MAKE IT CUTE

What’s that one thing your mom is always reminding you to do...and you never do? That’s right—cleaning your bedroom. You’d rather be doing *anything* else: shopping with your friends, Snapchatting, doing homework, heck, even eating vegetables. Who cares about seeing the carpet on the floor or the smell of that old peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Who cares if you’re always stepping on your pup's paws because you couldn't see him under the mess? Besides, you love the obstacle course in gym class and this is great practice. Cleaning your room is impossible, right? Wrong! With these simple tips, your room will be clean in no time. It’s time to make a game plan and get cleaning. You’ll be done before you know it, trust.

1. First things first… take a really good look at your room.
If any of the following has happened, you’ve got some work to do: your carpet has mysteriously vanished; your dresser threw up clothes; your favorite pair of crumpled skinny jeans somehow climbed out of the hamper and onto your lamp.

2. Start off-site. 
Shut the door (if you even can) and go think about what you might do with this mess over a bowl of vanilla ice cream with whipped cream, hot fudge and gummy bears. You're getting yourself in the right mindset, duh.

3. Brace yourself.
Approach your bedroom door cautiously, and knock; hopefully, it doesn’t burst. Carefully twist the doorknob. Creak the door open ever so slowly and check the room for anything moving or fishy, including that week-old tuna fish sandwich that suddenly disappeared.

4. Set the scene.
Turn on your fave dance song (like “Light It Up” by Major Lazer). Dance around to warm up your muscles—let’s face it, you have a lot of work ahead.

5. Identify the major offenders.
Piles of dirty clothes? Last year’s chem homework? Six Kraft mac & cheese bowls lying under the bed? Know exactly what needs to be tackled before you begin.

6. Divide and conquer.
Pretend you’re racing against the clock. As fast as you can, separate these offenders into piles—dirty clothes, toys, jewelry, makeup, trash, recyclables, dirty dishes and anything that isn’t yours. How long did that take you? Ten minutes, tops? Congratulations, you are on your way to a clean room.

7. Take care of the piles, one by one.
Advice you say? Walk the dirty clothes to the laundry room, making sure your mother sees you (a nice “Hi Mom” does wonders). Toys, jewelry, makeup, recyclables and trash—you know the drill. If something belongs to your sister/brother, put it in their room, not in the linen closet. If it belongs to your best friend, give it back please. Look at that, a magic carpet.

8. Don't forget the bed.
Now that you’ve gotten rid of clutter, strip the sheets off your bed and make sure they get washed. Make your bed again in this order: fitted sheet, sheet, comforter, pillows, decorative blankets, decorative pillows and stuffed animals. You should always make your bed each morning—getting into this good habit can help with allergies you may have and improve your overall productivity.

9. Break out the duster.
Have Mom purchase several cans of Bees Wax polish because it works on all surfaces and it doesn’t leave any film. Dust your lamp, your mirror, your nightstand and your bed frame (but no, not your brother). This is something you should do twice a month to avoid triggering any allergic reactions to dust.

10. Fab up the floor.
Time to sweep…no, not sleep. Whether you vacuum or sweep, a dust-free floor you must keep. This is something you should do at least once a week, especially if you have a pet that sheds a lot.

Voila! Your room is now in tip-top condition. Keep it this way. You’re probably thinking it’s a piece of cake—or you just want a piece of cake—but maintaining this is easier than it seems. One way to keep your room clean is to create a ten minute cleanup routine every night before bed. When you’re done with something for the day, put it back in its rightful home. This way your room will stay clean and you won’t be shoving a variety of items into the closet the next time your friends come over.

How do you keep your room clean? Tell us in the comments below! 

by Erin Faxlanger | 6/26/2018