Your bedroom should be a personal sanctuary where you feel relaxed and at peace. But when there's clothes on the floor, books piled high on bedside tables, and chests of drawers that are filled to overflowing, it's hard to feel relaxed in the slightest.
Decluttering your home on any level is essential for creating a happier environment, which is especially important in bedrooms because being surrounded by clutter is not conducive to getting a good night's sleep. A timely declutter is the ideal way to refresh a bedroom for autumn.
No question, taking time out to declutter your bedroom helps you relax more easily in the space and, consequently, sleep better – the problem is often in finding that time.
9 expert tips to declutter a bedroom in a single day
“In terms of well-being, your bedroom is arguably one of the most important rooms in your house, says Lisa Coe from Happy Space Organised By Lisa. “A cluttered bedroom can therefore really impact your mood and even the quality of your sleep."
We’ve spoken to leading decluttering experts to find out their top tips on how to declutter your bedroom in just one day – so the task feels achievable as opposed to overwhelming. Here's what they advise...
1. Buy organisational products in advance
Get a head start. Make sure you have an idea of how you are going to organise your clothes, shoes, and other bedroom items before you start, so you can order any organising products and have them easily to hand as you declutter.
“This can include hangers, drawer dividers, shoe storage boxes, dressing table bits, and other hacks," says Nicki Rodriguez of Essex House Dolly. "I usually send links for all these items to my clients before the job in hand.”
Planning is also a handy tip when organising a kitchen or decluttering a bathroom.
RRP: £19.77 | If you're always struggling to find places to store your bed sheets in style, then these organisers are just the thing. They can easily hold a whole set of bedding up to king and queen-sized, and with a clear window, you can quickly see which bedding is which.
RRP: £14 | Under-bed storage is great as long as it's actually organised. More often than not, we'll simply throw things under there, bags like this mean that things stay together. If you want to bring happier energy into your home, why not opt for the sunny ochre colourway?
RRP: £17.33 | If you've got old photos and mementoes you'd like to keep somewhere safe but out of sight, these boxes are perfect. They're really easy to slide into your loft or onto a shelf and can hold a lot more than they look.
2. Tackle the task solo
Don't ask your friends to help, because this can be a hindrance when time is of the essence. While it can be tempting to make decluttering into a social affair, friends will actually slow down the process – not speed it up. You'll want to be focused on your decluttering checklist.
“Having your best friend or chatty sister by your side means you'll doubt your decision-making and you will want to reassure yourself by checking what they think,” says home organiser Marine Andre, founder of professional organisation company En Route To Joy.
3. Use a timer
To maintain your focus, use a timer to set allotted time goals. “It's easier to focus on a task for the optimum amount of time you can stay concentrated with a timer,” says Louise Davidson, professional organiser and founder of The Tidy Lark. “20-minute bursts could see you being much more proactive than an hour of overthinking.”
Knowing that there is a time limit will help you make quicker decisions, just don’t be tempted to rush through it and end up throwing out items that you will later regret. It's about knowing how to declutter your home in a way that feels manageable.
4. Utilise a second room for sorting
While we’ve suggested sorting items on your bed, taking things out of the room can also be helpful so you can see them out of context. It also gives you extra space to take a quicker approach to declutter by being able to see everything.
“Sometimes being in a different room from which you’re used to seeing your things can help you be more objective about it,” says Gill Hasson, author of Declutter your life: How outer order leads to inner calm.
5. Remove anything that no longer belongs
During the initial decluttering process, remove anything that shouldn't be in the bedroom and put it in a box. Taking out a huge bulk of the clutter will leave you with a clearer space to continue in.
It also helps you stay focused, because you can start to see results. This tip is especially helpful when looking to make a small room bigger.
“Avoid going back and forth to other rooms, as it’s easy to get distracted – just pop items in the box to be returned to the right place later,” says Sue Spencer, professional organiser and founder of A Life More Organised.
But ensure the items you remove don't end up just living in another room. A great way to stay motivated is if you can monetise the decluttering process. Sell these items that you no longer want or need.
Alternatively, as well as eBay and Facebook Marketplace, Sue suggests: “Trade-in apps, like Ziffit, can be really helpful, as you simply scan the barcode on your unwanted books, CDs, and DVDs, then arrange a collection.”
6. Focus on big wins and surfaces initially
Half the battle is staying motivated during the decluttering process, so make yourself feel good by tackling the most frustrating areas of the bedroom first. Is your dressing table full of things you don't really need? Are the bookshelves hoarding books that could be recycled or sold online?
“Focus first on the surfaces to give the illusion of space, removing any items that don’t belong or aren’t needed,” says Lisa.
Gill agrees, suggesting: “A visible area, a place where you'll see results quickly. Open shelves, for example, or the wardrobe that you can no longer fit any more clothes in, start there, or the drawer that you have to push and shove to close because it’s so full.”
7. Stay in the here and now
Be present with your thoughts, and ask yourself 'When was the last time I used or wore this item?' because imagining how we'd use them more in the future leads to holding on to things we should let go of. With clothes, especially, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you will wear them again, but it’s important to think about the present.
“Stay in the ‘here and now’ vibe... Try not to be influenced by the past (this dress reminds you of your favourite cousin's wedding day? Your memory won't be erased if you don't keep it), or the future (maybe these pre-pregnancy jeans will fit next year... well, what about now?),” says Marine Andre. This is the start of building a minimalist capsule wardrobe, where every item earns its place.
