If you live in a small place, you may have to store things under your bed. But, there are a few things you should never keep under your bed. Let’s discuss them.
Bulky sweaters and holiday decorations are perfect for storing under the bed, right? While it’s true that storing somethings under the bed is ideal, other items don’t belong there.
If there’s enough room in your apartment, consider putting nothing underneath. Or, keep things simple by only storing a minimal amount of stuff under your bed.
If you have a tiny apartment, though, you may have to keep some things there. If that’s the case, it’s time to put on your thinking cap and strategize.
To help you, we’ll discuss seven things you should never store under your bed. Let’s get into it.
1. Items You Use All the Time
Don’t put items you use often under the bed. That just doesn’t make sense!
Bending down all the time to retrieve things puts you at risk of throwing out your back.
Say you don’t like your lightweight sweater draped across the bed all the time. So, you decide to stash it under the bed temporarily.
The problem is that you’ll need it again shortly and could forget about where you put it. Instead of storing it there, put it in your hallway closet. Or, you could mount a hook on your bedroom door and hang it there.
It’s better to store frequently used items in a hall closet or dresser. That way, when you’re heading out the door, you’ll know exactly where to find them.
And that’s much better than having to bend down and hurriedly dig through boxes. Where on earth did you put that favorite pair of sunglasses again?
2. Belongings You’ll Forget Are There
Storing seasonal clothing and holiday decorations under the bed makes sense. But in a year, you could forget about them.
The same goes for seasonal hats. You may think you don’t need your hiking hat during certain seasons, but that’s not necessarily the case. If there’s an unexpected warm day in the fall or winter, you’ll need access to it sooner.
So, put it in a location that’s easier to reach. That way, when you do need it, you’ll be able to remember where it is.
Side note: It’s a good idea to label the boxes where you keep items you may need unexpectedly.
3. Things That Break
Would you like to store your grandma’s fine china collection under the bed? After all, you don’t plan on using it for a while.
It may seem like a good idea at first. But stashing china dishes under your bed could lead to a disaster.
Storing breakable items in hard to reach spots is a bad idea for many reasons. For one, you could end up breaking something as you go hunting for it.
While searching for a vase you use during the spring, you could also hurt yourself in the process.
Instead, do yourself a favor and store breakable items somewhere else. For instance, you might put them on a high shelf in your kitchen, or even in an outside storage unit.
4. Heavy Objects
Storing heavy items such as workout weights makes it difficult to retrieve them.
You could injure yourself (ouch!) and block your access to other items. And you could also scratch your floors as you attempt to drag them out.
The bottom line is this:
Don’t put items under the bed if they’ll be next to impossible to get out. It should be an easy process to find what you need underneath.
5. Thick Jackets and Sweaters
Understandably, you don’t want bulky sweaters taking up valuable closet space.
Even so, they can hog space under the bed!
To solve this problem, either put them in a vacuum-sealed bag or find a new home for them. You could make room in a hall closet or stash them in your garage (if you have one).
Think outside the box and put them in a place that won’t make it difficult to find what you need.
6. Sentimental Belongings
According to practitioners of feng shui, storing nostalgic items under the bed creates negative energy.
If you have sentimental items under your bed while you’re sleeping, it’s more likely that they’ll be on your mind. And if they’re on your mind, it’ll be hard to calm down and relax. Ultimately, this will prevent you from getting a peaceful night’s rest.
7. Important Documents
You might think you’re clever by stashing essential documents under the bed. They’re away from prying eyes and in a well-hidden area.
But unfortunately, you’ll have to dig underneath the bed to find them when you need them.
Instead, keep paperwork such as tax forms and birth certificates in a “hidden” spot in your office area. You won’t have to go digging underneath the bed or have a hard time finding them on short notice.
Deciding what to store under the bed can put you in a pickle. Hopefully, this list will help you.
Having a better idea of what doesn’t belong makes it easier to keep things organized. And it prevents items from getting misplaced, too, so you don’t have to go around searching for things.
You now know what shouldn’t be under the bed. So, we thought we’d take a minute to let you know what does belong there.
Here are a few things to put under the bed instead of the items we discussed above:
Extra linens like sheets and pillowcases Shoes you don’t wear very often Luggage that you only use when traveling
Above all else, work to create a streamlined and organized space under the bed. If you’re able to find things without working up a sweat, then mission accomplished!
Caitlin Sinclair leads the property management team at GIO Apartments in Sacramento, CA.
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