Follow these 10 tips when cleaning and organizing kids’ bedrooms to ensure that the job goes smoothly and has lasting results.

1. CLEAN AND ORGANIZE KID’S ROOMS TOGETHER FOR BEST RESULTS

Unless your child is under the age of 3, involve your child in cleaning and organizing their bedroom. Engage them in simple sorting activities and other tasks. For example, ask them to gather all of the Barbie dolls and their clothes and sort them into 2 piles. With young children, try to keep tasks simple with only a few steps so that they don’t get frustrated. Actively involving them in the clean-up process of their bedroom, will teach them valuable organizing skills.  It will also help them to remember where things go when it is time to clean up on their own.

2. A LITTLE PRAISE GOES A LONG WAY WHEN IT COMES TO CLEANING AND ORGANIZING KID’S ROOMS

Give your child plenty of positive reinforcement as they complete each task. Try to make the cleaning-up process fun, play music and take breaks if the job is a big one.  Let your child know that you will celebrate a job well done when the bedroom is clean and organized, by doing something fun together. 

3. DECIDE WHAT TO DONATE TOGETHER

Designate a box for items to be donated and let your child fill it up with unwanted toys. Explain the donating process to your child to help them understand why donating unwanted belongings is important. Talk about how the toys are going to other children who will appreciate and use them.  This will make it easier for them to depart with their toys and help them to understand the value of giving. if you want to, you could give your child an small incentive to let go of unwanted toys by offering some sort of treat for each full box of toys they donate. A few ideas are new book to read, a trip to the park or an ice cream cone.

4. INVOLVE YOUR CHILD IN MAKING DECISIONS

It is important to let your child be involved in making decisions about what to keep and what to let go of. Be cautious about getting rid of anything significant without asking your child first.  If you toss or donate something that your child isn’t ready to let go of, without their permission, they may resent you for it. 

5. CONTROL CLUTTER PROBLEM SPOTS

If your child has empty space under their bed that inevitably ends up crammed with junk, utilize that space with flat plastic storage containers made specifically for that space.  Doing this will eliminate junk from accumulating there. Label the containers and fill them with a sorted category of toys. This is also a great solution for the clutter that accumulates on the surfaces of dressers and desktops. Under the bed totes can hold all those keepsakes that your child isn’t ready to part with yet, but no longer merit being on display. Let them store that bottle of sand art, and all their other created or collected treasures under the bed in a container labeled “Keepsakes”. Simply clearing the clutter off of the flat surfaces in your child’s bedroom will give the room a more clean and organized appearance.

6. EVALUATE YOUR CHILD’S CLOSET 

Is your child’s closet appropriate for their height or is there only one high shelf with a clothes rod that is out of reach? Older homes typically have closets that are made for adults rather than small children. Install shelves or purchase cubbies that are reachable. If possible, lower the clothing rod so that your children can hang up their own clothes. A closet system that can be adjusted as your child grows is an ideal solution. Open shelves or cubbies in kid’s closets are a great alternative to keeping clothes in dresser drawers. Cubbies are also great for storing things like shoes, games, or books. Put items that are fragile or are not used often on the higher less assessable shelves. Be sure to store frequently used items wheryourou child can easily reach them and put them away independently.

7. USE THE RIGHT CONTAINERS

Do not use a toy box or a large container to store your child’s toys, in. Large containers end up inevitably being a place to fill up with a hodgepodge of miscellaneous toys and junk. Use smaller containers for specific sorted categories of toys. Wait to buy containers until after you have completed the sorting process of your project.  That way you will know how many and what size containers to purchase. Label each container so that your child knows exactly where everything goes. Messes are easier to clean up if everything has an easily identified home and specific categories of toys are sorted into their own containers.

8. HELP YOUR CHILD TAKE PRIDE AND OWNERSHIP IN THEIR ROOM

Let your child help choose where they want some of their belongings to go, and which items they want to have displayed. Allowing them to take part in how their room is organized and decorated will enable your child to take pride in having  their own space. If they get to make their own decisions about how their bedroom looks and feels, they will be more likely to take ownership in keeping it clean and organized. Let your child’s room reflect their personality and preferences. Proud achievements, awards, photos and artwork can be displayed in bookcases and on bulletin boards. If your child enjoys how their room looks when it is clean, they will be more likely to want to keep it that way.

9. MANAGE THE “TOO MUCH STUFF” PROBLEM

Kids accumulate items quickly these days, constantly bringing home art projects, toys and trinkets. Look around your child’s room, is every nook and cranny filled with stuff? Are walls and desktops completely covered? Encourage your child to display only their most beloved possessions. Make sure that their room has some empty space on both the walls and tops of furniture.  Having a lack of empty space places a burden on our eyes, and makes a room feel chaotic. Evaluate the amount of furniture in the room and get rid of anything that is not absolutely necessary. Leave empty space on the floor for your child to play. Keep in mind that the more things you store in a given space, the harder it will be to keep it organized.  Encourage your child to part with anything and everything that they do not use and/or enjoy.

10. KEEP IT UP AND KEEP IT SIMPLE

Once your child’s bedroom is cleaned and organized, you may want to set up a routine schedule for quick clean up sessions to happen. For example, every night right before bedtime or every Saturday morning. It is also helpful to make a “one at a time” rule; tell your child that they cannot take a new toy out until the one all over the floor is cleaned up. Keeping the daily cleaning up process simple for your child will help them keep things in their assigned homes. Be sure that there is a hamper and a trash can in your child’s room, so that they can easily toss laundry and trash into them. Leave the lids off of frequently used containers for easy access and clean up.