Mamas, are you tired of squinting at the mess in your kids bedroom every time you go into their room? Are you looking for quick and easy method to make cleaning any bedroom a breeze?
Then check out these simple steps on how to clean a messy room in 20 minutes or less.
7 Simple Steps to Clean a Messy Room in 20 minutes or less!
1. Start by making the bed. Starting with a freshly made bed is important. The bed is typically the central point of any bedroom and having that made up, helps to make the room feel clean as well as giving you a space (if necessary) to sort through items that need to be put away.
Time Required: 3 minutes
2. Collect and dispose of all trash in the room. One of the quickest things to spot and dispose of is trash. Loose papers, old magazines, wrappers, etc. I have a trash can that I keep in my kids room for just such a reason, but if your kids don’t have one in their room, just grab a trashbag or if you have any plastic shopping bags laying around and set them to work!
Time Required: 2 minutes
3. Picking up Dirty Laundry. Collect all your dirty clothes and towels and throw it in your dirty clothes hamper (or basket). I try so hard to get my kids to deposit their dirty clothes directly into the hamper, but as we all know– obviously there is some sort of force field that prevents said clothes from entering said basket. It drives.me.nuts.
So, collect the mounds of dirty clothes left scattered across the floor and put them in the dirty clothes hamper.
Time Required: 2 minutes
4. Picking up shoes and clean clothes. Shoes go in the closet or shoe rack and clean clothes go into the closet or dresser.
In the last 8 years or so I’ve stopped letting anyone wear shoes into the house. All shoes are left at the door and put into our shoe cabinet.
We lived in Asia for awhile and it’s common practice there, less so in America. Being that it’s so common place there, it eventually became our new habit. And then when we moved back to the states and I really thought about all the reasons why leaving shoes by the front door is a great idea– it stuck.
Maybe consider giving it a try. No one is tracking dirt, leaves, snow or yucky germs from outside through out your house. Plus, no need to hunt for missing shoes around the house or hoping and praying they make it into their closet as a pair!
Something to consider.
Time Required: 4 minutes
5. Sort through Toys. I love bins and baskets. Nothing makes me happier than having a place for everything and everything in it’s place. If your kids are super little, one of the things I’ve found super helpful with them is to put pictures of what goes into the basket on the front of it.
If your kids are older, you can create a label, or go without if you don’t have a ton of bins to organize.
My girls only get 4 bins so they know what goes where without having to have everything labeled.
They just pull all the bins out, quickly throw the toys in the correct bin and then push the bins back into their cubbies.
If you are looking for super durable toy storage we love these ultra deep white bins from Amazon! They have lasted forever and hold so much!
Time Required: 4 minutes
6. Clean off tops of dressers and desks. Clutter can make even the cleanest room still feel messy. With the exception of a clock or possibly a book or two, keeping those spaces clear will help keep the room looking neat.
Plus, if your child is in their homework years, keep a clean desk ensures that they are ready to work and will minimize distractions!
Time Required: 3 minutes
7. Vacuum + Sweep. The last step for any clean room is to make sure the floor is clean with a good vacuum or sweeping! We admittedly don’t do this every time the girls clean their room, but we try to get to it at least once or twice, depending.
Time Required: 2 minutes
Bonus Tip: Instead of designating one day a week for your kids to address their mess. Try having them work on it more often so they can keep up with the mess before it turns into a huge time eating mountain of mess.
We have a calendar that we use that shows what chores or housekeeping stuff needs to be addressed before they are allowed to do anything else.
If they want a special play date, they have to have their stuff for the day done.
If they want to watch a show or plan on their tablet during the week– their homework and daily chores need to be completed first.
Overall, this has worked quite well to keep up with everything that needs to be done. I’m not saying my kids love doing their chores, but they know what they are expected to do and will do it because they want to get to do their other stuff.
If you and your kids are feeling overwhelmed with the amount of stuff in your room or your house, check out:
- Cut the Clutter and Start Living | How Many Toys Should Your Kids Really Have??
- Minimizing Your Wardrobe | Winning with a Capsule Wardrobe
Don’t forget to grab your free room cleaning checklist in my free resource library! Cleaning a messy room doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful– utilizing a checklist takes the guess work out of what you want them to do and allows your kids to systematically address each task quickly!
I hope this article has been helpful! I would love to hear your tips to help your kids keep their room clean and clutter free. Please comment below!
Clean a Messy Room in 20 Minutes or Less!
