Q&A for How to Clean a Very Messy Room

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  • Question
    How can I become a tidier, more organized person?
    Ashley Moon, MA
    Professional Organizer
    Ashley Moon is the Founder and CEO of Creatively Neat, a virtual organizing and life coaching business based in Los Angeles, California. In addition to helping people organize their best life, she has a fabulous team of organizers ready to de-clutter your home or business. Ashley hosts workshops and speaking engagements at various venues and festivals. She has trained with Coach Approach and Heart Core for organizing and business coaching respectively. She has an MA in Human Development and Social Change from Pacific Oaks College.
    Professional Organizer
    Expert Answer
    I believe that it's essential to learn how to slow down and be completely honest with yourself about what you really need in your home. Ask yourself if you truly love, use, or value each item you own. This will help you get organized and stay organized, and you'll live a more balanced life in general.
  • Question
    What's the best way to store dresses?
    Ashley Moon, MA
    Professional Organizer
    Ashley Moon is the Founder and CEO of Creatively Neat, a virtual organizing and life coaching business based in Los Angeles, California. In addition to helping people organize their best life, she has a fabulous team of organizers ready to de-clutter your home or business. Ashley hosts workshops and speaking engagements at various venues and festivals. She has trained with Coach Approach and Heart Core for organizing and business coaching respectively. She has an MA in Human Development and Social Change from Pacific Oaks College.
    Professional Organizer
    Expert Answer
    Absolutely hang them up. You can use velvet space-saving hangers. Sometimes you have to fold certain dresses and hang them over the hanger, like through a suit hanger, but that still works.
  • Question
    How can you use vinegar for cleaning?
    NW Maids
    House Cleaning Service
    NW Maids is a House Cleaning Service based in Seattle, Washington. NW Maids has been active since 2013 with a mission to improve the house cleaning experience. The team offers recurring main services, home and apartment cleaning, deep cleaning, and move-in-and-out cleaning services.
    House Cleaning Service
    Expert Answer
    You can use vinegar in several ways for cleaning. For example, to use vinegar to mop your floors, mix one cup of vinegar with one gallon of warm water. For wood floors, use half a cup of vinegar and a gallon of water. To clean mold, use a solution of two cups vinegar to one cup water.
  • Question
    How do you clean a messy room?
    NW Maids
    House Cleaning Service
    NW Maids is a House Cleaning Service based in Seattle, Washington. NW Maids has been active since 2013 with a mission to improve the house cleaning experience. The team offers recurring main services, home and apartment cleaning, deep cleaning, and move-in-and-out cleaning services.
    House Cleaning Service
    Expert Answer
    Start by picking up all the dirty clothes and putting them into the hamper and the clean clothes into the dresser. Put trash into a garbage bag. Then remove the dirty dishes and take them to the kitchen. Make the bed. Wipe down all the surfaces with a cleaning solution. Finally, vacuum the floor and mop if necessary.
  • Question
    What if I have not cleaned in a while?
    Community Answer
    Start with a small section of your room or pick one task, like picking up your toys or putting away your clothes, to work on first so you do not get overwhelmed. Once you get your room cleaned again, remember to tidy up regularly so you do not have to waste long periods of time cleaning.
  • Question
    How do I keep it clean? I clean it but then when I get ready in the morning it all gets messed up again!
    Community Answer
    Try a morning routine which would be: Wake up and dress, eat, brush teeth. Then make the bed, tidy for five minutes and leave the room in a good state. You'll come home to a lovely room and each morning the tidy will be easier because you have "morning energy" and a routine in place.
  • Question
    What if I have two hours to clean a room and I haven't cleaned it in years? How do I get started from there?
    Community Answer
    Start by throwing out everything that is obviously garbage, then tackle the room in pieces. For example, focus on your clothes first, then under your bed, then your desk and continue on from there until the entire room is cleaned.
  • Question
    How do I organize my desk?
    Community Answer
    Sort your papers into file folders by subject, then put them in a drawer. Have containers for the rest of your supplies and separate them by themes, like writing supplies, art supplies and more.
  • Question
    How can I avoid creating a mess in my room?
    Community Answer
    Take ten minutes at the end of each day to tidy it, and if you do messy activities, clean them up as soon as you are finished.
  • Question
    How do I stay focused on cleaning?
    Community Answer
    Make it fun! Turn on some music and make a game out of your tasks.
  • Question
    How can I get in the habit of cleaning?
    Community Answer
    I would start with making your bed as you get up every morning. Habits are made by repeating the same sequence over and over again. So start with your bed in the mornings. Then try to get in the habit of picking things up and putting them away as soon as you're finished using them. If you often leave laundry lying around, make sure to put it away immediately instead of putting this task off for a later time.
