How to Organize Your Bedroom

Last Updated: November 6, 2022 References Approved

When piles of stuff start taking over your bedroom, it's time to put the mess back in its place. Having a disorganized bedroom isn't just unpleasant — it can actually have a noticeable effect on your mood. Clutter and disorder are known to trigger feelings of stress and sometimes even depression.^{[1]
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Research source} Luckily, the solution is simple — get your room organized and under control!

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Tidying Up Your Room

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Pick up anything on the floor. Make piles for like items, focusing on items such as clothes, books, tissues, magazines, shoes, papers and anything else that you may have laying around. The first step to getting an organized bedroom is cleaning up the mess that you've already created.
- When you're done, the only things touching the floor should be your furniture. This is an important first step — you'll have a much more difficult time cleaning around your clutter rather than you will have simply getting it out of the way.
2
Create boxes for things to keep and things to throw away. Once you have your floor completely clear, gather the items you picked up and decide whether you want to keep each item or get rid of it.
- Place the “keep” items in the box for things to keep and place the “get rid of” items in the box for things to throw away.
- Don't be afraid to part with items you haven't used in years and that don't hold any sentimental value. Saving an antique keepsake given to you by your grandmother may make more sense than saving a stack of last year’s junk mail.
- To determine which items of clothing in your closet you need to get rid of, turn around all the hangers in your closet so the hooks are pointing towards you (the wrong way). When you wear something, hang it back up the normal way. In three to six months, any hangers facing the wrong way are holding clothes you haven’t worn, and should go in the donation box.^{[2]
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Donate or throw away any unwanted items. Consider the items you threw into the “get rid of” box when you gave your room an initial clean. Look them over and determine if they are worth donating or need to be thrown away.^{[3]
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- Give your used clothes and furniture to a secondhand store. Charities like Goodwill and the Salvation Army usually accept used items in good condition.
- Give your books to a library. By donating used books to a library, you give others the chance to discover new books.
- Sell or give away possessions online. Classified ad sites like Craigslist usually have sections devoted to getting rid of used goods for cheap or for free.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Organizing Your Room

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Divide your storage spaces into organized sections. Sort the items on shelves and in your closet by grouping them in it into neat, tidy piles. Not only will this it look less cluttered, but it will also be an efficient use of limited space on your shelves or in your closet.^{[4]
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- Add shoe storage like shoe racks, shoe cubbies or hanging shoe organizers.
- Add closet storage like plastic bins, woven baskets, or even milk crates for out of season items or small items like socks, undergarments, and scarves.
- Add hooks on the wall to hang up bags and belts so they are not lying in a pile on the floor.
EXPERT TIP

Christel Ferguson
Professional Organizer
Christel Ferguson is the owner of Space to Love, a decluttering and organization service. Christel is certified in Advanced Feng Shui for Architecture, Interior Design & Landscape and has been a member of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO) for over five years.

Christel Ferguson
Professional Organizer

Get rid of any clothes you're not wearing. Remove anything from your closet that you're not using and put everything else in its proper place. Instead of having your clothes out and about, have a place to put them in the closet or a dresser.
2
Use drawer tidies to keep your drawers in order. Keep your socks, ties, underwear, and tank tops or undershirts organized so you don’t have to sort through piles of clothing to find what you need.
- You can find drawer tidies at your local office supply store or furniture store. However, you can also make them yourself. Simply join together pieces of cheap wood or plastic to divide your drawers as you wish. Be sure to measure the depth of your drawer first so that your homemade tidied fits.^{[6]
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Try to keep large electronics like your computer, printer, and server tower off the floor. Keeping large machines on the floor, as well as their many cables and wires, can be a fire and tripping hazard, and can clutter up your space.^{[7]
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- Look for a desk for storage solutions like pull out drawers for printers and keyboards, and shelving above your computer to keep any files or papers in order.
- Thread cords through your desk or drill a hole into a nearby cabinet to store your power cord and keep it out of sight.
- Bundle cords together with velcro strips or electrical tape. Always label your cords with a piece of tape so you can figure out where it leads to without having to unbundle the cords.
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Create a charging station in your room for all your electronics. Place small electronics like your phone, your iPod, and your camera together in one place in your room, as well as their chargers.
- You can also purchase a multi-device charging station to keep your chords from getting tangled and disorganized.^{[8]
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Label your storage areas. If you keep forgetting where to put your possessions once you've cleaned up your room or you're having a hard time sticking to your approach to cleanliness, labeling your storage areas will help you know exactly where things go.
- Not only will it be easier for you to remember to put your things away in the right spots — it will also be harder for you to create a mess again.
- Don't worry about spending money on "nice" labels — simple post-it notes and masking tape will work just fine.
- If you are using decorative boxes to hold electronics or other odds and ends, make sure you label them so you know what each one contains.
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Utilize unconventional storage spaces. Keeping your room clean isn't just about shoving your belongings into your closet! There are other ways to keep your room clean and organized that fall outside your closet, such as:^{[9]
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- Sliding baskets or bins under your bed for linens, blankets, and towels.
- Making space for items on wall shelves like small pictures or figurines.
- Hanging a coat rack over your door so you aren’t tempted to throw your coat on your bed at the end of the day.
- Placing items between books on your bookshelf to add some interesting detail as well as keep your books in order.
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Remove any furniture that is not being used or is taking up too much space. Stand in your de cluttered room and consider the furniture you have. Are there any tables or chairs that you aren’t using or are taking up space to may work better with another item of furniture? Is your bed or desk too big or too small for your daily needs?^{[10]
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- Walk around your room and consider how hard or easy it is to get around your furniture. If it is a tight squeeze between your bed and your desk, or your door and your bedside table, it may be a good idea to invest in furniture that better fits the space or remove items of furniture for now to create more room.
EXPERT TIP

Christel Ferguson
Professional Organizer
Christel Ferguson is the owner of Space to Love, a decluttering and organization service. Christel is certified in Advanced Feng Shui for Architecture, Interior Design & Landscape and has been a member of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO) for over five years.

Christel Ferguson
Professional Organizer

Your bedroom is meant for sleeping more than anything else. Remove anything that doesn't apply to sleep, like computers, books, notepads, pens, etc. — mainly work stuff. Once you're left with a reduced bedroom, declutter what is left. Purchase a nightstand that has drawers on the bottom so you can hide away anything distracting.

Community Q&A

Question

How do you decorate your room?

Community Answer

Print nice pictures and hang them on the wall. Buy any decor rug. You might take empty candy jars and use them for anything, and buy a new blanket for your bed. You could buy decor stickers/decals and stick them on your desk and/or walls.
Question

I have a small closet and I feel like I'm drowning in clothes! What can I do?

Community Answer

First, go through all the clothes. If you can't see yourself wearing something, then throw it out. Also, I use a shoe organizer. A small mirror can really trick the eyes into thinking a space looks bigger. Do not make the mistake of not throwing something out because you have "memories." You can make new memories in the clothes you'll actually wear.
Question

How can I organize a hostel room?

Community Answer

As it's a hostel, don't move the furniture around, but make sure the place is tidy. Pick up litter, fold clothes. De-clutter a desk or dressing table.

Warnings

Having a clean, organized bedroom for a day isn't enough — if you don't stick with your new routine, you'll soon fall back into the same mess. See our article on motivating yourself if you can't find the energy to preserve your tidy room.

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