It’s spring cleaning season! When deep cleaning your home, it can be easy to focus on high-traffic areas like your bathroom and kitchen first—but don’t forget the bedroom. As the place you go to rest and rejuvenate, it’s important to give your bedroom a seasonal deep clean that goes beyond everyday tidying. Get your entire bedroom feeling clean and refreshed with this bedroom spring cleaning guide!
Start by Decluttering
The best way to kick off your bedroom spring cleaning is with a declutter. Go through each part of your bedroom and decide if there are any items that are no longer serving you. Pay special attention to your closet, where clothes can pile up throughout the year—remove all clothing from your closet so you can easily go through your items and decide what to keep or get rid of. Using decluttering strategies like the KonMari Method can be helpful in deciding which items should stay and what can go. Place any unwanted belongings into sell, donate, and discard piles so you know exactly what to do with them after decluttering.
Refresh Your Closet
Once you figure out what clothes you’re keeping, you can spring clean and organize your closet. First, dust your closet shelving and containers with a microfiber cleaning cloth, then wipe everything down with dish soap and warm water before placing your clothing back in your closet. Consider using dividers, bins, or storage bags so smaller items are contained and easy to find. You can even try a hanging shoe organizer or shoe rack to keep shoes organized and off the floor! And if you like to change your clothes out with the seasons, now’s the time to do it—store off-season items in under-bed bins, on the top shelves of your closet, or in another storage area.
Don’t Forget About Vent Covers
Before cleaning vent covers, make sure your furnace and air conditioner are turned off for safety. Remove any detachable vent covers and soak them in hot, soapy water for a few minutes. Scrub away dust, dirt, and grime using a rag or sponge, then dry thoroughly with a microfiber cloth. For fixed vents and radiators, wipe down with a microfiber cloth—or use a long-handled duster for hard-to-reach areas. If your metal vent covers show signs of rust, treat them with a rust remover and consider repainting before reinstalling.
Remember Light Fixtures & Lamps
Whether you have recessed lighting, a chandelier, sconces, or just a few lamps, taking time to clean your light fixtures can make them shine brighter. Consider the following tips for cleaning lights and lamps:
- For lighting that can’t be taken down, use a long-handled duster to remove dust.
- Remove and wash any glass attachments with warm water and mild dish soap, then rinse and dry. You can also use a glass or all-purpose cleaner for most glass fixtures.
- Clean the ceiling fan by using a sponge or cloth to wipe all-purpose cleaner on each blade.
- To clean light switches and covers, turn off the power, then wipe with a damp microfiber cloth.
- Be sure to clean lampshades based on the type of material they’re made of—and don’t forget to wipe down their bases and bulbs!
- Replace any burnt-out bulbs if needed.
Clean the Walls & Doors
You haven’t cleaned every surface in your bedroom until you’ve properly cleaned the walls and doors! Thoroughly cleaning these areas helps remove scuffs and grime while preventing dust and mold from collecting. Follow these steps for washing bedroom walls and doors:
- Start by taking everything off the walls, and move or cover any furniture that’s against the wall so dust and cobwebs don’t fall on them as you clean.
- Remove any cobwebs from the corners of your bedroom walls and ceilings with a microfiber cloth on the end of a long-handled duster.
- Before you start cleaning, lay a towel down to protect your floors from any spills.
- Fill a bucket with warm water and a squeeze of dish soap, then gently scrub your wall in a circular motion using a soft rag or eraser sponge.
- For stubborn marks, mix a little bit of baking soda and water and gently rub it onto the stain.
- Wipe bedroom doors and frames from top to bottom with a rag and warm, soapy water, then dry with a soft rag.
- Rinse walls with a damp cloth and dry thoroughly. Weather permitting, open the windows to speed up the drying process!
Clean Your Curtains & Blinds
Curtains and blinds can hold all kinds of dust particles, and spring is the perfect time to give them a refresh. Take curtains down, then bring them outside and give them a good shake to remove loose dust. Use a vacuum with a brush attachment to gently clear away remaining debris. If machine-washable, wash on a cold cycle with mild detergent, then dry on low or air dry, removing them while slightly damp to minimize wrinkles. Always check the care label first, as some fabrics require dry cleaning. You’ll also want to decide which blind cleaning technique is best for the ones in your bedroom. One of the best methods to clean blinds is to secure a microfiber cloth with rubber bands around the ends of a pair of tongs and use it to clean each slat.
Make Windows & Mirrors Shine
Glass surfaces can collect a lot of dirt, dust, and smudges, making your whole bedroom feel messy—so be sure your spring cleaning checklist includes dusting any framed art pieces, as well as cleaning mirrors and windows.
- Use a glass cleaner, or spray your windows with a homemade window cleaning solution of ten parts water to one part vinegar.