  • Question
    I have a super messy room and I have no idea where to start. What do I do?
    Community Answer
    Taking big projects in small parts can make them feel a lot more manageable and reduce anxiety, so what you want to do is clean small areas of your room one at a time. Start by mentally dividing your room into sections, then move into each section and clean it fully before moving onto the next.
  • Question
    What if I have very little time to be able to clean?
    Community Answer
    Use boxes to put stuff in and label them. Later, when you have more time, you can organize the stuff. You could even decorate the boxes and use them for organization straight away. Having homes for things makes cleaning easier, as you know exactly where something needs to go.
  • Question
    What if I have so many stuff animals and I have nowhere to put them?
    Community Answer
    Buy a stuffed animal net that can hold your pets in the corner of your room. Or, get a really large basket for them. As you put them in, think hard about which ones you wish to keep and which ones you don't mind sending back out into the universe for someone else to love.
  • Question
    What if your mom tells you and your sister to clean your sister's room, but your sister refuses? How can I get her to clean without bribing her?
    Community Answer
    If your sister is younger than you, you can try making a game out of it. If she is older, go back to your mom and explain what's happening. She, as the parent, will have to intervene.
  • Question
    How can I make my stuff, like toys, look tidy?
    Community Answer
    Put them all in one place and organize them either by size or color.
  • Question
    What if your vanity is full of hair ties and a bunch of hair related things? How can I clean it?
    Community Answer
    Put some nice baskets that are small enough to fit on your dresser onto the dresser. Organize the hair accessories in the baskets. Or, you could put them in piles and then into a drawer that isn't in use.
  • Question
    What if I have so much stuff and don't want to get rid of any of it?
    Community Answer
    You have to find a way to sort, organize and store your things if you want a clean room. Shelves, boxes, baskets, and bins can all help.
  • Question
    I have a hoarding problem. How do I fix that? It really bothers my dad.
    Community Answer
    Go through everything, and think about whether or not you really need each item. Think about the last time you used it, and when you might use it in the foreseeable future. If you can barely remember when you last used it, or if you don't think it's absolutely needed, get rid of it.
  • Question
    What if I share a room with a younger sibling who refuses to help clean?
    Community Answer
    Make it seem like a game. Try saying "i can pick up all my things before you can!" and things like that. If that does not work, have mom or dad intervene.
  • Question
    Does this work no matter how messy or clean the room is?
    Community Answer
    Yes, it does.
  • Question
    What are some decorating tips I can use to keep my room clean?
    Community Answer
    Get rid of stuff that you no longer use because less clutter will help your room feel neater. Use old art supplies to decorate art canvases which will help create clean lines on your walls.
  • Question
    How do I organize my toys?
    Community Answer
    Buy flat storage boxes that can hold your toys. Slide them under the bed so your room looks neat and tidy.
  • Question
    Why does my room never stay clean?
    Community Answer
    If you are unaware of what you're doing, the smallest actions contribute to a bigger outcome, which goes either bad or good. You can spend ten minutes a day straightening up or you can clean as you go, but make sure things don't get out of hand. Designate one day a week to do a good cleaning.
  • Question
    I have a younger brother and when we try to clean our room he starts freaking out. What should I do? I try to make games, but nothing works though!
    Community Answer
    Put on music while you clean. Ask him why he freaks out about it and try to come up with a solution from there.
  • Question
    How do I clean under my bed?
    Community Answer
    You'll have to be willing to get down on the floor and get your hands dirty. Pull everything out from under your bed and sort it into different piles. Throw away any trash and put everything else back where it belongs.
  • Question
    What if over the years, I have stuffed a lot of random clothing in my drawers? Do I empty that out and rearrange as necessary as well?
    Community Answer
    Absolutely. If the clothes are stuffed in, you are not using them, and therefore do not need them. Pull the whole lot out and give serious consideration to donating most of them.
  • Question
    What if I have to clean under my bed and I'm not sure how to start the process?
    Community Answer
    Take out anything you're storing under it, then use a long-handled cleaning tool with a joint in it to get dirt out from under your bed (eg. a swiffer). If you don't own a tool like that, I hope you're small enough to fit under the bed. Sort through the storage bins and get rid of anything you don't love or use often, then return them to under the bed.
  • Question
    What if I do crafts and when I'm done just pile everything in the closet?
    Community Answer
    Try to figure out a way to tidy up, for example, you can buy some small storage bins or old shoeboxes.
  • Question
    What's the best way to organize arts and crafts supplies in the cupboard?
    Community Answer
    Keep sticky stuff in one box, an art kit in the second one, finished works in another one, going-to-do crafts in yet another one, and crafts and drawings / paintings go separately in a large folder protected from dust.
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