How to Clean Under Your Bed: Tackle Those Dust Bunnies!
As the saying goes: Out of sight, out of mind.
However, this shouldn’t apply to cleaning underneath your bed!
The space underneath your bed accumulates many things — from dust bunnies and food crumbs to dead bugs and pet hair. These can attract bacteria and allergens and contaminate your bedroom air.
If you breathe that for a long time, you’ll experience health problems.
Don’t worry if you’re scared of peeking under the bed and figuring out how to get rid of those dust bunnies! We’ll help you through the whole process so you can sleep in a healthier bedroom.
Need for Cleaning Under Bed
The floor under your bed is likely dirtier than you’d imagine. In fact, it’s probably the dirtiest part of your bedroom.
After all, it collects things like dust, human and pet hair, food crumbs, dead skin cells, and dead bugs. It’ll eventually become a breeding ground for bacteria, dust mites, and other pathogens.
Breathing in that unsanitary air can cause health problems, especially if you have allergies or a compromised immune system.
Fortunately, if you properly clean the floor under the bed (and furniture), you can create a better place to rest. It can even make the room smell better.
Challenges and Common Mistakes in Cleaning Under Bed
A common mistake we’ve seen people make is quickly discarding the extra attachments that come with their vacuum. These attachments can be very helpful in cleaning hard-to-reach spaces like the floor underneath beds and furniture.
Another common (and expensive!) mistake is carelessly picking up a robot vacuum and finding out it doesn’t have enough height clearance to go under beds and furniture.
As for the challenges, perhaps the most obvious one is reaching far enough underneath your bed to ensure you clean every inch of it.
This is especially difficult if you can’t pull or push the bed, either because it’s too heavy or you don’t have a spacious room.
How to Clean Under Bed: Step-By-Step Guide
Learning to clean underneath your bed is a huge part of cleaning the overall bedroom effectively since it ensures you don’t skip anything.
Below is a general guide on how to clean under your bed.
Preparing for Cleaning
Before tackling the space underneath your bed, gather the necessary supplies first.
On top of that, remove everything you’ve stored there. This will make cleaning easier since it’ll just be a matter of vacuuming or sweeping the dust out.
Gather Cleaning Tools
There are several tools you can use to clean under your bed. As a bonus, they’re all everyday items you can grab from around the house.
- Vacuum
- Blow dryer
- Microfiber cloth
- Duct tape
- Duster
- Broom
- Mop
The Importance of Proper Preparation
As with trying to clean the whole house, planning to clean the bedroom requires preparation too.
Cleaning under the bed is actually super easy. However, preparing well makes the process faster, and you’ll learn how to do it more efficiently.
Cleaning Process
Once the space beneath your bed is clutter-free, it’s time to start cleaning.
If you can, move the bed frame to ensure you don’t miss anything. But this guide assumes you can’t, so we’ll continue with that in mind.
Vacuuming Under the Bed
You have two choices here: use a manual or robot vacuum.
If using a normal vacuum underneath the bed, put the long pole on it and use a brush head that can lie flat. Move it forward and back along the length of your bed.
Once you’ve finished, use the crevice nozzle to get the dust over the baseboards.
If you’re using a robot vacuum, just let it loose under the bed and wait until it’s done.
Using Long-Handled Duster
Grab the duster for all those hard-to-reach spaces — such as underneath your bed. This is especially perfect for hard surfaces like tile, laminate, and wood floors.
You can also add a rag to the end of a pole or broom handle to get sticky spots.
Cleaning With Duct Tape
Wrap duct tape on the end of the broom handle to make a giant lint remover.
Roll it or push it back and forth under the bed. Depending on how dirty the space is, you may need extra tape and several passes.
Using a Hair Dryer for Cleaning
Use a hair dryer or fan to push out dust from under the bed if you have hard floors. This can also dislodge food crumbs, hair, and other items like misplaced jewelry.
Avoid putting your face under the bed too, or else everything will go straight to you!
