the material of your furniture can handle whatever method you use. Avoid using water or products on untreated or unsealed wood unless the product is made for it.
You may need to have a vacuum and duster on hand if you haven’t gone over the area yet. Break down pieces the task of cleaning furniture if you have a lot of pieces or need to clean oversized items in the room. You can also just set the timer to go for longer.
Get the detailed nooks and crannies and the back of the furniture—especially since these spots tend to get neglected. If possible, at least try to vacuum underneath it and clean the floor where it usually rests too.
Tip
As mentioned in our 5 Ways to Use Leftover Rubber & Felt Furniture Feet Pads post, if you struggle to move items while cleaning, consider using felt pads on hard floors or pads designed for carpets. They make cleaning around heavy items straightforward and quick to do, which means fewer chances of procrastination and far less effort involved.
Helpful Habit
Thoroughly clean around your furniture as often as you can, repeating the task throughout the year to keep it manageable—especially if you have pets and/or children. Larger or heavier pieces should be moved and cleaned around at least twice a year, if not every quarter or so.
14. Clean area rugs and doormats.
Mission
Some rugs may need to be professionally cleaned or done with a non-commercial carpet cleaner, such as our Bissel Pet Revolution 2x that we use or a similar option. Other, often smaller rugs can sometimes be machine washed or hose off, depending on the material (i.e., rubber mats).
Tip #1
Suck it up: Make sure to vacuum rugs or carpeting before carpet cleaning, regardless of whether you plan to use a carpet cleaner or have them done professionally.
Tip #2
Don’t get bogged down: If you plan to carpet clean your carpets and rugs, avoid oversaturating the carpet or rug since it can create mold issues.
It’s also essential to use a machine that provides adequate suction and agitation, which we plan to soon. Either way, make sure you get most of the water back into the machine instead of it being left on the carpet.
Tip #3
Dirt magnet: If you use a carpet-cleaning machine, we recommend doing at least a single pass afterward using water only to help rinse the soap away. Otherwise, soap can attract more dirt later and cause the fibers to gunk up and become matted. It’s also recommended to do a dry pass to ensure that moisture is sucked up.
15. Wash regular bedding & rotate the mattress.
Mission
We often like to wash our bedding after we’re done dusting and cleaning. Just worry about the blankets and sheets for now. We’ll get to throw pillows and throw blankets in later steps.
If you haven’t rotated your mattress in a while, this is a good time to do it. However, to help keep your bed lasting for as long as possible, you should rotate your mattress at least every quarter or per the manufacturer’s instructions. Some mattress companies recommend rotating your mattress every month or two.
Tip #1
Wash bedding separately: Sometimes, it’s more beneficial to wash your sheets and blankets separately rather than in the same load. This includes other types of laundry, such as towels, and separating heavy blankets from sheets.
This can help to ensure that they dry faster and more efficiently—few things are worse than trying to get into your bed, making it late, only to see that your bedding is still wet. You’ll also avoid causing as much damage to softer fabrics, such as sheets, helping to prevent pilling.
Tip #2
Got Backup? If you tend to hold off from washing your bedding regularly, such as weekly or bi-weekly, consider buying a second set of bedding. This is mainly for sheets, but having an extra blanket can help too. That way, even if you want to change your bedding but don’t necessarily want to wash them that day, you can meet the task halfway and wash the set later.
16. Clean throw blankets and pillows.
Mission
If your items can be treated at home or washed in the machine, take a few minutes to give them a good shake or smacking out back or someplace else outside. Clean the covers and/or inserts according to their care instructions. Or, if you’d rather have them done professionally, consider taking them to the cleaners.
Is it me, or is this starting to sound, like it’s an episode of The Sopranos or The Godfather?
Tip #1
Make it Washable: If you’re able to, try to replace your non-washable throw pillows with washable ones instead. Washing them more regularly can reduce allergens, dust mites, foul odors, and all sorts of scary things that can lurk inside a pillow.
You can also look into creating your own affordable, washable throw pillows using the many inserts and throw pillow cover options found at stores like Amazon, IKEA, and Wayfair. Customizing your own can help keep your pillows cleaner for longer and far easier to maintain—not to mention allows you to change up your decor with ease and from season to season.
17. Vacuum any furniture, such as chairs, couches, etc.
Mission
Spare a few minutes to thoroughly vacuum any upholstered pieces of furniture during your bedroom spring cleaning as well as regularly throughout the year. This might include items like the following:
- Headboard
- Chairs or coaches
- Mattress
- Ottomans
- Bench seat
- Pet furniture or beds
- Cat scratchers and posts
Split the task up into more 5-minute sessions if you need to, or set the timer for longer—especially if you have a lot of furniture pieces to vacuum.
Tip #1
Take your time: As you vacuum, really take your time and move slowly with the unit. Try to get all those little nooks and crannies too. It’s common for people to move their vacuums and vacuum attachments over surfaces too fast, usually because they want to finish quickly. However, this doesn’t give the vacuum proper time to do its job.
Tip #2
A pound of flesh + eight more: And when it comes to carpets and upholstered furniture, in particular, you want to make sure you get as much debris up as you can—especially considering the average human sheds 30,000 to almost 40,000 dead skin cells per year.
That comes to about 9 pounds of dead skin per person per year. And that’s all over your happy sleeping grounds, along with your potential pet’s and the cells of your loved ones. Yum!
