This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UWM chapter.
We all feel the unwavering struggle of coming home after a long day to find that a tornado must’ve casually passed through your room. It isn’t anything to be ashamed of because everyone has those days. Everyone except me, that is. I am proud/embarrassed to say that I am borderline OCD when it comes to cleaning my room every single day. I have a couple tricks I use to make sure that my room is presentable enough for the Queen herself (obviously Queen Beyonce, not Queen Elizabeth…duh) to stop by for a visit on any given day!
- Make your bed! It is literally the easiest task in the world and has a 200% chance of making your room look 1000% better. If I make my bed the first thing in the morning, it also will keep me from crawling back into it and being a lazy flop all day.
- Take care of the heap on “the chair.” Also known as the pile of the duds you wore and didn’t have the energy to put away. My trick is to never leave a garment sit anywhere in my room except the laundry basket or my closet. On the 5 out of 7 days of the week that I don’t know what to wear, I gather the clothes from my morning fashion show and put them away properly before I leave for the day. This way, I avoid the pile up of items around my room and if my roommates want to borrow something, they know exactly where to find it!
- Keep a “bye-bye” bag. I am just as obsessed with decluttering as I am with cleaning. Hidden in the corner of my room is my never-ending stock of clothes, accessories, and decorations that I want to part with. When the bag gets full enough, I let my roommates dig through it for anything they would want. Then I separate the things I think I could sell at Plato’s Closet from the items that I should just take to Goodwill. It is pointless to keep things in your closet that you don’t wear. Those items are just taking up space that could be used to store items that you actually like!
- Create a storage situation that works for your lifestyle and your space. I have culled down my makeup collection so that it fits in one makeup bag. I used to work at Ulta Beauty, so clearly that wasn’t a very easy task. Yet, it has helped me to keep my desk/vanity clean everyday because I have a place I can throw my products that is clean and out of the way. I have a similar situation with my nail supplies, jewelry, and other beauty products. Again, try to be honest with yourself about the products you don’t use and get them the hell out of your life! They are taking up reality that a better item could be livin’ in.
- Be proud of your space! At the end of the day, your room should be a place where you can relax and feel good about yourself. If you thrive in a more creative and unsystematic space, rock it boo! However, personally, I have evolved my décor to be simplistic, serene, and cozy. It is a place of peace where I know that I will never be stressed. You are in control of the lifestyle you live and if you want more order to your life, this is a great place to start!