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12 Easy Bedroom Cleaning Hacks

Experts share their best tips to get every surface sparkling for sweet dreams and refreshed mornings.
12 Easy Bedroom Cleaning Hacks

(Illustration: Andrea Manica)

A messy bedroom is a one-way ticket to a restless slumber. Sarah McAllister, the viral Instagram sensation behind Calgary-based cleaning business Go Clean Co., and Shaneka Shaw Taylor, Patience Omokhodion and Alecia Burgess, founders of a now-closed professional housekeeping and concierge company in Toronto, share their best bedroom cleaning tips to get every surface sparkling for sweet dreams and refreshed mornings.

An illustration of a bedroom for a round-up of bedroom cleaning tips. (Illustration: Andrea Manica)

1. Closet

Place dryer sheets in drawers and stash them on closet shelves to keep clothing smelling fresh. “Think like Oprah—you get a dryer sheet, you get a dryer sheet, everyone gets a dryer sheet,” say Shaw Taylor, Omokhodion and Burgess.

2. Hardwood floors

In addition to sweeping or vacuuming regularly with a soft-bristled attachment that won’t scratch the finish, you can easily deep-clean hardwood floors. Shaw Taylor, Omokhodion and Burgess, use Swish Clean & Green, a gentle cleaner that shines floors without leaving them slippery.

3. Laundry

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Keep laundry baskets in each bedroom—one for brights and one for darks—so clothes don’t end up on the floor.

4. Hair tools

To clean styling-product buildup off curling irons and hair straighteners, pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto a cotton pad, rub gently and wipe with a damp cloth. (Make sure tools are unplugged and completely cool.)

5. Vents

“You can unscrew the covers and run them through the dishwasher,” says McAllister, adding that you should always vacuum the inside of the vents. “They’re full of pet hair, dirt and dust, which blows back into the room and settles everywhere.”

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6. Ceiling fan

Using a stepstool, slide an old pillowcase over each blade, then pull back. “The pillowcase will catch all the dust,” explains McAllister.

7. Blinds

“Blinds are tricky to clean, but a vacuum with a horsehair brush attachment will easily suck up dust and dirt,” says the Go Clean Co. founder. If needed, wipe each slat down with a microfibre cloth afterward.

8. Mattresses

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Sprinkle baking soda all over the top and let it work its deodorizing magic for three to four hours. Then vacuum up every trace of powder. “It’s like sleeping on a brand new mattress,” swears McAllister.

For bloodstains, use a mix of baking soda, peroxide and original blue Dawn dish soap (McAllister—who has tried them all—says it’s the only one that works). Scrub the paste onto the spot, and then rinse by blotting with warm water, taking care not to soak the mattress.

9. Pillows

“Use your dryer’s high-heat setting to kill any lurking germs,” says McAllister.

10. Upholstery stains

Upholstered headboards can get stained from hair rubbing on the fabric night after night. “Dish soap is a strong degreaser, so it works a treat on this type of stain. Gently dab the spot with a couple of drops on a damp cloth,” recommends McAllister. Test it first by applying the solution on an area that isn’t visible.

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11. Bedding

Wash your sheets every week. Most duvets—even those filled with down—can (and should) be laundered every six months. It’s important to read the labels first, though, as sometimes a trip to the dry cleaner may be required.

12. Dust bunnies

To tackle the clumps of dust that tend to accumulate behind nightstands and bed frames, move furniture away from the wall and vacuum thoroughly.

This article was originally published in 2021; updated in 2023.

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