Spring cleaning can take many forms. Deep cleaning jobs like power washing the windows tend to be top of mind, but focusing your spring cleaning energy on refreshing the bedroom will lead to a big payoff in the end.
After a long winter, the bedroom can feel stale and drab, instead of fresh and bright. To help you restore that fresh and bright feeling to your bedroom, we’ve created a 6-point checklist of deep cleaning jobs to revitalize your bedroom.
The 6-point spring cleaning bedroom checklist
Refresh the bedding
Even if you’re diligent about regularly washing your sheets, your bed can benefit from a deeper cleaning. Fortunately, it’s as easy as doing a load (okay, a load or two!) of laundry: Spring cleaning is a time to wash all the bedding, including pillows, duvets, bedskirts, throw blankets, decorative pillows, shams, and any other textiles on or around your bed. Delicate or very precious items like baby blankets or stuffed animals can be washed by hand.
How to wash a comforter and sheets
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For sheets that are dark-colored, using this sort of detergent can reduce fading.
How to wash your pillows
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These dryer balls can help fluff the pillows and redistribute filling while drying.
How to hand-wash
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Regular laundry detergent can be used for hand-washing any type of garment, but a specialty detergent like Soak Wash can be nice to have if you frequently hand-wash. Soak Wash, a no-rinse formula, is our top choice when it comes to detergents for hand-laundering because of its ease of use.
Deep clean the mattress and upholstered furniture
Mattresses should be cleaned twice a year to remove allergens, eliminate odors and address any stains that have occurred. Use a vacuum fitted with an upholstery attachment on flat surfaces, and a crevice attachment to remove dirt, dust, hair and allergens from the seams of mattresses and upholstered furniture.
How to clean a mattress
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The best stain removers
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Protein stains can be tricky — in large part because they tend to be gross! — but there is a trick to eliminating them: Use an enzymatic stain treatment product to break them down and remove protein stains from fabric.
Dust away dirt and grime
Dust and polish, as appropriate, all hard-surface bedroom furniture and any electronics, like TVs and speakers. Move the furniture — beds, nightstands, dressers, etc. — away from the walls in order to sweep, dust and/or vacuum underneath and behind, where dust bunnies gather. When dusting, remember the two golden rules: 1) Work from the top-down and 2) Dust first, vacuum second.
How to clean hard-to-reach places
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Using a flexible duster with an extended wand will allow you to quickly clean ceiling fans, as well as the ceiling itself, with ease.
Deep clean the floors
Even bedroom floors that are regularly vacuumed, mopped or swept will benefit from a deeper cleaning in the springtime. Step up your floorcare: If you usually sweep hardwood or laminate flooring, spring cleaning is a good time to mop; if the carpet is regularly vacuumed, use a carpet cleaning machine that gets deeper into the fibers. And don’t forget to clean the flooring under furniture, which is often overlooked during regular cleaning and can be home to dirt, dust bunnies and hairballs.
How to clean your carpet and rugs
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Portable carpet and upholstery cleaners like Bissell’s classic Little Green are a good choice for households with limited storage, and for those looking for a smaller, lighter machine that is easier to use.
Wash the windows — and the window treatments
Window washing is a staple of spring cleaning that plays an important role in brightening up the bedroom. Literally, let that sun shine in! In addition to cleaning the glass, take down window treatments like curtains, sheers, blinds and shades that gather dust, hair and other environmental debris over time. Launder, vacuum or dust window treatments as appropriate to the material and style. When the window treatments are down, turn your attention to cleaning the window casings, where dirt and dust build up.
How to do laundry like a pro
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A divided hamper allows you to separate laundry as it goes into the hamper, rather than having to paw through a huge pile of dirty clothes on laundry day to separate lights from darks, or clothes from towels.
Declutter and organize
In addition to tackling heavy duty cleaning jobs, spring is also a good time to address bedroom clutter; the goal should be to find a home for everything, with a keen eye to only storing items that belong in a bedroom. If the snowshoes you bought last year are still on the floor of your bedroom, now is the time to find a better home for them. To inform your decluttering efforts, we’ve rounded up our guides to organizing everything in your bedroom, from the bedside table to the closet.
20 products under $20 that help organize your bedroom
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A decorative vanity tray is a quick, easy and stylish way to make a jumbled collection of eyeglasses, lip balms, hand creams and other personal effects on your dresser or bedside table look neat.
20 products under $20 to help organize your closet
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Shelf dividers create cubbies in which you can stack things like folded sweaters or T-shirts without the piles falling over and making a big mess. The dividers are also great for organizing handbags and other accessories by keeping them upright and easily accessed.
20 products under $25 that help organize your shoes
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Taller boot styles have a tendency to slump or fall over while being stored, which not only looks messy but is also bad for the boot itself. These boot shapers maintain the shape of the boot and keep them standing upright.
20 products under $25 that help organize your bags and luggage
If you are a person who likes to hang their bags, but wants to avoid the damaging the straps, this set of four purse hangers provides an easy way to store bags in the way that’s most natural for you, without leaving the kind of damage that clothes hangers can cause.