All around you right now people are gearing up to do their spring cleans. If you don’t feel like giving the whole house a thorough going over, or if you’ve managed to enlist your partner to do that, then one room that will always benefit from a deep clean in the bedroom.
Not only will the room be that much fresher and cleaner but you will sleep better too. According to the Sleep Foundation, just putting on new sheets can aid with a better night’s rest. Now, imagine how good it will feel to know you have performed a deep clean on your bedroom.
Why do people perform a spring clean?
The act of spring cleaning is steeped in many different cultures. For Iranians, the Persian new year falls on the first day of spring, and in Chinese culture, the new year also falls during the spring festival. It has been traditional to thoroughly clean the home at the start of the new year for these and other cultures including Judaism and Christians.
One other explanation is that spring follows winter. In climates where winter is particularly cold, the house will have been sealed up for some months. Meaning there will be dust and stale air in the home. In the centuries before it would have been normal to have wood and coal fires and therefore the homes would have a layer of soot in them.
These days it is still normal to continue with a spring clean help to make the home smell good, and freshen it up. A benefit of this is that it improves the mood of the person cleaning and those who also live in the home. It is like waking up a house after its winter hibernation.
How to deep clean your bedroom
You will have to work through numerous steps to ensure your home is fully cleaned. A deep clean is much more than a quick dust and vacuum. You are going to clean your room from top to bottom and to make it easier you will need a checklist.
Areas you need to consider in your deep clean:
- Cleaning products
- Laundry – bedding etc
- Ceiling and walls
- Frames
- Shelves
- Skirting boards
- Electronics
- Furniture
- Windows/mirrors
- Mattress
- Rugs
- Carpets
Everyone’s bedroom will be somewhat different but as a general rule, this list will cover most of the areas you will touch on. You can read each step in a little more detail below.
Here are your initial deep cleaning steps
First, you will need to get cleaning products and equipment.
Your checklist should look something like this:
- Sponge, soft clean cloths
- Baking soda
- Reusable spray bottle
- Distilled vinegar
- Warm water
- Mild detergent – washing up liquid
- Vacuum cleaner with attachments
- Duster
- Step ladder – optional
When choosing which cleaning products you want – and you may prefer others to what is listed here – check what is recommended by the Environmental Working Group as these will be gentler on you and eco-friendly.
Bundle up your bedding
Strip the bed of its duvet, blankets, sheets, pillowcases, and anything else. It is time to do some laundry. All bedsheets and pillowcases need to be washed once a week so you may as well do them while you are cleaning the rest of the bedroom.
This leaves the actual bed to clean. Did you know you should wash your pillows about twice a year also? Read the label carefully and use the washing machine on a short and gentle wash. You want the pillows to retain their shape so the shortest time possible is best.
Cleaning the ceilings and walls
Never start cleaning at the bottom of the room. Starting at the bottom means you will end up cleaning the same areas more than once as the dust falls which is why you are leaving the mattress for now.
You have two choices when it comes to the ceiling. You can either only dust it or clean it more thoroughly. Dusting it is easy with an extendable duster or even a light cotton mop. The mop needs to be brand new so that you don’t mark the ceiling.
To clean the ceiling you will need a spray bottle. Mix up some warm water and soap. Spray the ceiling areas and wipe dry with a soft clean cloth.
You can use this soap mixture to clean your walls too. Make sure to pull furniture out to clean behind them.
Dusting the room
You will need to dust everything that is in the room using a damp clean cloth. Use your vacuum with its tools to clean in your closet and any small areas that are hard to remove dust from. It is very important to dust as this is where tiny mites can live causing allergic reactions in people.
Ceiling fans
Depending on the type of fan, you may need to remove the cage and the rotors. Otherwise, dust the blades including on top, and then clean off with your spray bottle solution and a clean cloth.
Frames, shelves, and lights
Dust your ceiling light and remove any lampshade for cleaning. Now work your way down and clean on top of the light switches, shelving, and door and window frames. Don’t forget to remove any books or other items from the shelves and dust and wipe these too.
Don’t forget to dust any electronics such as a TV or computer plus all the furniture. Empty drawers and wipe inside before returning clothes.
Lastly do not forget those skirting boards either. These are probably one of the most overlooked areas when it comes to dusting but they have collected everything you have cleaned from above.
Cleaning your windows and curtains
You may be able to clean your curtains with your vacuum cleaner’s attachment. Otherwise, clean them according to the care instructions. The windows can be cleaned with a mixture of distilled vinegar and warm water.
Mix 1 cup warm water to 1 of vinegar. Pour this into your spray bottle. Assuming you have already dusted the windows you can now spray the glass with your solution. You want to avoid streaks so spray one area at a time and rub in a circular motion with a lint-free cloth.
Once you are happy that the glass is clean then dry in a downward motion with a microfibre cloth. Do this quickly to prevent any streaking.
Clean your mattress
Many people might not realize they need to clean the bed so thoroughly but it is a good idea to do this properly and you must be sure to deep clean your mattress. This area really needs a whole article to itself but one other thing to remember with mattresses is that they need to be flipped.
Flipping the mattress during the cleaning process will prolong the life of it. It will reduce the chances of indentations and sagging. It helps to keep the structure even across the mattress.
Cleaning your carpets
There are many tips for cleaning carpets and one is to use a special carpet cleaner as well as a vacuum. If you have special rugs in your bedroom such as delicate or Oriental types then you will need to use a professional cleaning service.
This is one area that you may wish to hire someone to do as part of a proper deep clean. Otherwise, look into carpet shampoos that suit your particular flooring. The baking soda on your checklist can also be used on the carpet and the mattress. Sprinkle it over the carpet and after some minutes you can vacuum away.
Summary
Once you have gone from top to bottom you will have given your house as deep a clean as possible. The health benefits of cleaning out dust and grime are that you will be breathing fewer pollutants, and by deep cleaning your bedding and mattress you will have improved sleep. Now to start on the rest of the house…
