Summer Cleaning Tips to Make Your Bedroom a Sleep Friendly Oasis

Top cleaning experts show us where the dirt is hiding in your bedroom and how to tackle it like a pro

Summer is in the air and so are allergens, dust and dirt that have accumulated in your bedroom over the past few months. It’s time for a deep clean to ensure your space is the most sleep-inducing, restful oasis it can be. It’s worth the effort – sweet dreams and a sparkling clean sleep environment await.

What’s that? You don’t like to clean? We get it…

A deep clean of your bedroom doesn’t have to be a painful exercise, say the cleaning experts we consulted, from Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia. Here are their squeakiest, cleanest tips for creating a healthy, clean bedroom you’ll adore sleeping in.

Declutter your bedroom like a ninja

Get serious about getting rid of the extraneous stuff in your bedroom, says Marty Basher, a home organisation expert with Modular Closets. “We don’t always realise how significant our clutter is until it fully takes over our life,” he says. “It’s truly frustrating to feel like your home is caving in on you, things are lost and you’re stressed from trying to manage it. The good news is with some hard work and determination, you can declutter your home and keep it that way.”

He says before you start the decluttering process, it’s important to shift your focus on living more simply. Remind yourself often that life is so much more than the material items you collect. The more we collect stuff, the more space we need to store the stuff and the more attention it takes away from the important things, whether that’s family, friends or a hobby.

A cluttered life full of stuff is actually very stressful.

Basher offers these simple tips:

• Keep a donate and sell box handy. Store a couple of bins in an extra closet, basement or storage area that’s easy to get to. Whenever you come across a piece of clothing or household item you no longer want, stick it in one of the bins right away. Drop off items at a charity once a month or every few months depending on how much you have. Or sell them on Craig’s List or buy-and-sell Facebook pages. And reorganise your bedroom to maximise and enjoy the new, open space.
• Limit keepsake items. There are the sentimental, heirloom items that are given to us from family and the sentimental items we collect during our own life. Don’t feel obligated to keep all these things. It’s wonderful to have a few select items to remember our family members, but how much do we really need?
• Refresh your mattress. “Keeping your bed clean is very important for your good night’s sleep and for how you will feel in the morning,” says Jane Wilson, Fantastic Cleaners, Melbourne, Australia. The mattress often gets neglected but we produce over 26 gallons of sweat each year during sleep (ick!). Vacuum your mattress thoroughly once a month, then sprinkle some baking soda all over it. Leave for about half an hour. It will soak all the oils and odours. Then, vacuum the mattress once more.

Follow the five D’s to clean your bedroom

Paloma Baillie, a Los Angeles-based certified coach/professional organiser and one of the D.I.Y. experts on 5miles (Decluttering? Yes, There’s an App), has her approach to decluttering that she calls “D-Day.”

The15-year organisation veteran says you should tackle cleaning one room, one project, at a time. “The average American home has dozens of unused items, so most of us have plenty of clutter we can get rid of,” she says. “This can help rid toxic accumulation within our bedroom and personal spaces and, in turn, rest easier at night.”

Here are her 5 Ds.

• Disco. Create a cleaning playlist to motivate you to get moving and making cleaning “almost” fun.
• Discover. Open closets and boxes you haven’t seen in over a year. Throw away trash and discard or sell those things you haven’t worn or used in the last six months. Remember, shoe boxes can be repurposed and re-labeled, so hold onto those.
• Declutter. Look at what’s in your room and ask yourself these questions. Does the item improve your life? Does it really hold sentimental value? Would it be hard to replace? If the answer to those questions is no, it’s time for that item to go.
• Donate. Choose your favourite charity shop and create a tax write-off for your return.
• Disinfect. Use green and eco-friendly products to make your bedroom smell beautiful with lemon.