Neat beds and bedrooms start with zip up bed sheets

Did you know, clutter is like noise and it adds stress to our lives. But keeping things neat and orderly is hard. So start each day with something simple like making your bed. A messy bed will make the rest of the room look messy even if it’s not. The bed is the centerpiece! Use easy bedding like zip up bed sheets for kids rooms to make the job simple. Use the sheets alone or with your favorite comforter. Zipper sheets are one option but there are other types of easy bedding on the market that take the work out of making your bed. Make the bed first to give a sense of accomplishment and to give a place to use as you work through the rest of the items.

Then consider these other tips for keeping a tidy room.

Don’t’ eat in your bedroom. If you do, clean up after each snack to keep from having wrappers or food lying around. It can spoil or draw bugs. Take all cups and plates back to the kitchen once you are done eating.

Have a place for everything. Book cases for books, shelving for trinkets, hooks for coats & hats,  and drawers and closets for clothes and shoes. Always put things back in their place when you are done using them.

Don’t skimp on storage solutions. Storage bins and baskets as well as under bed storage can all help. Use shoe boxes or shipping boxes and mark them as to what you are storing in them. Stack them in the closet or corner to optimize space.

Do basic cleaning every week. . If you wait too long, the task becomes too hard. Simple dusting and vacuuming with a bit of straightening can go a long way.

Keep a trash can handy and use it. Sort through mail and papers daily, pitch what you don’t want, and empty the trash frequently.

Use a hamper for dirty clothes. If clothes are clean enough to wear again, have a special place to hang them or fold them and limit it to that area rather than having clothes lying all around the room. Better yet, put them back in the closet or drawers.  It doesn’t take much longer to do that than to put them n that special place.

Don’t let laundry pile up. Do it weekly or as the hamper gets full. Or keep the hamper in the bathroom freeing up more space in your room but still gather clothes daily and place in the hamper when needed. Put clean laundry away so it doesn’t pile up.

Keep your closet in order. Closets often end up as a place to stash things. Clean it frequently. Discard unworn clothing or shoes.  Keep it simple.

Create a schedule. Clean zones of your room rather than the whole room every week. If you have a messy desk, clean that one week.  If bookshelves need reorganized, do that one week. It won’t be overwhelming. Mix frequent quick cleaning with infrequent thorough cleaning for a good combo.

Solicit a helper. If you need a boost to get motivated, ask mom or a friend to help.

Make cleaning fun. Clean to music. Use products that have a scent you love. Dance as you clean.

Declutter. Clutter is noise. If you have too much stuff, consider donating it to a local charity or sell it to make a few bucks.

Choose furniture that has bonus storage feature. Ottomans double as storage bins and seating. Under bed drawers use space that often is wasted in a room.

Items you aren’t using, store elsewhere. If you have items you want to keep but aren’t using, store them in the attic, basement or garage. Mark them clearly so you can find them and use moisture proof containers is dampness might be an issue.

Keep tops of furniture clear. Tops of dressers, vanities, chests should have a minimum number of items on them so it’s easy to dust.  Have a place for the small things that seem to accumulate on these tops such as coins, trinkets, keys, jewelry, etc.

Feather dusters are great for quick dusting. Also, wipes and cleaning cloths can be kept in a handy place.

Lift your bed. Put it on risers to maximize the under bed space and use it for storage.

Sort. If you don’t know where to start, start by by sorting trash or papers, clothes, and other things. Then sort the papers and trash for actual trash – place papers in a file. Sort clothes by dirty and clean. Put the dirty clothes in the hamper – fold clean clothes and put them away. Sort through the other items and place in storage bins, on shelves, etc where they go.