Is your cluttered bedroom getting overwhelming? Here’s exactly how to declutter your bedroom one step at a time so you can finally have that relaxing and restful room you need and deserve.
I love to help people with declutter tips for the entire house, but sometimes you have to concentrate on just one space. Let’s get that bedroom cleared so you can sleep well!
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Everyone wants a peaceful bedroom retreat, right? But somehow, for many of us it seems like everything that DOESN’T belong ends up in there.
If the clutter problem in your room is causing stress — and maybe even sleeping problems — this post is for you. We’re going to talk about exactly how to declutter your room in a way that won’t overwhelm you or leave you with a bigger mess at any point along the way.
First, a note about clothes… Although I mention clothing in this post, completely decluttering and organizing an overstuffed wardrobe is an entirely separate process.
If your only clutter issue in the bedroom is too many clothes, these posts will help you learn how to downsize your wardrobe to a manageable level:
- How to Declutter Your Wardrobe {and Still Have Plenty to Wear}
- 9 Reasons You Fear Decluttering Clothes {And How to Get Past It}
- Stop Making These 14 Excuses to Avoid Decluttering Clothes
- How to Organize a Small Master Closet
Okay… on to everything else!
It’s amazing if you can do all of this in one day. But if have a real mess on your hands or you’re super-busy, at least work for 10 minutes every day. Set a timer if necessary to keep you on task and moving at a good pace.
Steps to decluttering your bedroom
Before you begin doing anything else, gather your supplies:
- One basket or box for items that belong in other rooms
- One box for donations
- One (or more) black trash bags for garbage
- Cleaning supplies for dusting, polishing, and mopping or vacuuming
If you have no space inside your room for all of these items right now, set them outside the bedroom door.
Now, the question everyone asks: ‘Where do I start decluttering my bedroom?’ Here’s the answer, and it holds true every. single. time. you declutter or clean your room.
Step 1: Make your bed — If there’s stuff on the bed, clear it off. You can put it away, or pile it off to the side. You’ll get to it very soon.
This will give your mind some peace and provide a space for sorting.
ALWAYS clear off your bed between each step and each pile. This is very important! If you don’t get the entire room done in one day, you won’t be left with no place to sleep.
Step 2: Clear away stray clothes — Remove dirty clothes to the laundry room. Put clean clothes in the closet or dresser. This means if you have 5 laundry baskets of clean clothes at the end of the bed, fold each basket and take care of the clothes.
I’m going to say something here that I usually don’t… fold and take care of the laundry *this time* even if it’s supposed to be someone else’s job. Just this once, you are doing it because your final goal is to have a decluttered bedroom and it needs to happen NOW.
LATER, you can have that other discussion with the person who isn’t doing their part. 😉
Step 3: Declutter the nightstands — Clear off the tops, clean out the drawers. Dust and polish the necessary and cherished items you want to keep.
Step 4: Sort the floor piles (you know what I’m talking about) — Trash the broken stuff. Donate anything you don’t use or forgot you had. Put the rest back where it belongs in your room or in the box to return to other rooms.
If your floor piles are stacks of papers, put them in a box or basket so you can take them to your office or the place where you deal with paying bills, filing, etc. Do NOT sort them now. You’re doing the bedroom, not dealing with paper.
If you have a lot of floor piles, this entire process may need to happen over several days. And that’s OKAY. Just be sure to keep the bed clear in between sorting sessions, and celebrate each demolished clutter pile!
Finding it difficult to let go of the ‘special’ things? Here’s how to give yourself grace and space when decluttering sentimental items.
Step 5: Sort books, movies, and magazines — Remove the messy stack of ones you finished or tried and didn’t care for. Pass them on and keep only the ones you love… but put them back where they belong. Keep your current read(s) by the bed.
Step 6: Sort and purge jewelry and accessories — Be brutal. If you have a lot, that means you probably like to collect it and rarely wear each item.
Clearing some stuff out gives you space to buy more… OR wear the things you really love without the visual clutter and guilty ‘I should wear that’ feelings of the ‘meh’ items.
Step 7: Declutter the dresser top and any other horizontal surfaces — The floor piles are gone, which means you can easily clear, dust, and polish the furniture.
Step 8: Look around and evaluate — Now that you can see more of your bedroom, remove decor and extra furniture you no longer love or find useful.
Step 9: Clear out everything under the bed — If possible, never store anything under your bed.
Step 10: Finishing touches —
- Remove donations to your vehicle for dropoff.
- Return ‘other room’ items to their proper places.
- Recycle or toss broken electronics and other items you discovered while going through the room.
- Refresh: vacuum the floor, dust the walls and furniture, and enjoy your clutter-free, peaceful bedroom!
Want a printable version to keep you on track? Grab the free declutter bedroom checklist.
What To Do With the Stuff You Declutter
Donate it. Period. This is absolutely the best solution because it won’t slow your decluttering efforts and you can have everything gone at once.
Related reading:
If you don’t have time to drop off donations, or if donation centers near you are currently closed, put the things by the street and post a ‘curb alert’ in your neighborhood FB group.
Did you find some electronics stashed in a drawer that you don’t feel comfortable donating? Check to see if you can get some money for them on Decluttr or search your local waste management company’s website to find out when their next ‘tech disposal’ day happens.
How to Maintain a Clutter-Free Bedroom
Stop piling stuff in your room!
If you have children, it might seem like your bedroom is the only ‘safe’ place to keep some things. I get that! Can you make a safe-storage space in your closet? Purchase some under-bed storage?
Usually, I say you should never have anything under the bed! However, there are some pretty nice storage solutions that you can use if you absolutely must store things there which are used fairly regularly.
But I’ll say this: if you’re just buying containers to store things you’re never going to pull out and use again, DON’T DO IT. Let the stuff go.
Live with your bedroom for a while.
See how it works and feels for you. Pay attention to where clutter begins to collect.
What can you do to either prevent or contain it? A basket to hold change and other pocket items? A laundry basket in the closet to hold dirty clothes so they don’t end up scattered around the room? Baskets in other areas of the home to corral items where they really belong?
What makes your bedroom feel peaceful? A few favorite photos on your nightstand? A ‘statement’ piece of art on the wall?
Make sure to include the items that bring you joy… and make the time to take care of them. Even 10 minutes a week to tidy and dust can help you keep a handle on the space.
If your decluttered bedroom still feels cramped, messy, and NOT relaxing, then this next-level minimalist bedroom declutter might be exactly what you need.
More Decluttering Help:
8 Strategies To Use When Your Partner Refuses to Declutter
Stop Being a Victim of Clutter
62 Things to Declutter That You Won’t Miss at All
Do These 3 Things When You’re Overwhelmed By Clutter
Final Thoughts on Decluttering Your Bedroom
Remember — the bedroom is YOUR SPACE. It should be an oasis. If you’re trying to calm your mind every evening in the middle of a big mess, then purging bedroom clutter is an absolute MUST.
Now that you’ve learned how to declutter your bedroom, grab the printable checklist and put those new skills to use.
You’ve got this!
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