How often should you clean your bedroom? An experts' timetable – and the risks to sleep health of ignoring it
We asked professional organizers for the secret to a therapeutic sleep space – this is the timeframe they follow
How often should you clean your bedroom? It's the question you will inevitably ask yourself when maintaining your home – but the answer comes down to much more than its aesthetic. While it matters that your space feels clean and organized, it is important to ensure it makes you feel good, too.
Experts are increasingly reminding us that our environment impacts the quality of our slumber. And, they say, knowing how to clean a bedroom correctly is one of the most impactful things you can do to create a peaceful sleep space, which in turn will help us sleep better.
While you may have mastered organizing a bedroom to keep your space in order, it's only natural that your room will become messier throughout the week. But how quickly should you clean up after yourself? And when is it necessary to undergo a deep clean?
Organizing experts tell all below – and warn what happens if you don't clean your bedroom regularly.
How often should you clean your bedroom?
There are a host of cleaning tips you can follow to encourage sleep in the bedroom, but knowing when to clean is just as important as the method. How often you should clean your room depends on the level of maintenance required, though generally organizing experts advise doing so daily.
How regularly should you clean your room?
Keeping on top of mess for around 15 minutes a day is, say experts, the ideal. They then suggest dedicating more time for a thorough clean once a week or twice a month, depending on need. A deep clean will be needed every three to four months.
'I suggest setting a mobile timer for 15 minutes. Specific goals get specific results,' says Ben Soreff, a professional organizer at House to Home Organizers. 'After 15 minutes, one area is now clean or organized, and you don't feel that pressure to continue.'
Audra George, expert at Pretty Neat: An Organizational Solution, similarly urges you to set aside a few minutes every day to fulfil quick tasks such as making your bed or removing things – such as dishes – that don't belong in the space.
'If you get in the habit of doing this daily, it is usually a quick process. This will ensure the clutter stays away and makes the heavier cleaning much easier,' Audra says.
Meanwhile, she suggests that less essential jobs, such as wiping down your surfaces, are best done weekly.
How often should a room be deep cleaned?
Deeper cleans involve giving your bedroom a complete refresh. This involves tasks like cleaning the mattress, washing pillows, cleaning and organizing drawers, window treatments and even finding out how to clean an air conditioner.
The founder of Modern Maids, Justin Carpenter, suggests a room should be deep cleaned every three to four months to ensure you have no dust on your air vents, baseboards, blinds, and windowsills. 'This will prevent you from being impacted by allergies and improve your physical health,' he says.
What happens if you don't clean your bedroom?
On the surface, an untidy bedroom can feel irritating, and it can dampen your well-curated decorating ideas. However, studies suggest that its effects go beyond aesthetics.
'A cluttered environment causes increased stress and anxiety, overwhelms us mentally, and causes cortisol levels to rise. This means we are less able to relax and less able to sleep well,' organizer Audra George warns.
Referring to a study from St. Lawrence University in New York that suggests that a messy bedroom affects sleep and increases our overall anxiety levels when we awake, Audra emphasizes the importance of keeping on top of mess in a bedroom daily.
'Other statistics show that people living in clutter take longer to fall asleep and sleep less soundly, impacting how they feel out of their home, too.'
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Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes, before becoming H&G's News Editor in April 2022. She now leads the Celebrity/ News team. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants.
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