Cleaning:
- Keep your bed easy to maintain. I don't really mind a few decorative pillows on a bed, but they have to be stored while you're sleeping, and they're not really functional. Also, rather than bother with multiple blankets, just keep a comforter so you can fluff and go.
- On that note, make your bed every day. Not only will it look better and provide you a clear working space for folding laundry, but you just never know when someone might see it. I remember Kirston coming over to my house and my bed was not made, by which I was rather embarrassed.
- If you don't have a space to keep your sleepwear (though the bathroom would be the obvious choice), just fold it and leave it under your pillow . . . or, if you prefer, neatly arranged across a corner of the bed.
- Keep floor space clear. I used to drop miscellaneous items on the floor, but then I assigned a wicker basket in the corner as a drop zone. Keeping floor space clear looks better and stops you from tripping if you put your things away where they belong or at least confine the mess to one chair, basket, corner, etc. Just make sure you periodically tidy up said dumping space.
- Along with the rest of the house, I dust my bedroom every week. As it a small room with little exposed space, this does not take very long. Once or twice a month I also dust the tops of the doors, the baseboards, and the ceiling fan. The windowsill and window require glass cleaner rather than Endust.
Organization:
- Use your bedroom only for sleeping and sex. Anything not related to one or the other should not be in there if at all possible. At the very least, keep unrelated items out of sight or far away from the bed.
- Make your bed every day. This will take less time if you have no decorative pillows, but I love pillows to lean on while I read, or to prop myself on while I sleep.
- Make as much use of the space under the bed as you can, but in an organized fashion. Don't just toss stuff under there if you can't retrieve it easily. I keep my tool bag, first aid stuff, and camping gear under my bed. I would keep my tools in the garage, but that's really my dad's domain, plus keeping them in the bedroom streamlines the getting-ready-for-work process. Also, incidentally, while it's inconvenient, it's better to store camping gear in the house since tents, etc. can get damaged or smelly in a garage or attic.
- My nightstand is actually a foyer table with three small and fairly useless drawers. I emptied the drawers of all useless contents and now use one small drawer for handkerchiefs, one small drawer for, ahem, more intimate articles (it's always a good idea to have them on hand and handy; you never know), and the larger drawer for a couple of pens, spare comforter clips, my spare glasses, etc.
- I don't use my radio very much anymore, but I of course want to keep it. It's under the foot of my bed, with my CDs in racks next to it in alphabetical order according to artist.
- I took a disused tie rack from my dad's closet and put it on the wall near the window. On it, I hang belts, bandanas, work gloves, and (during the winter) scarves.
- I attached a rail (they call it a rail; it looks like a decorative board really) with three garment hooks on it to the wall between my bedroom door and closet door. Each hook is actually a double hook, allowing for a total of six items to be hung unless I drape multiple items on the same hook. During the winter, I hang knitted shawls and winter hats on the hooks. In the warmer weather, I swap them out for sun hats. The articles not in use reside in a wicker basket on the top shelf of my closet.
- Similar to the above, I hung a vertical rail with three hooks on it over the closet door but facing the bedroom. I use the vertical hooks to hold my purse, backpack, and possibly a jacket.
- Over my bedroom door, I hung a two-pronged hook. I hang my robe on the left hook while I'm in bed, reserving the right hook for either a jacket or a guest robe if a guy is staying over (ha).
