Clean Your Room Fast

Cleaning your room can seem like a tedious process, but there are ways to make this chore go faster. To clean your room fast, take an organized approach: throw away any garbage, return things to their proper place, and tidy up by making your bed, dusting, and vacuuming as needed. You can use tricks like listening to upbeat music or playing a game to make the time pass more enjoyably -- after all, time flies when you're having fun.

Steps

Getting the Task Done

  1. Put on some music, (Spotify, YouTube and Pandora are good websites to use if you are using the internet as a music source). Having something to partially distract you while you work will help make the time go faster. Make sure the music wants to make you sing and dance.
  2. Open the blinds or curtains to let a little light in. It will give you some extra energy and let you see what you're doing. Make your bed as this is only a 5-minute job but makes a surprising difference to your room.
  3. Start by throwing away garbage. Put any garbage that you find in your room in a bin or make a pile of trash to take to the kitchen trash can. Garbage is easy to identify and just cleaning up garbage can make a room look much cleaner.
  4. Move all items in the wrong places to the center of the room, or as much as you can. This will give you more space around it to make little piles of books or toys around the places they belong. It is a much quicker method. Sort these into piles of different rooms or cupboards it should be put in as this will make it easier when you can put them all back at the end.
  5. Put away dirty dishes. If you eat in your room, then leaving dirty dishes around is another way to make a relatively clean room look really dirty really fast. Put any dirty dishes and glasses in the kitchen. Wash them, or leave them in the dishwasher.
  6. Clean up your clothes. Separate your dirty clothes from the clean ones. Put the dirty clothes directly in the wash or hamper, and hang or fold your clean clothes and place them in the closet. If you put your clothes in a dresser, fold them neatly so there will be more room in it for other clothes. This really clears up the floor space and makes your room look instantly tidier. Hoovering the floor afterwards is a good idea.
    • Put all your shoes away. If you don't, you might trip over them. Either take them downstairs in a shoe rack, leave them in a neat line under a dresser or desk or put them in the bottom of a closet.
    • Don't forget your belts, handbags and ties. Use a hanger to store them in your closet. If you have specific drawers or cupboards for these items, make sure you put them back in there to not confuse the system of your closet.
  7. Clean up clutter. Don't just check your floor for messes and clean the obvious things like garbage and dirty clothes. You should also clean up clutter and clear off or organize surfaces. Organize desk drawers, the top of your dresser, your bedside table, and any other places where clutter congregates. Make sure to check under the bed.
    • Donate to charity or throw away things you no longer need. If you have outgrown apparel, toys, or books, bag it up and ask your parents to pass it along, or hand it down to the next sibling who can use it. You'll make space for the things you do use, and it will be easier to clean and organize the rest. Going through your closet and checking if any clothes don't fit you or you don't like any of them is a good idea as these can then be passed down to younger siblings, friends or charity shops.
    • Recycle any papers you no longer need and sort the rest. Any half used paper can be kept as scrap paper to help save the environment.
    • If you're a student, consider having a box or special folder to keep loose notes and notebooks. This way, it will be easier to get back to them or check for ones you want to discard. Keep it by your bedroom door, so it will be easier to grab when you are leaving for school.
    • Store smaller items in bags or storage boxes. These can be put away in a closet, serve as decoration on a dresser, or hide under a bed.
    • Try to keep similar items together when organizing your room so that they are easier to find. This way you don't have to search the whole room to find an item.
  8. Make-Your-Bed. An unmade bed will make any room look messy no matter how clean it is. Take off blankets, duvets, or quilts and then put them back on neatly. You may also want to take the sheets off and flip the mattress (if you have one) as it is more comfortable on the underused side.You might want to wash your sheets and blankets. You can also make your bed first to keep yourself more motivated to clean the room.
    • To impress your parents even further, use hospital corners to get your bad bed looking even neater.
    • If you make the bed first it will give you an area to do other work, like fold clothes, and organize papers and other items.
  9. Take things that belong in other rooms to their rightful place. Put all the items that don't belong in your room in a laundry basket or box and then go around the house putting the items in the right spot! For example, you might have to take out a sibling's toy, teddy or blanket that belongs in their room or put a book away in the living room.
  10. If you are in an extreme hurry, set a timer or clock. Focus on the biggest issues and stop when the timer ends. Usually laundry (which can be thrown in a hamper and stored away in another room), an unmade bed, and garbage are the things that make a room look messiest.

