Clutter 101: Organize Your Bedroom

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This is the first in a number of posts where I will take all the learnings from previous Clutter 101 posts regarding de-cluttering and organizing and apply them to specific rooms in your home. Firstly, I will focus on the bedroom. With so much clothing and personal belongings often stored here it can be a hotbed of clutter and disorganization so I will give some specifict tips on how you can create more space and use existing storage more efficiently.

The bed itself
What better area to begin with in a bedroom than with the bed itself? The one piece of advice I suggest here is to purchase pull-over sheets rather than the standard type of sheets that have to be tucked under the mattress. It saves a lot of time and hassle when you change the sheets around and because they are smaller they take up less space when stored away.

Under the bed
Once you’ve got the bed in order, you want to focus on what’s underneath it. Some beds come with built in drawers and storage areas which is useful (if a little restrictive). However if like me the area under your bed is just dead space, turn it into something useful with a few storage boxes. With my double bed I can get at least eight boxes under it (four  along either side). Just make sure they are the type that have wheels so they can be easily pulled out. You don’t want to be struggling on your hands and knees trying to pull things out!

The wardrobe
Another significant area of the bedroom is the wardrobe. It’s time to organize your clothes! Clothes can essentially be broken down into three categories:

• Clothes you havn’t worn in a long term/ever
  You ever buy clothes and never wear them? Perhaps, you have a pair of trousers you last wore six months ago or maybe a shirt that is seriously out of fashion. Our taste in clothes constantly evolves so what you wore all the time a year ago you may not even look at twice anymore. Get rid of them. Give them to friends or a charity shop if necessary.
• Clothes that might just be useful
  There is always a place in your wardrobe for a neat pair of trousers and a smart pair of shoes even if you only ever wear baggy trousers and trainers. You probably won’t have many clothes in this category and you won’t wear them that often but when the occasion requires it (an interview or a fancy party for example), you’ll be glad you have them.
• Clothes we wear regularly
  People wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time. The rest of those clothes should fall into the previous two categories. With all that extra space you’ve created you can now organize your clothes properly. Group your shirts, trousers, skirts etc. together for easy access. Make the most of the clothes you genuinely like and wear often!

Bottom of wardrobe
Another overlooked area of the bedroom, like under the bed, is the bottom of the wardrobe. It’s more dead space and you should take advantage of it. Again, buy boxes for it (wheels should not so necessary in this instance) and put the space to use. I personally have a couple of canvas boxes for items like socks, ties, etc.

Have a laundry basket
If possible have a small laundry basket in your bedroom. As this room is one of the big places you regularly change you clothes it makes sense if you have a basket close to hand. By having it nearby you’re more likely to throw your clothes in there than simply tossing them onto the floor.

And the rest…
With whatever else you might keep in your bedroom you should go through the de-cluttering process as described in previous posts in the Clutter 101 series. Remember, if you follow this article you should create a lot of extra space and be more organized, so there should be no excuse for stuff spilling out of your drawers and clothes piled up in corners!

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