Organizing Your Bedroom!

Writing this series of organization posts has been most helpful to me. I have taken my own advice and am really getting my clutter under control. My bedroom definitely needs some help though. If yours does too, then this post is for you.

I ran across a couple of sites that had some great information with regards to bedroom organization. In addition, I have a few tips of my own and I’ll also give you a “caregivers take” on bedroom organization.

First Step: Take everything that doesn’t belong in your bedroom OUT. Now for me, this is big. As I type there are sippy cups, fire engines, baby clothes and stuffed animals in my bedroom.

Second Step: Pare Down. You don’t have to get all of your worldly possessions down to 100 items like Dave Bruno, but you do need to get rid of things you don’t (or are not likely to) wear or use. I love and am successfully participating in the 365 Days of De-cluttering program. The plan is to sell, donate or toss one item every day for a year. I have stepped it up a bit and am actually going for 2-3 items per day! Whatever your method, get rid of unwanted, unused stuff.

Third Step: Think horizontal. Your bed, floor, dresser, side table, chair, desk. This is the time to attack all of the horizontal surfaces in your bedroom. It’s time to pick up, hang up and put away. Work with a pencil and paper near you. Jot down items you may need to get organized. More hangers, place for shoes, under bed storage, drawer organizers, basket for books and magazines (that you will actually read), small container for pens, glasses, etc.

Go Deep: One by one clean out your dresser, bed table, armoire. Anything that has a drawer or door. Get inside, get rid of unused, unwanted, unnecessary items. Put all coins to the side to be wrapped or taken to a Coinstar machine. Reward yourself and splurge with the extra change/cash you find.

This doesn’t have to be done all in one day. Take your time and spread it out over a few days. Just keep working and don’t give up.

Caregiver’s Take on Bedroom Organization

Consider keeping clean linen in your loved one’s room. It make a scheduled or unscheduled bed change much easier and faster.

When you fold bed linen keep the entire set together. I actually fold one sheet so that its a long rectangle, then fold the other sheet in a square and place it on the first sheet, then fold the pillowcases and place them on top of the square and then fold the long ends of the first rectangular sheet around the other sheet and the pillow cases. That way, you don’t have to go searching for a set. Everything is already together. It saves so much time and frustration.

keep cleaning supplies (hidden if necessary) and air freshener in the bedroom.

Consider planning outfits in advance and put all items on one hanger. this eliminates the need to “think” about what to put on.

Remove any items that, if misused, can cause injury such as scissors, pocket knives, decorative ties and ropes, mirrors that are not mounted on doors or walls are dangerous in case of a slip or fall.

Depending on your loved one’s personality and stage of the disease, you may have to do just a little tiny bit every day. Don’t change anything too drastically too quickly.

Be sure to include plenty of pictures of family.

In the end, as you battle Alzheimer’s disease for the long haul. Doing it from an organized and uncluttered space will be beneficial to you and your loved one.

Sources for this post: Showmomthemoney.com, guynameddave.com