Now that the icy snow has slowly melted into springtime showers, it’s time to do a little seasonal cleaning. The arrival of spring marks a fresh start both indoors and outdoors. Flowers are starting to bloom, there’s a crispness in the air, and it’s the perfect time to open the windows and freshen up your bedroom.
If you aren’t already sneezing from the pollen, then odds are you’re sneezing from three months' worth of dust that built up in your room all winter long. Spring cleaning your entire house can be strenuous and time-consuming, so the bedroom is the perfect place to begin. If your room is feeling dirty, cluttered, or in need of a deep-clean, focusing on one area at a time will help you ease into the cleaning cycle without becoming overwhelmed.
Whether you’re taking 15 minutes to pick up your clothes or sacrificing an entire weekend to clean the house, follow our list of helpful cleaning tips to give your bedroom’s trouble spots a well-deserved spring-cleaning refresh.
NOTE: Spring cleaning isn’t reserved just for spring. If you or a family member suffer from year-round allergies, consider deep-cleaning your living space at the beginning of every season.
1. Tidy Your Space
While your main concern is organizing your bedroom, it’s best to have things tidy and organized before you start the cleaning process. Grab a few bags, boxes, or baskets and start eliminating items you no longer need. You can make a section for donation items and leave a separate pile for items you plan on throwing away.
Gather anything that no longer belongs in your bedroom and set it aside. This can include decorations, seasonal bedding, or any garbage you find under the dresser. Garbage of any kind should be disposed of immediately and the clothing or linens you plan on taking out again next winter should be labeled accordingly so you remember what you need to unpack when the time comes.
2. Remove all Linens
Strip your bed, including the sheets, duvet, pillows, and mattress cover. Take everything to the laundry room to be washed and grab a fresh set of spring linens. Be sure to read the label instructions for proper laundry care and refrain from storing any bedding items until they are fully dry. Wash bedding materials on the warmest recommended setting to remove all dust mites, and if you’re washing pillows, don’t add more than two or three in at a time to avoid overloading. If you’ve been using items like an electric blanket to stay warm during the winter, give it a spot check before storing away.
Drapes or curtains are other items that are oftentimes forgotten about. They can gather an unhealthy amount of dust over the year, so it wouldn’t hurt to add them to your spring-cleaning checklist. If you’re washing your sheets, might as well run a quick cleaning cycle to treat your curtains.
3. Time to Dust
Speaking of dust—it's everywhere! To avoid kicking up a constant cloud of dust, it’s best to completely remove everything from walls, shelves, desks, or nightstands instead of trying to clean around your knickknacks. Wipe the bare surfaces first, then dust the items you had on display. If you’re cleaning an especially dirty area, try spraying the surface with a gentle mist of water to cut down on the amount of airborne dust.
Dusting can include anything from furniture, lamps, door frames, ceiling fans, window moldings, blinds, baseboards, and so on. And if you have a walk-in closet with a row of shelves, don’t forget to dust those, too. The key is to work from top to bottom and left to right to avoid kicking dust back into your face or across surfaces you’ve already wiped down.
Because the dust can settle on other surfaces in your room, the fan blades are a good place to start. You can use a long-handled duster or slide a pillowcase over each blade so the dust can be collected. When dusting picture frames, use a dry microfiber cloth with a small amount of glass cleaner. You can use the same technique to dust lamps, lightbulbs, windows, and other glass surfaces.
4. Don’t Forget to Vacuum
If possible, move any furniture to vacuum underneath or behind it. If your vacuum has a floor attachment, use this to clean under your bed, around the base of walls, and even the tops of furniture or other wooden surfaces that might have also gathered dust or crumbs.
And the obvious one, remember to vacuum your floor to pick up any dirt, pet hair, food bits, or anything else that might be stuck in the fibers. If your carpet looks flat and hard with very little movement or support, this is a sign that it’s time to run the vacuum.
5. Clean Your Mattress
This one may catch some of you by surprise. You might be used to rotating your mattress every so often and cleaning your sheets once or twice per month, but if you need to remove stains and bring your mattress back to life, it will require a little maintenance.
Once your mattress is stripped down and your sheets are in the wash, grab that vacuum once more and clean the surface of the mattress to remove any dust, dirt, or debris. Again, a wide-brush hose attachment will work best to get between the crevices, edges, and corners of the mattress. If you’re planning to rotate your mattress, then vacuum both sides.
Next, attack any stains with some soap and cold water. Use a mild soap free of harsh chemicals to avoid damaging the upholstery. Use a sponge to dab or spot clean the area, scrubbing can cause stains to set in deeper. If this doesn’t do the trick, try adding a small amount of baking soda on top of the stain and let it absorb for a few minutes before cleaning it with your sponge.
Take a damp cloth and wipe down the bed frame to remove any dirt or smudges. Go back with one of the microfiber cloths used earlier to remove any moisture left behind on the frame. You could use this cloth at the beginning if your frame looks relatively clean to begin with, and it will also work if you need to clean your headboard.
Be sure your mattress has had enough time to dry if you spot cleaned any stains. Do not put any linens on if a section of your mattress still feels damp. Once it feels dry, flip your mattress so the other side can fully air out. If only a small area of the mattress is wet, you can try using a hairdryer to warm these spots so they dry faster. Only use a hairdryer on a low or warm setting, turning up the heat too high could be a fire hazard.
NOTE: Be on the lookout for lumps, rips, or any other signs of physical damage that should be noted. If the damage is severe or your mattress is nearing a decade of use, consider upgrading to a new mattress.
A Breath of Fresh Air
Now that the cleaning is done, you can take some time to relax and enjoy the freshness of the spring season and the freshness of your home.
And if you hope to improve your space even further, a new mattress is a great solution to add a breath of fresh air to your bedroom. If you’re interested in exploring our entire collection of mattress and sleep accessories, browse our online catalog, give us a call, or visit our store today!