The Cheap, Unexpected Find That Keeps My Swimsuits Tidy All Year Long
As a professional organizer and strong believer in minimalism, I take pride in practicing what I preach. That includes decluttering often and buying intentionally so I don’t have more than I need at any given time. I’ll be honest, however, and tell you that mentality goes right out the window when it comes to swimsuits.
The amount I own, by my own volition, is a little staggering. I could blame it on the fact that I’ve lived surrounded by beaches on Long Island for most of my life and now reside in the South where summer lasts practically all year. There are many factors, but the reality is that I simply like bathing suits! I enjoy having options to choose from and swapping them out so they stay in better condition longer. Plus, they’re pretty to look at — especially when they’re organized.
Speaking of which, I’ll also admit that it took me a while to figure out a good system for them. If you’re anything like me — even if your collection errs on the smaller side — you probably have a mix of mismatched tops and bottoms and varying amounts of one-pieces.
For most of my adult life, I would pile them into a basket on a shelf in my closet or the bottom dresser drawer. And it worked … sort of. That changed when I decided to try out extra drawstring organza gift bags that I had lying around. Now? Consider me hooked.
In addition to sorting out the suits and pieces, another advantage is I don’t misplace the removable strings or pads, as I toss them into the bag with the suit they belong to as well.
The material is breathable, unlike a lot of other small bags I’ve seen geared toward swimsuit storage. For example, I’ve recently noticed an uptick of zippered PVC bags being used, which might be fine for short-term use such as packing for a vacation, but can stifle them over time. The organza bags I use are also easy enough to squeeze into a suitcase or beach bag.
And have I mentioned how cheap they are? A 50-pack of the larger size runs about $10 and you can get the same amount in the smaller version for under $8.
If you choose to use the bags as I have, the good news is that they can go right back into where you’ve been storing them all along. Whether it’s a basket or drawer, there’s no need to change what you’ve been doing. You’ll simply be able to keep your suits a bit tidier.
I like to line them in my dresser drawer with the strings facing up and, although not necessary, use spring-loaded dividers to keep them in place. This also helps me keep one, two, or one-off pieces in their own lanes.
Buy: 8 x12-Inch Organza Bags (50-Pack), $10.59; 6×9-Inch Organza Bags (50-Pack), $7.99 (originally $11.99)