Once the debris is out, you can sweep or vacuum them up.
Post-Cleaning Activities
After removing debris, don’t forget to mop! It’s best to use a mop that can be used completely flat, like a Swiffer.
However, ensure the mop isn’t dripping wet, so wring it out to remove excess moisture first.
Once the space underneath your bed is clean, dispose of the dust in your dustpan or vacuum and put everything back in order!
Proper Disposal of Debris
Simply empty the debris in the trash can.
Put the rags and pieces of cloth you used to clean straight into the laundry so you can wash them.
If you leave them in the hamper, the dust can stick to the hamper itself or end up in the air again, contaminating the air in the room.
Reorganizing Under-Bed Items
If you’ve found things like missing clothes (like socks) under the bed, properly clean them before organizing them.
Ideally, the space under your bed should be clutter-free, but you can store things there too.
For instance, you can store winter clothes or rarely-used items there. Organize them properly so you can easily grab what you want.
How to Clean Under Bed Without Moving It
Your bed frame might be too heavy to move, or maybe you prefer not to move it. Either way, there are easy hacks to clean under the bed without trying to move it.
Using Extended Attachments
Don’t stick your arm under that dirty bed!
You can attach a clean rag or microfiber cloth to the end of a broom handle to collect dust bunnies. If you’re using a rag, spray it with some cleaning solution so the dust sticks to it more easily.
Or you can grab your vacuum attachments. The upholstery attachment is great if you have a carpet and rug. Meanwhile, the horsehair nozzle is better for hard floors, like tile or wood floors.
You can also use a mop after you vacuum underneath your bed if you have hard floors.
Keeping Dust From Going Under Low Upholstered Bed
To minimize the cleaning you’ll need to do under the bed, it’s best to prevent it from accumulating dirt.
- Keep the space underneath your bed free of clutter – If you store things under your bed, the dust will settle on your clutter, making it harder to clean. The less clutter you have, the easier it will be to clean under your bed.
- Clean regularly – Regular dusting is the easiest way to keep dust from accumulating under the bed.
- Buy a good vacuum cleaner – A vacuum with a long attachment that lets the brush head lie flat is useful here.
Using Robotic Vacuum Cleaners
As long as you keep the space under your bed unobstructed and clutter-free, your robot vacuum cleaner can easily clean it.
However, remember to get a robot vacuum that fits under all your furniture.
Cleaning Under Bed: Frequency and Best Times
As with the rest of the house, you should also know how often and when to clean under your bed.
How Often Should You Clean Under Bed?
We recommend cleaning under the bed at least once a month.
However, if you have dust allergies or a pet that sleeps with you, it’s better to clean more frequently.
Best Time for Cleaning
There’s really no best time to clean under your bed.
However, we do suggest doing this while you’re also cleaning the whole room. This is so that any stray dust and dirt from under the bed will be picked up as you continue cleaning the bedroom.
Practical Hacks for Cleaning Under Bed Efficiently
The more you clean under the bed, the more hacks you’ll learn.
But to save time, we’ve listed some practical hacks you can use.
List of Life-Altering Hacks
If you don’t want to move your bed and are unsure how to reach every inch of it, here are some hacks you can try.
Use Your Vacuum Cleaner’s Attachments
Change the attachments on your vacuum hose to make the most of it.
Use the upholstery attachment for carpets and rugs. It can also pull dust from couch fibers with more concentrated force.
Meanwhile, use the horsehair nozzle for hard flooring. It sweeps up hair as it drags, so it can also get sticky and matted dust and debris.
Vacuums also have extension wands that can reach underneath your bed.
Invest in a Robot Vacuum
Old robot vacuums had a reputation for bumping into things and dying in random spots.
Fortunately, technology has evolved, so there are improved models available now. Some have self-emptying filters and mop and spray functions.
However, modern robot vacuums can be expensive — for instance, Roombas can cost $180 to $900.
Because of that, you’ll want to ensure that your robot vacuum cleaner has enough head clearance to clean under beds and furniture.
