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Spring cleaning is the most perfect time to pull a Sharpay Evans and say, “Take out the old and put in the new.” Some people, like me, don’t look forward to spring cleaning because it can be extremely overwhelming, especially when you don’t even know where to start. Should we start with your office? Your nightmarish closet? And God forbid, maybe even your bathroom? I get it, it can be extremely overwhelming and a painful process. However, the most important step is to allocate a few hours and get started. Let it be the first thing you see! Play your favorite spring playlist, put your phone on Do Not Disturb and get started! Let me give you some tips to reinvent your bedroom in a minimalist but elegant way!
The bed
This might not be the section you originally expected, but I wanted to take a second to reinforce the importance of making your bed every day! I’ve heard this more than once, but people say: if you want to change the world, start by making your bed. While it may sound strange or unfamiliar, here’s the reason: making your bed is the most trivial, yet important first task you’ll have done in the day, which will keep you going. If everything about your day seems to have gone wrong or if you made several mistakes on a certain day, at least you’ll go home with one thing you were able to do: make your bed. Plus, of course, it will make your room one step closer to being perfectly organized!
Closet
The only way that has really worked for me in the past with my dreaded closet is to start from scratch. I force myself to pull all my clothes off all the hangers, shelves, and piles I have, and create a huge (yes, very messy) pile on the floor. I find that once my clothes are all in one huge pile, I’m more motivated to put them away because it makes my bedroom extremely messy and unkempt. From there, I make several piles: donation pile, “potentially for sale” pile, winter pile, Indian clothing pile (this pile can be different for everyone), and spring/summer pile. Depending on where you live and the temperature, your batteries may vary. After sorting my clothes, I allocate space for each of my stacks to organize inside my closet. For those with dressers, you can reserve a drawer for each of your stacks and fold them in an organized way. For me, it’s also quite relevant to put my phone away and put on some good music! Here are some pictures to show you how I did it:
The bathroom
Your goal in your bathroom, in my opinion, should be to leave your counter space perfectly clear. As organization titan Marie Kondo says, never estimate the power of hanging things on the wall; it saves space but it can also be very aesthetic! Allocate drawers for every type of thing you might have: from makeup to jewelry to extra soaps/sanitary items. If you tend to hoard makeup (as I tend to do sometimes) then go over everything, check the expiration date and you’ll be surprised how much you end up throwing away. Clean your sink (bonus points if you use reusable cleaners), wipe down your counter, and simply decorate your counter (keep it classy)! I find that in the bathroom, the closet technique doesn’t really work, because it can demotivate me. Instead, go drawer by drawer and take everything out. I find that with this technique, I end up throwing away a lot of stuff instead of storing it. Although the goal is to keep a clear counter, make sure you don’t cram everything into your shelf below. Plus, empty the bins and spray on one of your favorite scents just to spruce things up a bit!
The pulpit
The goal for this part of your room is for your office to make you want to work and be productive. If that means you need to point your desk in another direction or not face the window to avoid distractions, now is the time to do it. When it comes to your desk, you want it to be super clear so you have space to work on and can simultaneously place things. First, start with your drawers. While this can be super messy, don’t be intimidated! Instead, apply the “remove everything” method and get started. Now is the time to recycle old notebooks, random papers you have, throw away old calculators and get rid of things you don’t absolutely need. Next, allocate each of your drawers to a certain thing. For example, since I have two drawers, I reserve one for stationery and extra paper and the other for college information and resources. I organize them frequently so they never pile up to a point where I can’t organize them. Once you’ve removed everything from your desk, wipe it down, let it dry, then put everything back! Bonus points if you add a pretty plant and a scented candle.
Aesthetics
As each person’s aesthetic varies (and is highly dependent on the room), this section can be taken with a grain of salt, as it is tailored to my own aesthetic. My bedroom is made up of subtle greys, whites and pinks, so I wanted to add a little pop of color to my bedroom. Since my high school days, I had several AP review books, textbooks, and current notebooks that I needed storage for, so I bought a gray and white striped bin from Target (you can also get it online) just to add some flavor to my room. After buying this I still felt like my room needed another little “aesthetic boost” so I bought a fairly cheap shelf on Amazon and built it myself . After building it, I used a bunch of stuff I used to stuff on my desk and in drawers and organized it in the bookcase. If you’re in high school or college, in particular, you’ll have several books you read in school that you might need to read. Instead, you can arrange it here in an organized way. It was just the pop I needed to spruce up my room. The best part is completely reinventing my bedroom was so cost effective.
The result
Although this process was a bit arduous, the result was worth it. My bedroom quickly became my safe space and my sanctuary and it was such a calming place for me. I also added a few candles to my room (one from Anthropologie and the other from Capri Blue), which added to the comfort of my room. All in all I think this would be something I would repeat in the winter as it gave me a sense of accomplishment and made my room so much prettier! It’s time to start, don’t procrastinate! You have this.