Most people spend at least eight hours in their bedrooms a day, so shouldn’t it feel like an oasis? That might mean decluttering the space or giving your essentials a much-needed update. It’s easy to use the same items for years and years in an effort to stretch a buck, but in some cases, that could be doing you more harm than good.
No one wants to put on underwear with holes in it. Or breathe in air from a purifier with a filter that hasn’t been changed in four years. Much like cosmetics and other bathroom and kitchen supplies, certain bedroom items have a shelf life. Others may just need more regular cleaning, but either way, rest easy: We asked a professional organizer and dermatologist for simple fixes that’ll help your space feel cleaner and calmer. Here are six bedroom essentials that experts advise you not to overlook.
Nightstand toiletries
People don’t think about what toiletries are hiding in their bedside tables, says Julianna Strickland, founder of the Los Angeles-based organizing service Space Camp. “We find nearly empty tubes of lotion or crusty lip balms that have probably been in there for 10 years,” she says. “It’s a really easy thing to just scoop those up and toss them out. Buy yourself a new lip balm and a new lotion, and your space will feel clean and nice.”
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Dr. Heather D. Rogers, procedural dermatologist and owner of Modern Dermatology in Seattle, also advises keeping track of how long your skincare products have been open. “Most are less effective and have a higher risk of being contaminated by six months after opening,” she says.
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Dr. Sonia Batra, host of the former CBS talk show The Doctors and a board-certified dermatologist, recommends it: “It absorbs quickly and can be used throughout the day after handwashing without feeling greasy. It contains three ceramides to restore the barrier of the skin and is fragrance-free.”
La Roche-Posay
Pillowcases
We’ve got bad news: Odds are, you’re not washing your bedding as often as you should, especially when it comes to your pillowcases. Even if you change them once a week, it’s not enough, says Rogers. We sweat and drool, and skincare products collect on pillowcases,” she adds. “They get dirtier than the rest of our bed.”
The Mayo Clinic also recommends washing your pillowcase to help keep dust mites at bay. If you suffer from allergies, you should also consider investing in dust-mite-proof protectors.
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Pillows
As for the pillows themselves, you probably don’t think about them too often, unless you have bad ones. When was the last time you treated yourself to a fresh set? It’s likely been years — maybe even a decade. If so, it’s time for an update.
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The Asthma and Allergy Foundation recommends replacing your pillows every two years. That may seem like a lot, we know! But consider this: After two years, dead dust mites and their droppings, which are invisible to the naked eye, can account for 10% of your pillow’s weight (ick). Pillows also can trap dirt, sweat and oil, and most of us don’t machine-wash them often. “If we’re organizing a bedroom and we notice that pillows are old, we definitely bring it up with the client and suggest a refresh,” Strickland says.
Beckham Hotel Collection
“I love how they’re stuffed with down-alternative fill (vs real goose feathers) … and have double-edge stitching for extra durability and more of that ‘hotel quality,'” she wrote in her review.
Ikea
Air purifier filters
These screens usually need to be changed every three to 12 months, depending on the manufacturer. The majority of air purifiers have indicator lights that’ll flash on or red when the filter needs changing — and it pays to heed the alert. If you continue to run your air purifier without changing the filter, it’ll become clogged, reduce the efficacy and end up just passing dust or pollutants around your room. In some cases, it can damage the air purifier itself. (By the way, if your air purifier doesn’t have an indicator light, write on a piece of painter’s tape the date you put the new filter in and stick it to the back so you can keep track).
Strickland also recommends taking a look at your fans and humidifiers, which need to be cleaned at least once per season. “It’s something that can easily get overlooked. Most people just don’t think about it,” she says.
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“This worked great!” proclaimed one fan. “I’ve tried some off-brand filters before, and the results have been hit or miss — some had a strong chemical smell that gave me a terrible headache. But these were perfect! I’ve been using them for a few months now with no issues at all.”
Hangers
You might wonder why hangers are on this list, but it’s for a great reason, especially if you’re someone who has a long losing battle with closet clutter and needs every inch of space that you can get. “From an organizing perspective, people often have broken hangers, leftover hangers from the dry cleaners and mismatched hangers. Not only do those not lay flat together, they also don’t maximize your space,” Strickland says. Uniform, slim-line hangers can go a long way towards making your closet look less chaotic.
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Undergarments
And finally, when’s the last time you did an underwear drawer audit? If your mind is drawing a blank, it’s probably time for a clean out, especially if the elastic is stretched out or there are holes in the fabric. Strickland finds that undergarments are often in desperate need of replacement in her clients’ homes. Sometimes, her clients haven’t bought new ones in a decade or more, she says.
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There is no absolute rule, but if your undies are frayed, take them out of rotation. But that doesn’t mean tossing them in the trash, per se. “Recycling old undergarments is tricky, but possible!” Strickland says. “Some underwear brands have recycling programs, so you can send in your old pairs when you purchase new ones.” You can also look for companies like Trashie, which will accept most unwanted textiles, including old underwear so long as it’s clean.
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The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
