10 Tips to Declutter and Organize Your Teen’s Room So It Stays Clean  

3

This Post: 10 Tips to Declutter and Organize Your Teen’s Room So It Stays Clean  

Written By: Marybeth Bock

So, how’s your teenager’s bedroom looking these days?

Maybe you’re like me and you have no clue because you keep the door closed to avoid seeing the – how shall I put this nicely? – total disaster! 

If you’ve moved past the joking, the nagging, and the threatening, and have decided to live in denial with a firmly closed door between the rest of the house and your teen’s bedroom chaos, I feel you. It’s easy to throw your hands up and decide that you’re not going to put any more energy into the struggle.

After all, it’s their life and their space, right? 

Well… I  felt this way for a while, but eventually, I got to the point where I was seriously concerned about issues like mold and bugs and who knows what else (ew!!), so it was time to come up with a plan and take action. Plus, it’s been documented that a messy space = a messy mind! That’s reason enough for me to help my teen get organized!

Here’s how you and your teen can make your plan, break it down into manageable steps, and get that bedroom cleaned and organized so that it stays that way.

Here are a few no-hassle tips to declutter and organize your teen’s room once and for all!

Your definition of “decluttered” and “organized” might be a whole lot different than your teens. Come together to decide what your top priorities are. Maybe it’s to organize their closet so everything has its own place (and you can finally get all those clothes off the floor!). Maybe it’s to declutter and organize their desk space so they can do homework and study more efficiently. Maybe it’s to sift through all the knick-knacks, trophies, and memorabilia your teen has collected through the years. OR… maybe it’s ALL of the above!

The trick is not to bite off more than you can chew. If your teen views the project as insurmountable, they’ll throw in the towel before you even get started. Also, let your teen drive the process so they feel fully invested. (I speak from experience – if you bulldoze in and organize things for them in your way, it won’t last, and they may be annoyed that you took control of their room.)

Grab garbage bags, boxes, or bins and label them: Keep, Trash, Donate, and Relocate (for things that need to move to another location in the house – like all those forks, spoons, and bowls missing from your kitchen).

Then, round up cleaning supplies like dust cloths, a vacuum, a broom, and glass cleaner, furniture polish, or bleach wipes so you can clean the nightstand(s), dresser(s), and desk area once the spaces are cleared off. 

Getting your teen on board with decluttering and organizing their room might take a little inspiration. So… crank up the music! Music IS a motivator! It’s also helpful to set a timer for short decluttering sessions to make the overall job feel less daunting. They might be more likely to agree to 30 minutes to an hour a day of decluttering rather than spending an entire Saturday on it. 

Also, (and don’t scoff), a little bribery goes a long way to keep a begrudging teen motivated. Offer to have their favorite food delivered or offer to splurge on a bedroom upgrade IF they get through the project. 

Come up with a list so your teen can focus on one category at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed. For example, consider these five categories:

• Clothes/Shoes: Pull out all the clothes and footwear from the closet and drawers. Have your teen ask themselves: Does it fit? Do I wear it? Do I love it? Fold and organize what stays and donate or trash the items that are no longer wanted or don’t fit.
• Books/School Supplies: Separate the books they want to keep from those they’ve outgrown or no longer want. Donate the old ones to younger friends, and libraries, or try to consign at used bookstores. Sort through old notebooks and papers and keep only what’s important.
• Electronics: Gather up old devices, chargers, and accessories. Recycle or donate working items and dispose of broken ones responsibly.
• Sentimental Items: Create a “memory bin” for items like photos or mementos that they just can’t part with but don’t need daily access to. Display a few favorite items on shelves or corkboards.
• Random Stuff: Empty those “junk” drawers or bins. There’s likely a bunch of small items that can be thrown away.

Help your teen dust and/or vacuum the cleared spaces before placing any of the items back. And be sure that surfaces like desks, dressers, shelves, and windowsills get wiped down.

Don’t forget to toss comforters and blankets in the washing machine (or take them to the cleaners) so the room smells fresh. If money allows, spring for a new comforter, blanket, and decorative pillows which can give the room a whole new vibe and give your teen the motivation to keep it clean. 

Nothing can whip a space into shape faster than a few well-thought-out organizers! Be sure to tackle that closet first so your teen is motivated to put their clothes away instead of throwing them on the floor. (Ahem… good luck with that!) Here are a few of our top picks! 

Great Closet Organizers:

Room Organizers:

Misc. Cool Organizers:

One of THE biggest organization challenges in most teens’ bedrooms is keeping up with the laundry/clothes situation.

Most teens are notorious for tossing ALL their clothes (clean and dirty) on their floor. So… be sure to buy them a laundry bin/basket. No guarantees they’ll use it, but it’s a motivator if they have somewhere to toss their clothes. This Large Collapsible Laundry Bag is cute and inexpensive!

Set up a small area for keys, phones, or school supplies to prevent random clutter. Choose an area near the door so when your teen walks in after school with their backpack, water bottle, keys, charger, etc., they have one space to drop everything. 

Give your teen full reign (within reason, of course) to arrange and decorate their room how they’d like to it’s a reflection of their personality. Their room is their sanctuary, and you don’t have to love how it’s arranged or what color the walls are. Let them incorporate items/decor that makes the space feel cozy to them with things like: 

• Wall Posters
• String Lights
• Decorative Pillows
• Lamps
• Alarm Clock
• Throw Blanket
• Shelf Decor
• Desk Accessories
• Curtains
• Rug(s) 
• Decorative Accessories
• Corkboard/Pegboard/White Board
• Pictures

10. Do Occasional Check-Ins

Listen, we get it. Most teenagers have busy lives so keeping their bedroom neat 24/7 is an unreasonable expectation. But that doesn’t mean you and your teen can’t do a once-a-month quick clean-up to keep everything organized so it doesn’t get totally out of control. 

You really CAN declutter and organize your teen’s room once and for all!

Just take it piece by piece, try not to let your teen become too overwhelmed, and personalize their space with fun accessories to motivate them to keep it clean! You just might be surprised to see how much your teen actually loves having an organized room!

About Marybeth Bock

Marybeth Bock, MPH, is a Mom to two young adults and one delightful hound dog. She has logged time as a military spouse, childbirth educator, college instructor, and freelance writer. She lives in Arizona and thoroughly enjoys research and writing – as long as iced coffee is involved. Her work can be found on numerous websites and in two books. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

If you enjoyed reading, “10 Tips to Declutter and Organize Your Teen’s Room So It Stays Clean,” here are a few other posts you might like!

Hey, Teens… Here’s the REAL Reason You Should Clean Your Bedroom

25 Fun and Easy Weekend Projects to Transform Your Teen’s Bedroom

Teen Storage Ideas: 28 Genius Ideas To Transform Your Teen’s Bedroom