How I Prepare For a Bedroom Clear-out

If you know me at all, you will know I am incredibly organised. I love cleaning, tidying and getting stuff in order. It calms me down, makes me feel productive and almost-zen and I always feel so much better afterwards. I regularly take to Twitter to tell the loyal Twit folk when I’m tidying and how much I love it and I also regularly end up in conversations with people who can’t stand cleaning and sorting out and wouldn’t know where to start. Well… fret no more (not that you were anyway but still) because I thought I’d share my tips for preparing for a bedroom clear-out. 

Set my intentions: Do I want to throw stuff away or just have a basic clean and tidy? Working this out first helps me prepare for what I need to do by knowing what I want to achieve from sorting out my room. Is there any one particular area that’s bothering me, such as my wardrobe or bookcase?

Write a list: I don’t always do this but I will if I’m going to embark on a major room clear-out. I will make a list of all the different elements that need doing: clothes, books, drawers, shelves etc. so I can tick them off and make the task a bit more manageable. If you want tips on making your to-do list more bearable, check out this post.

Work out how I’m going to proceed: Am I just going to whack it all out in one day or do one area every day or so? It doesn’t matter which way you do it, as long as you’re clear on how you’re going to do it, so you don’t do half and then stop and forget about the rest! It also helps knowing as if you’re going to do the entire thing in one day, it’s probably best to plan a day when you’re not doing anything else.

Prepare to start: Make sure your room is relatively tidy to start with so you have space and no existing clutter to confuse you. Eat, grab a drink, put some music on or a movie or whatever you enjoy so you’re in a relaxed and happy environment to begin the daunting task.

Start small: I always start with my bedside table drawers. There’s not an awful lot in them anyway and they’re only small so they’re often done quickly and easily. Once that first little “bit” is done, the rest will come a lot easier. It’s usually the starting which is the hardest part.

Make 3 piles: It’s important to know what to do with your stuff as you’re clearing it so I often opt for 3 piles: keep, throw and give away / sell. And be ruthless. Anything that’s broken, torn or in terrible condition? Bin in. Anything in good condition which you haven’t worn or used in over 6 months? Give it to charity or try and sell it on eBay.

Those are my main tips for the ultimate spring clean. Do you have any to add? Are you like me and love cleaning or do you dread it? Let me know!