8. Separate clothes by season
In a bedroom, the main item you’re likely to be sorting is clothes, and Philipp Nagel, director of Neatsmith, suggests organising them by season. “Think about the seasonality of your clothes and, if you have the luxury of space, such as being able to include a walk-in wardrobe or multiple wardrobes in your bedroom, separate items for summer and winter so that you do not have to sort through items every day that you only use every six months.”
Out-of-season storage solutions offer a good way to organise a small closet with lots of clothes and declutter items that don't need to be present.
RRP: £10.99 | Looking to make the most of the wardrobe space you have? These smart hanger hooks will maximise your rail space and allow you to use the entire height of your wardrobe.
RRP: £35.59 | When you don't have much shelf or drawer space it can be difficult to find room for t-shirts and jumpers. These stackable drawers are ideal for the bottom of your wardrobe and are completely collapsible too.
RRP: £40 | Are your shoes always scattered around your room or jumbled up in the bottom of your wardrobe? This shoe rack will help you keep your favourite heels paired together and in one place.
9. Save sentimental items till last
These are often the hardest items to organise, so they should be left till the very end, when you are in the right mindset and can see the difference a declutter can make. Decluttering certain things you've been holding onto can make your home happier.
“When you declutter by room, it is really easy to find sentimental items, such as letters or photos," says Louise. "You end up spending time going down memory lane and before you know it, an hour has passed, and you haven’t achieved what you set out to do. To avoid this, have a container ready to drop sentimental items in that you can look at later as a reward for your hard work.”
One of our team members has tried the 'move out' decluttering method and found it made it far easier to part with sentimental items.
FAQs
What is ‘the 20/20 rule’ for decluttering?
Minimalists Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus explain this professional decluttering method. The duo first coined this rule, which dictates that you ask yourself two questions: “Can I replace this item for £20 or less in 20 minutes or less?” If the answer is ‘yes’, then you can discard the item, happy in the knowledge that it is easy and inexpensive to replace should you need to. If the answer is ‘no’, then you need to think carefully about whether to keep it or not.
“Although this may not be practical when it comes to essential items, it’s a good rule of thumb to follow when it comes to knick-knacks and other assorted items which do little but take up space,” says Jenny Shu, an interiors expert at Property Rescue.
How do you declutter your bedroom when you feel overwhelmed?
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when it comes to decluttering, especially at the beginning. “Rather than trying to tackle the clutter all at once, work within sections of the space," suggests Antony Charman at Vintage Cash Cow.
“Breaking the room into manageable sections can make the decluttering process less of a tedious task, and, if you’re really struggling, you can take a break between sections," Antony advises. "Start by picking any items up from the floor and replacing them in their rightful place, then move on to your bookshelves or bedside table,”
Gill says the hardest thing is initiating the process: “Get started, and quite soon, the momentum takes over and you find yourself easily carrying on with what you intended to do. All it takes is a little effort at the start.”
Where do I start with a cluttered bedroom?
“Before you begin, focus on your vision for the room and what you hope to achieve, so you start the task feeling inspired,” says Lisa Coe. “Ensure that you have a plan for finding a home for any items that you no longer need. You mustn’t be left with bags of unwanted items cluttering up the house.”
Begin with the easy stuff, so pick up your clothes off the floor and make your bed – it's these simple daily habits that keep a house clean and tidy. “You’ll feel like you’re getting somewhere, that you’re making progress quite quickly, and feel encouraged to continue,” says Gill.
Your freshly made bed also makes a great base for putting everything on, so you can see what you have before sorting. Start with either a category or a specific area, such as a cupboard that’s irritating you. As it’s the bedroom, the most obvious place to begin is with your clothes, but you could narrow this down to your sock drawer.
“I would remove all clothing first and put it all into sections: jeans, T-shirts, dresses, 'out out' tops, etc," suggests professional organiser Rachel Caesar. "Then attack each section. Do you need 10 white T-shirts? How many black shoes do you need?”
Put every item in either a ‘Keep’, ‘Bin’, or ‘Maybe’ pile. You can come back to the ‘Maybe’ pile another time. “Rather than waste too much time agonising over ‘Shall I keep it or let it go?” with every item, the ‘Maybe’ can be gone through the next time. And the next time you go back to each item in the ‘Maybe’ pile, it’s often clearer whether or not to keep it,” says Gill.
“Within a wardrobe, prioritise hanging space over everything else and maximise its potential with double hanging (one rail placed above the other) for shorter items such as jumpers, shirts, and blouses,” says Philipp. It might feel like an impossible task initially, but once you get into the swing of things, you’ll find you can declutter quicker than you think.
How to clean an extremely cluttered bedroom?
Sometimes, even when you've used all the home organisation ideas you can get your hands on, clutter still piles up. And if you're finding yourself overwhelmed with a particularly busy space, there are some easy steps you can take.
"When the clutter feels overwhelming, start by creating safe pathways so you can physically move around the room. Begin to work from large to small and remove bulky or obvious items first," says Max Wilson, Co-Founder of Pocket Storage.
"Once you've cleared the clutter, treat it like a blank slate – dust surfaces, wipe furniture, and vacuum thoroughly. Only then bring back the items you've chosen to keep, placing them in neat, designated storage zones. This reset-then-rebuild method prevents overwhelm and gives the space a fresh, functional feel," adds Max.
Now you've tried out some of the best decluttering methods in the bedroom, why not start on other spaces in your home? Adding some decluttering steps to your daily cleaning habits can help keep you on top of each room.
