Let’s face it. Even if we are conscientious about keeping our house or apartment clean, there are places where we rarely think of cleaning. Sometimes, we just overlook the fact the item needs to be cleaned. Sometimes, we aren’t sure how to clean it so it gets neglected.Â
Whatever the reason, there are certain items and places in your bedroom that you should be cleaning, but totally aren’t. While the following list isn’t exhaustive, it does point out the biggest offenders and tells you exactly how (and in some cases how often) you should be cleaning each item on the list.
Lampshades
Lampshades often get neglected even if the lamp doesn’t. They seem awkward to clean and brushing a duster over them generally just makes the dust fly into the air before settling right back on the lampshade. The easiest and most effective way to clean a lampshade is simple though: Use a lint roller. Just roll it over the shade to gather up all the dust and put it in the trash where it belongs.
Mattress
One thing that gets overlooked more than lampshades are mattresses. You can’t wash a mattress, so cleaning it becomes difficult. You want to tackle this in steps. First, vacuum, then spot clean, then deodorize, then protect it. All the steps are relatively simple and you can pretty much use whatever you already have around the house. Here’s a great guide to follow.
Carpet StainsÂ
Carpet everywhere can get a little stained, but you may let your bedroom go a little more than areas where guests are often. If you have stubborn stains on your carpet or just want to get rid of cat urine smell, you just need to use a vinegar and water mix and have a little help from your iron. It’s really simple and even stubborn spots should come out. Check out the how-to right here.
Under Your BedÂ
Underneath your bed, and any other heavy furniture you have in your bedroom, like dressers and nightstands, probably does not get cleaned often, if ever. But that doesn’t mean dust and dirt don’t accumulate under there. Large vacuums probably won’t do the job, but stick vacuums or Swiffers generally will. Here are some tips about getting those tough areas clean, and don’t wait until you move to take care of it!
Dusting Surfaces
To make your bedroom shines and keep it free of pesky dust, you can make your own dusting spray. Best of all, all you need is some castile soap mixed with water! Castile soap is a vegetable oil type of soap and is very natural and free of harmful chemicals. You can also add lemon essential oil (or another scent) to make everything smell good, and some moisturizing oil, like olive oil. The oil is great for dusting a lot of wood, but it completely unnecessary for any other type of surface.
Mattress
When was the last time you really checked your mattress?
You are going to be surprised by lots of stains and a rather unpleasant smell. Even if you use a mattress protector, you still want to get rid of any urine smells. With the help of a bit of borax, you will quickly see the suede smell go away, and to clean up any urine stains check out this guide on proper mattress care.
Ceiling Fans
Using a pillowcase to dust your fan blades can save you from a lot of hassle and a lot of dust everywhere. The pillowcase makes dusting easy and will catch a lot of the dust before it falls on the floor or your bed or whatever that fan is hovering over. It won’t catch 100% of the dust though, so you’ll still need to sweep up after, but it won’t make nearly as much mess.
WallsÂ
Walls need to be washed too! But they can be a daunting task. All you need is soap and water, and a cloth, and you can get those walls clean without ruining the paint. Here’s how. Make sure you are being careful around the switch plates because you don’t want to get water in the wiring behind the plate.
Switch Plates
And while we are on the subject of walls, you should be cleaning those switch plates too. But don’t clean the switch plates while they are on the wall. They are hard to clean thoroughly that way, and you risk getting water in the wiring. Instead, carefully remove them before you clean them. Check out this how-to for exactly how to clean and replace those switch plates.
Pillows and Comforter
Washing pillows or your down comforter can be a scary ordeal, but over time, they tend to yellow and that’s just scary all on its own. To keep your comforter fresh and white, here’s how to wash and whiten a down comforter safely. When you put them in the dryer, you can add a couple of tennis balls (put them in socks first so you don’t get tennis ball fuzz on your newly washed pillows) to give the pillows or comforters some extra fluff when they come out of the dryer.
Blinds
If your bedroom has blinds, chances are it’s been a long time (if ever) since you’ve cleaned them. Cleaning is simple if you have a vacuum cleaner with an attachment or a cloth. Whether your blinds just need a simple dusting or are in bad shape and need a thorough cleaning, this guide will show you the easiest and most effective ways to get those blinds clean.