- Wipe your windows down with a microfiber cloth for a streak-free finish—using another dry cloth to dry the glass (if needed).
- Use the same vinegar solution to clean windowsills.
- Vacuum window tracks to remove dirt, dust, and other debris.
- Sprinkle a bit of baking soda onto any grimy spots and spray on some vinegar solution. After letting this sit for a few minutes, gently scrub away loosened grime with an old toothbrush.
- Pretreat any tough smudges with a bit of rubbing alcohol and a cotton pad.
- Use a glass cleaner, or combine equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spray it onto your mirror.
- Wipe the entire mirror down with a microfiber cloth.
- Dry as needed with a paper towel for a streak-free shine.
Dust Any Shelves
Don’t forget about floating shelves! Shelves—as well as the books and decorative items on top of them—can quickly accumulate dust. Take any items off your shelves so you can give the surfaces a good dusting. To minimize the amount of dust stirred into the air, work from top to bottom using a damp microfiber cloth with dusting spray. Be sure to dust any decor items before setting them back on your shelves, too.
Deep Clean Bedroom Furniture
From dressers and nightstands to vanities, storage benches, bookshelves, and more, spending time cleaning furniture in your bedroom can make a big difference. Empty all dresser drawers and remove any belongings from bookshelves and other surfaces. Then use a microfiber cloth to wipe down the top, sides, back, and legs of all furniture—as well as inside any drawers. Be sure to vacuum under and behind all furniture, too! This is also a great time to wipe down any books, knick-knacks, or other decor pieces that you keep on display before putting them back in place.
Touch Up the Headboard & Bed Frame
Take this chance to deep-clean your headboard and bed frame! For wooden headboards or frames, wipe away dust with a microfiber cloth, then use a mild soap and water mixture to spot-treat any stains. Metal frames can be vacuumed with a brush attachment, then scrubbed with soapy water to get rid of dirt and grease. To clean upholstered headboards, vacuum with an upholstery attachment first, then blot stains with mild soap and water. For leather headboards, use your vacuum’s brush attachment to remove dust, then gently wipe away grime with a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and distilled water on a soft cloth.
Wash All Bedding
As the focal point of your bedroom and the spot where you spend most of your time, it’s good to deep clean your bedding! Take off all of your bedding and run everything through the washing machine. This includes sheets, pillowcases, pillows, throw blankets, comforters, and duvets. In addition, don’t forget to wash the mattress cover! Check the label for washing instructions and, if you can, throw the mattress cover in the washing machine with mild detergent and tumble dry it on low heat.
Clean & Rotate Your Mattress
While the mattress cover is being washed, use this opportunity to clean the mattress itself.
- First, vacuum any loose dirt and dust off the surface.
- Remove any stains with an enzyme cleaner, or mix some dish soap and water, then blot the stain with the soapy foam. Some stains can be removed by blotting with a mixture of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and cold water.
- Sprinkle baking soda over your mattress and leave it to sit for several hours to help absorb any odors or moisture.
- Then vacuum it once more so the mattress is clean and fresh!
You may also want to consider rotating your mattress to keep it from experiencing severe wear on one side. Since this should typically be done at least once or twice a year, spring cleaning is a great time to get on top of it.
Wash Carpet & Rugs
Make cleaning bedroom floors your final step since some of the dirt and dust you’ve cleaned off everything else in your bedroom can easily end up on the floor.
- First, remove any rugs from your bedroom and give them a good shake outside to remove any dirt and dust. Check the tags to see if they are machine-washable—if not, you may want to get them professionally cleaned.
- Clear out furniture and run a vacuum over the floor.
- Then, clean the carpet using a carpet shampooer, working from the spot furthest from the door with the same back-and-forth motion as you would with a vacuum cleaner.
- Once the carpet is dry, vacuum up any dirt left behind from shampooing.
- And though they’re part of the walls, clean baseboards by removing dust with a vacuum brush or microfiber duster, then wipe them down with a warm water and dish soap mixture. Often, cleaning floors with a vacuum and shampooer will scuff baseboards or add additional dust and debris.
You can rent a carpet shampooer from most home improvement stores if you don’t already own one!
Sweep & Mop Hardwood
For hardwood bedroom floors, start by sweeping, vacuuming, or dry mopping to remove loose dirt and dust that has collected. Before mopping, be sure to find an appropriate cleaner for your flooring type. For vinyl, mix one cup of apple cider vinegar with one gallon of warm water. If you have laminate flooring, combine one tablespoon of dish soap or baby shampoo with one gallon of hot water. For engineered hardwood, follow the manufacturer’s recommended cleaner, and avoid vinegar or ammonia-based products. For solid hardwood, use a warm water and vinegar solution or a dedicated hardwood floor cleaner. Once you’re finished mopping, make sure to dry the floors with a clean towel or dry mop.
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