I have always struggled to keep a clean space. Back at home, my room is a total mess. I have accumulated so many clothes over the years and they are just all over my floor. But, since I’ve moved into my dorm, I have gotten exponentially better at keeping a clean space. I want to share some of my tips and tricks to keeping a clean room. But first, let’s talk about why keeping a clean space is so important
An organized space allows for an organized mind. I find it so much harder to be productive when my space is messy and disorganized. Studies show that it is much easier to do work when the space you are doing work in is tidy. Plus, from my experience, I am so much happier when my room is clean. I don’t feel so overwhelmed and stressed. Now, let’s talk about how to keep a clean space
Clean up at least once a day
A mess will never accumulate if you don’t let it. Once a day, either when you first wake up or before you go to bed, tidy up your space. For me, it takes no longer than 10 minutes. Think of it as a reset. You have a clean area to work/live in at least once a day. If you let the mess accumulate over days and days, the task can be grueling. When it gets especially messy, it can be hard to find the motivation to clean up everything. This is why it is so important to maintain a clean space by cleaning up once a day
Make your bed
This task seems small, but it makes such a difference. A messy bed makes the whole room messy, and at least for me, that stresses me out. Everything else in the room could be spotless from the floor to the ceiling, but when the bed isn’t made, it feels like everything is a mess. Especially in dorm rooms where the beds take up a pretty big chunk of the room, which makes it seem like even bigger of a mess. Keeping your space looking tidy with a clean bed makes the room feel so much cleaner. Bonus: you now have a nice, made bed to snuggle up in at night!
Make sure everything has a home
I know it’s easy to just put things on your desk and call it clean, but having a clear desk makes it much easier to do work. Maybe even the floor is where you store a lot of your items. It is important to make sure everything has a “home” or a specific spot where it goes. This clears up the space, making it much more tidy-looking. Like I said, a clear space means a clear mind, and if things aren’t put in a designated space, there is no way the room can look clean. It can also make things easier to find. When things are put away in a space where they belong, it is easier to find than something that is put on the floor or on your dresser or desk haphazardly.
Don’t put it down, put it away.
To make your daily cleaning easier for yourself, instead of putting something down and worrying about cleaning it up later, just put it back where it belongs. If you’re finishing up your homework, put your pens, pencils, notebooks, and anything you might have been using away in a drawer or wherever they go. When you get dressed in the morning, don’t put your clothes on the floor. Put them in the hamper. This will help keep your space clean all day long and it will make the task of cleaning you room a lot easier.
Remember, it’s okay to make a mess, and it’s okay to not feel up to cleaning every day. But if you use these tips as a guideline, having a clean space will be a lot easier for you!