Cleaning Like a Pro

  1. Clean and dust the tops of your furniture. Dusting will add an extra clean edge your parents will like, without taking a lot of time. Get a wet rag, or use a paper towel and the appropriate type of cleaning solution and wipe down greasy, dirty, or dusty surfaces.
  2. Shake out small rugs and let them get fresh air. If you own a small rug, shake it out and hang it outside (if it's not raining) so that it can get some fresh air. Vacuuming might not be enough to get rugs like this totally clean, so shaking it out and airing it can really make a difference, not only in how it looks but in how it smells.
    • Do this before you sweep or vacuum. So you can get rid of the dirt on the rug.
  3. Vacuum! Remember to get all the corners and edges of the room, and don't forget to vacuum under your bed as well. This can make a room look even cleaner, since a dirty carpet or floor will make even a clean room still look messy.
    • If you have a hard floor, it's a good idea to sweep or mop it instead of vacuuming, since a vacuum may not pick up everything.
  4. Make the room smell nice. Start by opening windows and doors to let fresh air circulate into the room. When it's aired out, spray the room with some air freshener. A nice smelling room will feel more clean, even when it isn't.
    • It's important to make sure that your dirty laundry is washed before doing this step. Dirty laundry is what usually makes a room smell to begin with.
  5. Make sure everything has a place. Make sure everything in your room has a place to go. If not, trash it: if you have so much stuff that there isn't a place to put everything, that means you have too much stuff for the space you have. This is a good sign that it's time to downsize! In the mean time, having a place for everything in your room will make cleaning your room easier the next time.
    • Label your boxes and other organization items so that you know where to put things.
    • If you have a lot of small items, such as jewelry, save that part of the organizing for last because you will have time to store them away neatly. It can take a long time to sort such objects.
    • Consider space and need before obtaining new objects. It's impossible to organize too much stuff.
  6. Make room for your clean clothes. Clean out your closets and drawers by folding or hanging up any clothes laying around. Storing your clothes neatly and efficiently can open up more room in your closet or drawers that can be used for storing new clothes or putting away other items, like storage boxes, collections, unused heaters, and other random items in your room that don't currently have a home.
  7. Keep your room tidy. Keeping everything in its right place and putting things away when you're done with them will reduce the amount of time spent cleaning in the future. This will also impress your parents and will help to keep them in a good mood. Keeping your room clean might also be a way to negotiate for a bigger allowance or more privileges, as long as the room stays clean and organized.

Staying Motivated

  1. Turn on a favorite song. Listening to upbeat, inspiring music can make cleaning much more fun. You'll be so excited to hear more and more songs, that the time will fly by as you clean. Use songs with a good strong beat and let them be your montage music!
    • For good song examples, try: the theme from Pacific Rim, "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" by Daft Punk, "Happy Little Working Song" from Disney's Enchanted, or "I'll Make a Man out of You" from the Disney movie Mulan.
    • If you have other things to play music on, stay away from phones (if you get text messages or your phone is connected to a social networking site, put it on silent or turn it off completely) and laptops/computers so that you don't get distracted. By staying away from them, you're helping yourself, even if you don't think so!
    • Remember, always ask your mom or dad if it is all right to play music.
  2. Reorganize or redecorate. Reorganizing or redecorating regularly can be a great way to inspire yourself to clean your room. Every once in a while, change the room decoration or organization to your liking. This will also feel more rewarding that just normal cleaning, because it feels more productive.
    • The Youth section here on wikiHow has many great ideas if you're struggling!
  3. Plan an activity in your room for later. If you don't feel motivated to clean your room, think about how nice it will be when your room is clean rather than messy. Having an activity planned for the room that you can look forward to, such as a gathering of friends or a movie marathon with your potential love interest, can provide real motivation for getting and keeping your room clean.
  4. Start with the hardest task. Some people might find that they start cleaning their room and then never finish because they leave the thing they hate most for last. Try to start with the thing you hate cleaning up first, then tackle the rest. This can help make sure that you see it through to the end.
    • Reward yourself when you finish that first task that you hate so much. This can encourage you to get it done!
    • Alternatively, start with the task that will make the most difference. This may be a better choice if your time is limited. One good choice is to make the bed, whether or not you use the bed as a place to put stuff while you're sorting it. Plus, it comes with a built-in reward, namely that your room will look better, sooner.
  5. Play a game. Turning room cleaning into a game can really help motivate you to finish and also help encourage you to clean more often! There are lots of ways to turn cleaning into a game, but here are two ideas to get you started:
    • Use a rope or broom to divide your room into sections. Then number the sections and roll a die. Whichever number comes up, clean the according section. If you finish within 4 minutes, you get a treat! Keep rolling until the room is clean.
    • Write down all of the areas that you need to clean like bed, under bed, dresser, desk, shelf, bookcase, nightstand, etc. on slips of paper and fold them up to draw out of a hat or basket and clean that area only.
    • If you have an office chair that spins, sit in it and spin until you stop. Clean that part of your room next. You can also use a bottle which you can spin.
    • Make it a challenge. If you have a brother or sister that you don't share a room with, you can both clean your rooms and then see who's room is cleaner or who finishes first! Talk to your parents about setting up rewards.
    • A lot of popular songs are 3-4 minutes long. If you're listening to music, see how much you can get done inside of one song.
    • Play red light green light, but with cleaning.
    • Time yourself. Next time you clean, time yourself again and see if you can beat your old time. Remember to completely clean your room, though.
  6. Clean with a friend. Ask if a friend can come over and help you clean. Make sure that your parents know you'll both be working, otherwise your friend might get sent home. It's a good idea to choose a friend who's very tidy by nature and good at organizing. They can teach you some tricks and help you get the cleaning done efficiently. Don't forget to help your friend when it's time to clean their place.
    • If someone else shares your room, get him or her involved, and make sure both of you do your fair share.
    • Don't let siblings or friends help you if they're going to be a distraction.
  7. Try to keep from getting overwhelmed. It's easy to get overwhelmed and lose all your motivation, especially when your room is really, really bad. But there are some things that you can do to keep from getting overwhelmed.
    • Try to work in smaller increments, picking up and putting away 5 things at a time (for example), or try cleaning in 5-minute increments, until the room gets clean over the course of a day. This isn't fast, but it might have better results in the long run, and you won't get exhausted.
    • Try to clean your room more often, so that it doesn't become overwhelmingly bad. Try to lightly clean your room before you go to bed every night. That way, when it's cleaning day you won't have much to do.

