How to Organize a Teen’s Bedroom

Teenagers have a lot of things on their minds, and for most of them, organizing their bedroom is not high on their priority list.

The typical teenager lives in disarray, leaving clothing scattered about in a way that makes it impossible to distinguish the dirty clothes from the clean ones.

Organizing a teenager’s bedroom most always has better results if a parent helps with the project.

If you leave the organizing up to your teenager, make sure they know what is expected from them, what the rules for a clean room are, and what you want to see accomplished.

This process also teaches teenagers organizational skills they can use throughout their lives. Here are some organization tips for a teenager’s bedroom:

Closet Space:

Any reasonably sized closet space should be taken advantage of. Clear plastic storage containers of various sizes work great for storing school supplies, seasonal clothing, projects, etc.

Shoe racks can be utilized; shelving can be used to store purses, jeans, and games.

If it’s in the budget, shelving systems are available at many home improvement stores for a more functional storage space.

Dressers:

Allocate dresser drawers for shirts, sweaters, under garments, and pajamas.

Have them get in the habit of putting clean clothes away as soon as they are laundered and folded.

If clothes are still clean after they have worn them, they go in the closet or appropriate drawer – not thrown over the bed or on the floor.

Clothes Hamper:

Every teenager’s room needs a dirty clothes hamper. Let your teen know the clothes hamper and its contents need to be taken to the laundry room on a regular basis for washing.

Caution them not to put damp items in the hamper with other clothing to avoid mildew problems. Hampers are great for keeping dirty clothes off the floor and out of the closet.

Storage Containers:

Not only do storage containers work for organizing the closet, they can be used under the bed as well to store additional shoes, sporting equipment, art supplies, etc. Baskets look nice and work great for storing items on a bookshelf, dresser, or night stand.

Additional Shelving:

Wood shelving dropped 18-24″ below the ceiling and going around the perimeter of the room is great for storing collectibles, memorabilia, and other items that are not used frequently.

Bedroom Accessories:

If your teenager’s bedroom allows room for a desk, this can be used as place for the computer, to do homework, and projects.

For girls it can additionally be used as a place to store and apply makeup and hair accessories.

A desk should have sufficient storage space for school supplies, makeup, and miscellaneous items.

Food and Drinks:

If your kids are allowed to bring food and drinks into their bedroom, make sure they follow these simple rules to keep the room clean and organized:

• Return dirty dishes to the kitchen area.
• Don’t leave open food items in their bedroom.
• Do not place partially filled drink cans or cups in their garbage cans.

Keep the Room Clean:

Teach your teen to make the bed every morning when they get up. It helps to keep the sleeping area cleaner, the room looks more organized, and it provides a place to sit with friends, and to read a book.

Once a teenager discovers how wonderful it is to have a nice, organized, clean and functional bedroom, they will keep it up on their own. (We hope!)

Don’t hesitate to inspect the bedroom to make sure things aren’t on their way back into disarray. Have rules for your teenagers and enforce them.