How to clean a bedroom

With the fan turned off, gently wipe the edges of the fan blades from center to tip with a cleaning cloth or paper towel moistened with all-purpose cleaner. For weekly touch-ups, use a ceiling fan duster with an extended handle. You can use the fan duster to touch up hard-to-reach light fixtures, too.

Extra tip: If there is a lot of dust accumulated on the blades, place an old towel or drop cloth on the floor or bed below the fan. This will help corral any runaway dust bunnies.

Give the corners of the bedroom and the ceiling line a pass with a cloth or dusting wand to capture dust and spider webs. Dust frames of wall art gently so the piece doesn’t swing out of place and mar the wall.

Extra tip: Do not spray glass cleaner directly onto the glass of framed art. It could seep around the edges and damage the artwork underneath. Instead, lightly mist a paper towel with cleaner and wipe the glass.

Need a deeper clean? Mix 1 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and 1/2 cup of ammonia into a gallon of warm water. Dampen a sponge or cloth with this mixture and wipe down walls and woodwork. (Note: Never mix ammonia with bleach.)

Use a lint roller or lint brush to whisk dust off of fabric lampshades. With the lamp off, dust the base and bulb with a soft cloth or dusting wand.

First, remove all items from the tops and shelves of any dressers, bookshelves or nightstands. Next, give each piece a thorough dusting, top to bottom. Don’t forget the sides and feet.

Use a thin cloth moistened with cleaner appropriate to the furniture’s material (wood, glass, plastic) to get into the fine crevices, carvings or fluting. Pay special attention to areas such as drawer fronts where fingerprints like to linger.

For a deeper clean or to maintain fine wood furniture, rub lemon oil or other polish onto the surface of the piece using small, even strokes. Wipe and buff with a dry, soft cloth for a final shine.

Extra tip: It’s best not to use cleaners or polishes inside drawers. Instead wipe them out with a dry cloth or use the soft brush attachment on the vacuum cleaner.

Get rid of streaks with a spritz of glass cleaner and a few wipes with a lint-free cloth or paper towel. Or, dip crumpled newspaper into a shallow dish of distilled white vinegar and wipe the mirror until it begins to dry. Give it a final shine with a soft cloth or another piece of dry newspaper.

Refresh beds and bedding.

Strip linens at least every two weeks and wash in the hottest water recommended on the care labels.

Wipe down the headboard and footboard with a cloth and cleaning solution appropriate to the bed’s material. Use a lint roller or lint brush on fabric-covered headboards and footboards, or vacuum with a brush attachment. Vacuum under the bed. Use a brush attachment to vacuum around the edges of the mattress and box spring.

Extra tips: Check your pillows’ care labels for washing and drying instructions. Many pillows can be put through a medium- or high-heat dryer cycle to freshen and fluff them. If the mattress requires spot-cleaning for stains, avoid using excessive water, as it can encourage mold growth in the mattress. And make sure the mattress is completely dry before redressing the bed with mattress pad and linens.

For a hardwood floor, a weekly sweeping with a dry mop or broom is sufficient. Deeper cleaning will require a little more elbow grease. A floor sealed with polyurethane can be damp-mopped. On floors treated with other sealants (such as shellac or varnish), use a cleaner or polish and a wax mop. Rub in the direction of the grain.

Vacuum weekly, using crevice tool attachment to get into corners and edges.

Extra tip: If heavy furniture has left noticeable marks in the carpet, refluff the fibers by placing an ice cube in the depression, allowing it to sit overnight to melt. As the water evaporates, the carpet fibers will plump up.

(Better Homes and Gardens is a magazine and website devoted to ideas and improvement projects for your home and garden, plus recipes and entertaining ideas. Online at www.bhg.com.)