If you’re going to deep clean any room this spring, make it your bedroom and boost the quality of your sleep…
Pull on your rubber gloves and grab your hoover, because science says you need a neat and tidy bedroom to fall asleep fast and wake up feeling fully refreshed. That means one thing, it’s time to spring clean. And the good news is, your list of chores isn’t endless…
1. Speed tidy for one minute
Gather up any rubbish and put everything in its rightful place before going deep with your spring clean – you’ll see exactly what you’re working with.
2. Strip your bed bare
Sheets, bedding, mattress protector – everything off and washed with mild detergents. Obviously, you’ll need to check your cleaning instructions and avoid bleach products that weaken or discolour your linens.
Although most of us wash them weekly, under 25s have the dirtiest bed sheets of all, only cleaning them six times a year. Gross. During winter, us Brits spend more than 49 hours a week sleeping in – coating our bed sheets in sweat and grease.
3. Rescue your pillows
10% of your unwashed pillow can be made up of dead skin cells and dust mites. Want to put your head on that for up to 8 hours each night? Didn’t think so. Throw your polyester pillow on a mild washing cycle with liquid detergent this spring. And toss two tennis balls into the tumble dryer with your fresh pillows – to fluff them back up. Alternatively, zap the bed bugs by giving your pillow a spin in the tumble dryer once a month after your spring clean.
4. Flip, hoover & clean your mattress
Sprinkle a light layer of baking soda over your entire mattress to freshen it up. Let it sit for a couple of hours, before hoovering it up – with a fine piece of nylon (or a pair of tights) over your vacuum nozzle to stop snagging on loose threads.
Your mattress could be home for up to 10 million dust mites. Keep the critters at bay long-term with a mattress protector, check out our mattress care guide and follow the golden rules for looking after your mattress.
Think your mattress has had its day? Take the test to find out whether it’s time to replace it.
5. Squirrel away your winter bedding
Swapped to summer bedding now? Fold and store your clean winter bedding in a fabric or cotton bag to stop it getting dusty – pop a sprig of dry lavender (a natural moth repellent) or cedar wood into the bag to keep everything smelling fresh. Be careful storing your winter duvet, duck feather topper or extra-quilted mattress protector in a plastic bag can trap moisture inside and cause the fabrics to yellow.
Why not store your winter bedding out of sight in a divan bed base and free up space in your bedroom? Here’s a quick summery of everything worth knowing about divan bed bases.
6. Beat your carpets & clean your bedroom curtains
After beating the dust out of your bedroom rug, sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over it and hoover off 15 minutes later – keeping it smelling fresh. Alternatively, dust a little cinnamon on a small area of your rug and vacuum it up for an oh-so homely smell.
If you’re washing your curtains at home, remove the hooks, weights and fittings, loosen the strings. Handwash in the bath, spin on gentle cycle and hang them straight out to dry to avoid creases.
7. Declutter your wardrobe and drawers
Drawers full to bursting? Try Marie Kondo’s ruthless technique for rigorous decluttering to get rid of absolutely everything that doesn’t bring you joy. Follow this video to learn how to tightly roll your clothes and store them in horizontal rows in your drawers to maximise your storage space:
Want to keep your clothes smelling fresh? Pop a bar of your favourite aromatic soap, wrapped in paper, into your drawer.
8. Sort your bookcase
Empty your bookshelf, dust your books and wipe your shelf – donate any books you’ll never read again to your local charity shop.
9. Create a pamper basket
For a clutter-free bedroom that you can truly relax in, have a pamper basket next to your bed with a book, moisturiser or something else you like to do in bed. Try and keep your bedside table minimal, with just the necessities like your clock and lamp.