The Best Way to Declutter Your Bedroom - in 10 Steps

Oh man, I was looking at an article the other day about how to declutter your bedroom, and almost every suggestion was related to some purchasable organizer contraption. Trust me, you don't need more space takers and overpriced pieces of plastic!

You can make amazing changes to your bedroom - which, incidentally, is the most POWERFUL room in your home! - by simply following these 10 steps to strategically remove the clutter. As a quote from one of my readers:

"This helps so much so u don't just go in your room and be like "NOPE"!😂"

I know, we like to feel like we’re “doing something” by purchasing a new thing to shove in our closets or drawers but we’re usually just fueling the fire when we do that.

So, yes, this is a listicle, but it’s legit. This is the best way to declutter your bedroom and it's broken down into 10 steps (or phases, however you prefer to think about it). The order actually is important here.

1. Make your bed.

I know, this isn’t mind-shattering but it’s always, always, step 1 in taking care of your room. Whether we’re talking about decluttering, cleaning, or setting the mood, it all starts with a bed.

A made bed gives you a starting point. It sets the stage and the tone for the rest of the mission. It also gives you an easily accessible flat surface to place things on while you go through them. So, yes, you may have to go back and re-straighten your bed again when you’re done, but it’s a necessary evil.

2. Clear out under the bed.

I once looked under a person’s (who will remain unnamed for reasons you will see shortly) bed and was horrified to see what must have been about a hundred giant spider eggs spanning from one side of the king-sized frame to the other.

There may be things worse than a few missing socks swallowed by the deep darkness beneath your bed. Cleaning under the bed is second on the list because it’s going to be messy.

This is an area that doesn’t get much love. (Unless you have a robovac like I do that cleans that stuff up on the regular). So, you don’t want to wait until your room is looking good to start pulling out all of the randomness and dusty crap that’s under your bed.

Now, I know that if you live in small quarters (like I do) then under-the-bed storage may be valuable storage real estate. If this is the case and it is ABSOLUTELY necessary to keep clothing storage containers or the popup Christmas tree under your bed, then place it back intentionally after you’re done getting out the cobwebs.

But I urge you to seriously think about it. What are you storing under your bed that is truly worth it? When is the last time you used that shoulder massager or those vacuum-sealed linens?

I personally haven’t kept a thing under my bed in over a year and I love it. I love that I know dust isn’t collecting there because the vacuum is able to easily run through a gazillion times and I love not having to bend over and shove things in and out from under the bed. It feels really good!

3. Pull everything out of the closets and make your piles.

Now, the closets can (and are) a whole detailed article on their own. I’ll do more in the future too because it’s a troubled area. We love to shove things into a dark hole and not have to deal with them. However, I do need to give a shout-out to closets right here because your room is really only as decluttered as the closet.

If you are using your closet as a “holding” area for your bedroom then it’s only a matter of time before those things start to seep back into the room. Those closet doors can only hold back so much. Just like cleaning under the bed, pulling everything out of the closets is something that needs to be done early on in the process when you declutter your bedroom (hence, it’s number 3 on the list).

You don’t want to take yourself back to scratch right after you’ve cleaned the rest of the room. But you do want to have that made bed as a smooth flat surface to place your clothes on while you make those life-altering decisions about which outfits are really worth keeping.

Without typing a whole other article within an article (inception), I’ll just leave you with this: be ruthless with your closet. Those dusty shoes, purses, belts, and clothes aren’t worth as much as you think they are (even if you paid a lot for them). Get in the habit of always asking questions. Here are some great questions to ask as you go through your clothes.

4. Follow-up with the dresser drawers.

It only makes sense that you do the dressers right after the closet. You’re already in clothing mode and what you own on the closet side is fresh in your mind. It’s always nice to have some cohesive outfit ideas. Plus, once you’re done with all of the clothes sorting (donate, keep, trash...burn), you’ll be able to get your piles out of the way and out of the room. Around this time you’re feeling super productive and accomplished.

You’re still wearing your ruthless hard hat for this one. Underwear does not have the life expectancy we all wish it had. It has one job; consider what that job is. It’s ok to splurge on yourself occasionally for some updated replacements.