Tips

  • Make it a habit to pick up 20 things every day, or spend five minutes cleaning, so the room never gets that bad. Then, do a more thorough cleaning once a month.
  • Try not to stress, as you will tend to give up easily.
  • If someone sleeps in your room with you, make sure you clean the room with him/her.
  • Pick up one type of item at a time. For example, if you have art materials, put them away first.
  • Make piles on the floor of clothes and craft materials and then put them away all at once.
  • If there are big items in the floor, pick these items up first. Once you have covered all of the large items that are out of place in your room, move on to the medium items. After all of the medium items are in their proper place, move on to the small items. Take your time to put things away properly in order to keep your space organized in the future. After all items are put away and/or discarded, you can focus on dusting, sweeping, and vacuuming.
  • If you are concerned about heavy chemicals, use natural products.
  • Remove distractions, such as your internet and TV. This way you can concentrate on cleaning your room more quickly.
  • If you are going to time yourself, take breaks. It will get you more energized.
  • Make it fun and stay positive by thinking of the lovely, clean room you'll have after you do it. You'll be so happy with yourself. You will better, and it will smell better. Remember that when your room is clean, you can decorate it and have friends over.
  • If you're getting frustrated, take a step back. Sit down and calm yourself then continue with the cleaning.
  • Another good thing to have is a lint roller to get all the hair/ lint off of your clean clothes that were on the floor.
  • Don't just shove stuff in a cupboard or under the bed. Put everything in its correct place - this will help you a lot in the long term!
  • Make piles. Things you donate or give away, trash, and keep. Then separate the "Keep" pile into the different rooms you have to put the things in.
  • Play "Four Corners" while cleaning your room. Split your room into four sections, roll a die, then clean whatever part of your room corresponds with the number. (If the die rolled a 3, you would clean section 3.) This can make cleaning up fun and easy.
  • Let somebody help you clean your room.
  • Make sure you always clean your room after doing something to keep it tidy.
  • Make a room cleaning checklist! If you like being organized but sometimes get disorganized, a checklist is the first step to becoming organized once again!
  • Play a game to make cleaning your room fun.
  • Shut your door to keep distractions away. Then lock the door and don t unlock it until you have cleaned up your room!
  • Stay focused, close your door and don't get distracted by electronics.
  • If you are cleaning your closet, start with the clothes.
  • Make sure you have things organized. If your room consists of stacks of papers, it's going to be harder to clean.
  • Open a window to let some fresh air in.
  • When you clean the big things in your room first, such as clutter or unwanted clothes, you will be more motivated to finish the job.
  • If you have fabric bags, use them to take away clutter then neatly put them in a basket or wardrobe area.
  • Keep away distractions such as a television, cell phone, or tablet.
  • If you have something secret (aka presents) find a fitting box, and put it in a drawer, under other objects.
  • Take breaks. Have something to eat and relax a little but don't leave your room too much or you will lose focus. Also be sure to drink water to stay hydrated.

Warnings

  • Speed and effectiveness both count. Don't work so fast that you miss stuff and have to do the job over.
  • Be aware of small shards of glass from smashed items or foliage (thorns, thistles) that pets may have brought in. They may be where you least expect them.
  • Be careful when you are cleaning in case you knock something over and it is damaged.
  • Don't turn your music up too loud, as it can disturb others.
  • Most spiders will NOT harm you. If you can't handle them, just ask someone else for help.
  • If you find rodents or insects, ask for help getting them removed safely unless its just a few insects.

Things You'll Need

  • A radio, iPod, computer or mobile device to listen to (optional)
  • Garbage bags (sometimes needed - especially if you don't have a garbage can nearby)
  • Air freshener or perfume (optional)
  • A broom for hardwood floors/Vacuum for carpeted floors
  • A dusting cloth
  • Spray cleaner for glass surfaces or furniture
  • Hangers
  • Mop and dustpan
  • A few snacks (optional; clean up right after you're done)
  • A water bottle
  • Storage box(es)

If you can't listen to music, try to do something else to stay motivated, like a game, or if you like, singing.

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