In this week’s blog, we’re sharing the second part of our tips on how to get your home tidy and organised for 2022. Last week we shared our advice on how to keep your lounge and kitchen clean and decluttered. This week we’ll be heading upstairs to tackle your bedrooms and bathroom.
Cleaning does not need to be a chore. A decluttered house can improve your wellbeing and state of mind and help you to feel less stressed. With a plan in place and some simple guidance to follow, you will very quickly be able to put your house in order so that you can feel serene and in control of your space.
Bedroom
Your bedroom should be your place of rest and relaxation, an oasis of calm that you can retreat to after a busy day. It shouldn’t have an overflowing wardrobe, cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling and so much clutter on your bedside table that you risk knocking something over in your sleep! Let’s start decluttering so you can get your beauty sleep without worrying about your lack of wardrobe space.
- Start with Your Wardrobe and Drawers – Let’s face it, your bedroom is primarily a dumping ground for every item of clothing you own from laundry to handbags. To get started with decluttering, go through every item of clothing and every pair of shoes you own and sort them into 3 piles:- Keep, Throw Away and Donate. Those who have the time and inclination could also introduce a ‘Sell’ pile for items you think you may be able to sell online or at a car boot. Be ruthless with yourself about what you actually wear and how long it’s been since you last wore it. If you own anything that you haven’t worn or used in the past year then it’s time to get rid. Don’t hang on to anything that no longer fits you (unless it’s super expensive). Chances are that once you lose that weight or meet that fitness goal, you’re going to want to invest in a whole new wardrobe anyway.
- Organise and Prioritise Your Wardrobe – Once you’ve established what items you’re keeping then start putting them back in the wardrobe and drawers in a new, organised way. You may want to pack away seasonal items or order your clothes seasonally with short sleeves on one side and jumpers on the other. You could even organise them by occasion with work items in easy reach, then weekend wear, going out wear etc. Whatever system you choose to adopt, the important thing is that you know where everything is and that every item has a place.
- Sort Out Your Side Tables – Try to minimise the amount you keep on your bedroom table. The odd book and lamp are fine but remember to leave space for that glass of water you take to bed with you. If you have ornaments or photo frames, try to ensure that they all have the same aesthetic or feature similar colours so that the room is tied together and nothing looks out of place.
- Keep it Simple – Clear out any broken or unneeded furniture so that you can create a feeling of space in the room. Keep bed accessories to a minimum, removing unnecessary cushions and throws and opt for simple and clean prints for your duvet sets.
- Clean Your Surfaces and Clear Your Cobwebs – It’s amazing how easily dust can be overlooked on a wooden surface. Make sure that you dust and clean the tops of your bedside tables and cupboards, as well as the skirting boards and any photos or pictures you have on the walls. Next, take a feather duster and go around the corners of your room and your overhead lights – you’ll be surprised at the results. Cobwebs can often be naked to the eye! After the initial clean, take 10 minutes per week to dust off further accumulations and run that feather duster around again.
- Check Out Your Bed – It’s highly recommended that we change our mattresses every 8 years. Until then make sure that you flip it over every now and then, as well as vacuuming it regularly preventing the build up of bacteria and mould. We should also be getting our pillows and duvets dry cleaned at least once per year, ensuring that they are in the best condition possible and free from odours and stains.
Bathroom
For us, the bathroom is equally the most over-looked room in the house and one of the most important. We nip in there every morning to get ready for work and then spend a few hours languishing in the bath at the weekends. It’s very easy for shower and bath products to build up. particularly when we spot a good discount during our weekly shop!
- Clear Out Your Products – If you’re anything like us, then you likely have a cupboard, cabinet or shelf filled with half used bottles of shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath. Get them all out and go through them. For an easy way to decide what to keep and what to throw out, take a look at each one and see if it’s under half-full. If you already have a replacement and there are only a few dregs left in the bottle, then empty it out and pop it in the recycling. You’re never going to finish it, particularly if you have already invested in a different brand.
- Sort Out Your Bathroom Cabinets/Cupboards – We all have a space where we keep the intimate accoutrements of our daily lives such as ear clearing-out buds, tampons etc. Take it all out, have a good sort through and reorganise appropriately so that the things you need on a daily basis are front and centre and not hidden behind that body moisturiser that you always forget to use after you get out of the shower.
- Get Cleaning – Once you’ve sorted out your products and your cabinets, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty of cleaning your bathroom. For taps and metal plugs, we recommend using an old toothbrush along with some Viakal, baking soda or vinegar to finally rid yourself of that hard to reach limescale. Toothbrushes are also excellent for targeting the grout between the tiles for a good scrubbing! When cleaning your bath, baking soda works particularly well to get rid of those greasy, soapy marks. For the floor, we tend to have a good brush round with a broom so we can pick up all the hair and fluff before using an all-purpose floor cleaner. If you have a bathroom that is prone to mould, make sure that you always leave the bathroom window slightly ajar so that the build up of moisture can easily escape.
- Storage – If you find that you still have a lot of bath/shower/toiletry items cluttering up your bathroom than we suggest that you invest in some small stand-alone storage cupboards or alternatively, you could place a shelf above the door to take advantage of that wasted space that most people fail to utilise.
We hope that you have picked up a few decluttering or cleaning gems of knowledge from our last few blogs. Decluttering and cleaning really isn’t something that most people enjoy so we have tried to keep our tips as simple as possible for you. We wish you well in creating a clean and tidy space for you to live your best 2022. Tidy house, tidy mind!
SJB
So Just Be 