4 steps to a clean room — from someone who hates cleaning

Growing up, cleaning my room was a constant source of frustration. It always seemed like a gargantuan task, that would take hours, and my mom would never be satisfied with the results. What’s more, I never found any joy in the outcome; to me, a clean room is a room that just hasn’t been lived in long enough to get dirty again. But as an adult, I’ve come across some tricks to getting and keeping a space cleaner for longer, without the stress and lost hours of my youth. Here’s the process I wish my mom had taught me when I was younger.

Step 0: Prepare to clean.

The very first step, before you move a single half-worn pair of jeans from a chair, is to set yourself up for success. Make sure you have a trash bin or a bag for trash, a basket for dirty clothes, a basket for things that don’t belong in the room, and a miscellaneous basket. Then put on a lively playlist, set a timer for 15 minutes, and try to get through the next step before that timer goes off! (Add 5–10 minutes as needed)

Step 1: Tidy/ Declutter

You can’t clean and declutter at the same time. This is what made “cleaning my room” such a huge ordeal growing up. You have to clear the way before you can actually clean! Starting at one end of the room, you want to declutter all your surfaces. Clear off desks, end tables, chairs, the bed, the rug. Tackle one area at a time. If you know something’s dirty or trash, put it in the correct bin. If you know where it goes and can put it there in 10 seconds or less (like a shirt you tried on and didn’t return to the closet), put it away. Anything that is going to require you to think, put it in the miscellaneous basket. For instance: new items that don’t yet have a place in the room, clothing that has to be ironed or folded before being put away, or things that go in a hard-to-reach part of the closet. The name of the game here is momentum, so you don’t want to slow down over one small thing. Your goal is clear surfaces. Any dirty dishes, abandoned tools, or other odds and ends that wound up in the room? Put them in the not-in-here basket to deal with later. (You might see how this approach appeals to the inner procrastinator that probably helped you get into this mess… pun intended.)

As a final note here, don’t be tempted to leave out “useful” items like books you’ve been reading, something you were in the middle of writing, or your laptop or phone charger. You’ll need things completely cleared for the next step, so put it away, and know you’re saving more time this way than you would by leaving an item around until you can get back to it.

Step 2: Clean

With the surfaces cleared off, it should be quick work to clean up. So grab your cleaning cloth (or paper towels if you hate the planet), all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, broom, vacuum, duster, and whatever else you’re going to need. Go get the gear all at once, and clean the room from top to bottom — literally. As in, you’re going to want to start at the top and go down. If you have a ceiling fan to dust, do that first, then dust and wipe down the desk, shelves, tops of dressers, and any other surfaces. Wipe down mirrors and the fronts of any furniture such as dressers or closet doors. Wipe down doorknobs and light switches. Vacuum any soft furniture, Strip the linens (put them in the not-in-here basket!) and put on a new set of sheets and a fresh comforter. Then sweep, vacuum, mop, or do whatever you need to do to make sure the floors are clean. Don’t forget the space inside your closet — give it a little love too! A quick vacuum of the floor and a spritz of fabric refresher will do wonders. When you’re done with everything, take out the trash and laundry, and then put away the cleaning products and tools so they don’t clutter your freshly cleaned room.

Step 3: Add a pillow mint

This is the key to keeping your room clean just a little longer. Infuse the space with a little joy! This could be as simple as making it smell nicer by spraying some room spray, lighting a candle, or turning on a scent diffuser. You could make the space more beautiful by adding a vase of fresh flowers, or organizing displayed books by color. You could spruce things up by replacing a light bulb or hanging a picture you’ve been putting off. Or, you could set up a relaxing activity tray for later. Place a book you’ve been meaning to read on a tray by your reading corner with a nice bookmark, or set out a coloring book and some colored pencils in a tray on your desk. Make it a space that you want to be in, because it smells nice, looks nice, or there’s something to be enjoyed. If you feel a sense of pride and enjoyment in the room, you’re likely to keep it nicer for longer rather than throwing things around again.

Step 4: Take care of the loose ends

As a very last step, take care of the items in your miscellaneous basket and your not-in-here basket. Now that everything else is taken care of, these annoying tasks won’t be so daunting, and they will be all that stands between you and the sweet success of having cleaned your room completely.