Ashley Abramson is a writer-mom hybrid. Her work, mostly focused on health, psychology, and parenting, has been featured in the Washington Post, New York Times, Allure, and more. She lives in the Milwaukee suburbs with her husband and two young sons.
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Under-bed storage is the best of both worlds: Hiding shoes, clothes, and bedding is a quickly accessible solution for items you use every now and then, but it also keeps these sparingly-used things totally out of sight when you’re not using them. While using the space under your bed is often practical, some things just shouldn’t be stored there. Here are a few of them:
1. Items that are too heavy
Not only do you want to avoid lifting super-heavy items from your bedroom floor (ouch!), but keeping heavy things in a storage bin could also scratch the floors by weighing the bins down.
2. Storage boxes without wheels
If your hard-shell boxes don’t glide, they will scratch uncarpeted floors when you pull them out. If your storage bins don’t have wheels on them, you can invest in some self-stick felt feet to prevent scratching. Another option is to get soft storage boxes, like these, which we have tried and love!
3. Clothes that aren’t in a sealed container
In general, always store clothes and other linens in storage boxes. (Rule of thumb: Look for long, low, plastic boxes that open on top and either side). You don’t want dust to accumulate on your out-of-season garments!
4. Bulky sweaters and jackets
Unless these cold-weather items are in vacuum-sealed bags, they’ll probably take up too much room below your bed. Understandably, you want these things out of your main bedroom closet, but it wouldn’t hurt to store them in a less-cramped area away from your usual clothes storage.
5. Empty suitcases
Suitcases belong in the basem*nt or out-of-bedroom storage spaces… unless they’re doing their part too. Why not fill the suitcases and make your below-the-bed space work extra hard?
6. Items you use frequently
Why store shoes or clothes you use often under the bed if you’re going to be bending down to reach for them constantly? Unless you don’t have other storage options, think about keeping more-commonly used belongings (things you use at least once a week) in a closet, wardrobe, or dresser instead.
7. Anything you’ll forget about
Under-bed storage is great for items like holiday decorations and seasonal clothing you’ll reach for at least a few times a year, but don’t let this accessible space become just another storage black hole! If you don’t see these unused items as often, you’ll be less likely to purge on a regular basis, which can cause unnecessary clutter to build up.
8. Extra linens (or anything you’re going to need late at night)
This one may seem counterintuitive, but for noise purposes, it makes perfect sense. If you live in a duplex or apartment (or if your room is above someone else’s), you may want to avoid dragging a potentially loud storage box out for a late-night bedding change.
9. Nostalgic items (according to Feng Shui principles)
If you’re worried about negative energy in your room, you might want to avoid storing nostalgia like papers, photos, souvenirs, or old clothing under the bed. According to Feng Shui teachings, these items can carry emotional energy and interfere with sleep.
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