Reach With a Long-Handled Duster (Or Pole)
You can get under the bed easily with a long-handled duster. Work on all sides and corners of your bed to remove dust bunnies.
If you feel something sticky, put a rag at the end of a stick or pole to try to mop those sticky spots up.
Make Your Own Lint Roller
Carpet fibers have more grip than hardwood on dust, dead skin cells, and other debris — which is why vacuums are really handy for them.
But if you have carpets and upholstery and don’t have a vacuum, there’s still hope for you!
A lint roller can easily remove pet hair on clothes! Wrap the end of a broom handle or any stick with duct tape, and you have something similar.
Stick it under your bed and roll/move it around until you no longer feel any stickiness from the tape.
You’ll need to make several passes under the bed and change the tape a few times before the space under your bed is finally clean.
Blow the Dust Bunnies Out
If you don’t have the right tools yet, use air! Get a blow dryer or fan and blow the dust from under the bed.
Once the dust and dirt are out, simply sweep or vacuum them up.
Making Use of Household Items as Tools
It’s ideal to have a vacuum, but everyday items in your house can be used as tools to help you clean under your bed.
- Duster
- Blow dryer or fan
- Duct tape
- Mop
Employing Creative Techniques
When cleaning under the bed, your first instinct may be to reach under the space and try to sweep the dust out — which is not wrong, but you can get creative with cleaning the space under your bed to make things easier.
For instance, a damp rag at the end of a pole can help you wipe up sticky messes. Or, if you can’t reach under the low bed, blow the dust out so you can simply sweep them up.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have more questions regarding how to clean under your bed, we’ve answered some of them below.
Why Is It Necessary to Frequently Clean Under the Bed?
The space under your bed easily accumulates dust bunnies and other debris. Dust bunnies are small clumps of dust, dead skin, spider webs, and dead bugs.
If you leave them long enough, they’ll become a breeding ground for bacteria and other pathogens.
Eventually, you’ll end up breathing those things while you sleep, which can cause health problems — especially if you’re immunocompromised.
What Common Mistakes Do People Make While Cleaning Under the Bed?
A common mistake people make is being “too aggressive” when sweeping up the dust from under the bed.
If you do that, particles will end up suspended in the air and can rest on your mattress and pillows.
As such, be careful when you clean under the bed. Gently sweep the debris out from under the bed and into your dustpan. As much as possible, don’t agitate them as you throw them away.
How to Clean Under a Low Bed Without Moving It?
If you can’t fit your arm under the bed, use vacuum extension wands or a long-handled duster.
You can even blow the dust from under the bed and sweep or vacuum them when they’re out in the open.
What Are Some Alternative Cleaning Methods If I Do Not Have a Vacuum Cleaner?
There are many alternative cleaning methods if you don’t have a vacuum cleaner.
For one, you can dislodge the dirt with a long-handled duster, then sweep under the bed. Attaching a microfiber cloth to the end of a pole can also help you get rid of sticky areas.
You can also use a dry microfiber mop to collect dust.
What Is the Recommended Frequency for Cleaning Under the Bed?
We recommend cleaning under the bed at least once a month. You should clean more often if you have allergies, are immunocompromised, or sleep with a pet.
Conclusion
Regularly cleaning under your bed ensures that you can sleep peacefully since you’re breathing in safer air. The more you do it, the more you’ll realize it’s actually super easy!
Ideally, you have a vacuum with an extension rod that will help you easily reach underneath your bed. If not, you can sweep it with brooms or dusters.
If you feel like that’s too difficult, use our other tips and tricks to get the job done.
However, remember to protect your mattress and sheets while doing this chore!
Written by
Maria DeSouza
Maria De Souza is a committed and accomplished entrepreneur in the cleaning industry, possessing an extraordinary blend of leadership, vision, and knowledge. As the proud owner of Onix Cleaning Services in Boston, Massachusetts, Maria has over two decades of experience in the industry, delivering unparalleled service and maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness.