Tip #3
A mite-y impressive smorgasbord you’ve got there: And you know who loves dead skill cells? Dust mites! And no, dust mites don’t bite or creep into your bed late at night to suck your blood like a slightly lamer and highly microscopic version of Twilight. That’s bed bugs, sans vampiric sparkly glitterflesh and microscopic part—another reason to vacuum your bed ever so often. Capiche?!
Nor do dust mites burrow into your flesh while in a parasitic rage, looking all worm thing from Dune or Star Trek: Wrath of Kahn. Did I just age myself again?
Dust mites do, however, love to poop all over your soft textiles, pillows, carpet, couch, and mattresses, though. And most folks (as well as pets) just so happen to be allergic to all that small yet mitey dung. #GoodTimes
How’s that for a bedtime story and vacuuming incentive? Only you can prevent a colossal heap of asthma- and allergy-promoting dust mite fecal matter by removing their all-you-can-eat buffet. You and a guy named Dyson. And maybe that Shark/Ninja founder who’s always somehow overly bubbly and enthusiastic in his infomercials. Must be due to fewer allergies.
18. Organize a dresser drawer, small cabinet, or inside a piece of furniture.
Mission
If you’re like me, organizing your drawers or other bits of furniture may not always be your favorite thing to do. One popular way to overcome Dread Drawer Syndrome is to do it one step at a time.
You don’t have to do it all in one day; just make sure you finish x-amount within a week or even all of it, whether for 5, 10, 15, or even 20 minutes and on a timer.
Tip #1
Binge-worthy: If you have a hard time folding and putting away clothes, or even tidying up your room, try to do it along with something you enjoy. That might be a Netflix binger, a binger-binger (no judgment, but that would be interesting), or while talking to someone on the phone, listening to music, or getting engrossed in your favorite audiobook.
Tip #2
Gridlocked: And try not to let those piles of laundry pile up, and break your laundry up if you need to. Sometimes, even throwing things in the washer the night before and setting it on delay for the morning (or later) in the following works. Bada-bing!
I love doing this because it almost feels like someone else did my laundry, and I get to pretend I skipped a step. It’s all done by the time I wake up or am ready to get to it. All I gotta do is throw it in the dryer and fold it, then put it away. It’s like team-building exercises. Past Self loads; Future Self dries and folds. Thanks, Self!
Works great for dishwashers too. 😉
Tip #3
Learn the ways of the Force: Sometimes, certain people hate folding because they don’t know how. And drawers tend to get messed up due to us retrieving items whenever looking for clothes.
However, using dresser drawer organizers and/or learning how to fold to keep those items from getting pushed out of place, such as using the KonMari folding method (YouTube- new tab), can help drastically.
Methods like the KonMari folding method can also help while packing your suitcase and allows you to see things like T-shirts and socks even better, even speeding up finding clothes to wear.
19. Organize a small section of the closet.
Mission
As with the dresser drawers and cabinets mentioned above, you can sometimes similarly work on your closet, going piece-by-piece. That might mean doing hanging clothes first, one rod at a time. Or it could mean shoes, ties, hats, etc.
If you lack time or motivation to tidy your closet or other areas of your home, try cleaning in those smaller 5-minutes or longer, even outside of this challenge. Timing yourself can help make it feel more like a game as well as more a manageable task.
Examples of individual tasks you can break up while deep-cleaning the closet:
- Decluttering and donating
- Cleaning
- Shoes
- Hats
- Shirts
- Belts
- Pants
- Toys
- Books
- Memorabilia
Tip #1
Cleaning the closet in small chunks isn’t for everyone, so do what works best for you. However, if you decide to go for it, even if not for the entire closet, try to plan. Know what you’ll be working on and maybe have a backup ready, too, in case you wind up with more time on the clock or timer, or perhaps have more of your audiobook to listen to.
Conclusion
Completing your spring cleaning chores for the bedroom can be quick and straightforward to do. Sometimes, the key is to do it in smaller increments so you don’t feel overwhelmed, or even so you can fit it into your busy life and schedule.
Plus, doing small jobs in 5 or even 20 minutes, particularly with a timer, can help you focus and move faster, all while causing the project itself to feel less intimidating. It’s ideal for both the busy and the procrastinators alike.
You may even be able to finish in one day simply by following some of the tips we covered. And the more you stay on top of it, the faster spring cleaning—or even just cleaning in general—becomes.
- Give yourself a set amount of time to finish a task. It will help you get things done in a faster more focused manner.
- Set a timer, make a timed music playlist, or listen to x-amount of pages or chapters of your favorite audiobook to pace yourself.
- Treat it like a game and move as fast as you can.
- Prep the space before starting.
- Stack more than one session or task on top of other ones if you want to clean for a longer time period. Sometimes mixing things up makes cleaning feel less tedious and boring.
- Break jobs that might take you longer than five minutes into smaller sessions or continue later on if you need or wish to.
- Make things entertaining by listening to distraction-free music, Podcasts, audiobooks, or shows and videos that you won’t feel the need to watch.
Are you spring cleaning this year? Where’s your favorite place to start? Comment down below!
Related Topics
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- 21 Simple Living Room Spring Cleaning Chores You Can Do in 5 Minutes
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- 17 Clever Ways to Make Cleaning Your Shower Easier
- How To Deep Clean a Dishwasher: A Step-By-Step Tutorial (with pictures)
