Here’s Exactly What You Should Be Storing Under the Bed

updated Apr 11, 2024
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View into bedroom with bed with wood headboard, white linens, blue and green pillows. Lots of plants

In my house, I do a lot of what I like to call “The Speed Clean.” This is the process of getting every bit of clutter hidden away as quickly as possible. The experience usually ends with throwing random items into closets, filling junk drawers with more junk, and always — no matter what — pushing things under the bed. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

In reality, this method of tidying isn’t really efficient at all. Sure, it works aesthetically (for a short amount of time, anyway), but it isn’t functional. And all those things I shove under the bed? They end up lost in the abyss for months. 

There are more efficient ways to use the space under your bed, though — and professional organizers know exactly what those ways are. 

It’s Actually Best NOT to Use Under-the-Bed Storage

Shannon Krause is a professional organizer and co-owner of Tidy Nest. She explains that in a perfect world, the space under the bed should be used to store exactly nothing.

That’s right: Nothing. Zero. Zilch.

No bulky sweaters or unused heating pads or out-of-season clothing. No clutter at all. 

“Your bedroom is a place of peace and rest so bringing clutter into this space stains the energy in the room, not to mention, it’s bad feng shui,” Krause says. “From a practical standpoint it’s hard to clean under your bed when it’s a storage space and this area collects allergens such as dust.” 

This concept is certainly appealing — just imagine how much easier cleaning and preventing dust would be — but for people who are tight on space, this might not be a realistic option. 

Credit: Erin Derby

Here’s What to Store Under Your Bed If You Absolutely Have to

Linens

Krause’s advice is to keep things under your bed that are light and airy, like linens and towels, rather than bulky and heavy, like paperwork or documents, in order to keep things as restful and peaceful as possible. She also suggests using large canvas totes, rather than the typical plastic, “dorm room” style under-the-bed storage you’ve probably seen (and used) before. 

Bulky Items You Don’t Need Access to Constantly

Michael Bloch, CEO and founder of Pillar, agrees—at least in part. He says you should never store paperwork or important documents like medical documents, Social Security Information, and insurance paperwork under the bed (for security reasons, in his perspective). Instead, he suggests storing items you need convenient access to, but don’t necessarily use all the time, like luggage or books. 

Anne Gopman of Organized by Anne adds one other option to the mix: bulky decorative items.

“Large  artwork and mirrors can be tricky to store and the large space under the bed can be the optimal location,” Gopman says. “Make sure to wrap your décor items to protect from dust.”

Off-Season Clothing and Bedding

Gopman also suggested that the best things to store under the bed are seasonal clothing and bedding and bulky coats — i.e. things you don’t need year-round.

Whatever you choose to do, make a plan and stick to it and you’ll never lose another item to the under-the-bed abyss again.