Spring time. The sun is out, the birds are chirping, and it’s time to address the clutter in your bedroom. According to the National Sleep Foundation, de-cluttering your room and creating a dark, clean sleep space allows you to sleep better. It makes sense right? Especially for those of us with allergies or other breathing issues, I cannot stress the importance of keeping a clean space. Let’s dive into spring-cleaning.
Spring-cleaning your sleep space is going to encompass a little more than your average cleaning. It is the time of year where we start looking towards bright and fresh new chapters. It is also a time to go above and beyond our regular level of clean. You will want to focus on the little details you may sometimes overlook. To begin we will start with the center of the room and make our way out.
The centerpiece of any bedroom is the bed. We spend so much of our lives here and it is important to give it the attention it deserves. Strip your bed of all blankets, pillowcases, covers and linens—fire up the washer. While the bed is stripped, use this as an ideal time to rotate your mattress. Rotating a mattress regularly not only contributes to its longevity but also is truly a best practice that many people overlook, along with vacuuming the mattress. Flipping or rotating your mattress will help to avoid indentations in the mattress that will lead to sagging over time. Depending on what type of mattress you have, it is best to flip or rotate it once every three to six months. For more info on all the dos and don’ts of mattress flipping, click here.
You will want to check the space underneath and around your bed as well, moving bedside tables, removing lamps, lifting up the base of your bed if possible—paying careful attention to sweep/mop/vacuum (whatever method works best for you and your setup) any loose dust bunnies and pet hairs. According to Medium, the best way to combat pet dander is by using a vacuum with a variety of attachments, and using microfiber clothes for cleaning hard surfaces. It would be best to start here during our quest to spring clean.
Remember to hit all fabric surfaces in the room (especially carpet or rugs) They also follow with this important reminder for later on: “Depending on how much your pet sheds, you may need to do this as often as daily or as infrequently as weekly. When it comes to limiting the presence of pet dander in your home, regularly bathing and brushing your pet can make a huge difference. Pets that go outdoors will track in allergens, meaning you can be impacted even if the pet dander itself doesn’t trigger a reaction. Daily brushing — followed by vacuuming the area you brushed your pet in — can help you better manage air quality in your home.” If regularly washing or brushing your pet isn’t something that you already practice, you may want to add this to your spring-cleaning list as well.
On the topic of dust and allergens, something I frequently think of but don’t so often get around to are my air vents. I do remember to change out the filter, but it is also important to clean your air vents often as well. I try to put a reminder during these special cleaning times to clean my air vents and change the batteries in my fire alarm. Not only is this an unnecessary eyesore, but it can wreak havoc on your allergies as well. This will help keep you safe and reduce the amount of tiny particles floating around in the air, possibly interfering with your rest. For more tips and tricks to treat those pesky vents, check out this link.
Next, sort through any laundry not yet put away. Use this time to take the opportunity to go through any worn or ill-fitting garments and either toss them out or donate them where appropriate. Many people’s minds automatically go to Goodwill however there are many organizations out there who can truly make a difference, for a great list of non-profits who will make the best use out of your unneeded clothing check out this resource.
Also use this time to take inventory of any makeup or skin care products that may need to be thrown out. A lot of products do not have the longest shelf life once opened and could be harboring some pretty funky bacteria if they go unused for too long once open. For storage try to avoid making everything so visible as clutter can make stress worse. If you must keep items stored in your bedroom, purchase storage containers for under the bed or find options for closet storage solutions. You can even take part in trendy storage solutions, displaying the items in clear canisters and making it part of the room’s aesthetic, whichever option you choose make sure it contributes to the overall goal and health of the room. Your bedroom should be your sanctuary, anything less will not only deter from your overall goal, but also could possibly raise levels of anxiety and trigger insomnia.
You’ve done so much at this point and your space should be looking fresh! It is also very important while looking into all these other possibilities for mess that we sometimes pay less attention to; to look at things that we use so much that we are likely to overlook them. Our cellphones are far more likely than most objects to be a breeding ground for germs and bacteria. If you are lying in bed on your phone at night, this means you are also toting these germs right along with you. Don’t hinder your progress! To finish up, find some Lysol wipes and wipe down your cell phone, along with your charger. Improving all these areas will not only spring clean your entire sleep space but help boost the quality of your rest and mental health overall. Happy cleaning!
Leave a comment