There’s nothing quite as fresh and exciting as bringing home some brand new underwear or socks. Part of your job here is to make sure that socks simultaneously have matches and don’t have holes. Both criteria must be met.  Does anyone even wear pantyhose anymore? I haven’t since I was like 10. You do you, just be honest in your assessments.

5. Empty and arrange bedside tables.

The thought that I want you to keep front and center while cleaning out your bedside drawers is that everything should be visible. At the very least their container should be visible. We are not layering here. Digging is the enemy.

Now, of course, you also want to make sure that the things being stored there are fitting for bedside storage; as in, are you actually going to need or use this thing while you’re in bed. Truly, there shouldn’t be that many things that are needed in the late night or early morning hours when you’re awake and lying in bed.

Things that work well with a bedside table are things like a book and book light, meds, chapstick, and earbuds. Things that don’t work well with a bedside table are bills, cameras, tools, and/or hot sauce.

6. Open a window and dust everything.

Once you’ve made it this far, you’re in the fast lane. You’ve made it past the most cluttered areas. In fact, it’s time to pause and let in some freshness. These areas that you’ve been decluttering, up to this point, tend to hold a lot of dust and grossness.

Open a window and let’s get to dusting. Now is a good time to get the Pledge or microfiber and wipe down the surfaces, bed frame, window sill, blinds, and ceiling fan. This step is important because of how harmful indoor dust can be! The American Lung Association even talks about it on their website saying, "Americans should be aware of the quantity of dust in their homes, and how indoor air quality can be easily improved with a cleaning regimen that incorporates dusting."Plus, this will not only clean up after the prior steps you've taken to declutter your bedroom but it will clear the path for the next step. Order matters here.

7. Clear the surfaces and select your display items.

We just did dusting in the last step but that doesn’t account for any display items that may be sitting on your surfaces in the bedroom. So let’s start by taking down any trinkets, jewelry holders, or random objects that are currently on display.

Now, to each her own but I want to challenge you to choose no more than 3 things that you will allow on display per table- never on the window sill. Find a new home (or donation center) for the unchosen objects.

Listen, too much of a good thing is bad. Even if your trinkets are gorgeous or one of a kind- having too many of them will make them appear ugly. Not to mention you won’t be able to use that space for real-life needs- like a drink or a book. Now, I am totally aware that letting go of things isn't always easy. But it IS possible.

8. Do a floor check.

Whew, can you feel it?! You’re practically done. It’s just touch-ups now. Make a quick sweep of the floor, just grabbing things that need to be placed somewhere else like the laundry hamper or the trash. Floor space is one of your most valuable home attributes. I go into more detail about applying a floor rule in my 10-point checklist for managing clutter.

While your attention is on the floor let’s make one last assessment of everything else that’s touching the floor - all of the furniture and room accessories. Do you need them, like them, and have room for them in this space? Maybe you do, but now is a good time to evaluate that because you may not declutter your bedroom again for a while.

The donations haven’t been dropped off yet if you have an extra lamp, chair, or armoire to add.

9. Tidy the bed and remaining pieces of furniture.

Now is the time to re-straighten the bed, as I mentioned in step one of this article. If you’re like me, you probably use your bed as a makeshift table surface when you declutter your bedroom. Hopefully, the stuff you were sorting wasn’t dirty, or you might need to actually wash the cover.

If there are pieces of furniture or things like a hamper that have been moved out of place you can make those final touches to make things presentable.

10. Vacuum and light a candle after you declutter your bedroom.

Even if you can’t see the dust it’s probably there along with lint from all of the clothes you just sorted through. Vacuuming is the last step in making the room look finished. Then, I personally like to finish it off with amazing smells.

Now is the time to light that candle you’ve been saving or burn your incense. Make it a special moment because you’ve put in some hard labor to declutter your bedroom today and you deserve this sensory escape. Enjoy it!

I would love to make this post a two-way conversation so leave a comment! Did you completely declutter your bedroom? If you're ready for the next room you can move on to the bathroom next! I'm really curious about what you keep in your bedside tables. Never give up on becoming the best version of yourself because you deserve amazing peace and clarity. Thanks for reading and I'll catch you next time.