Why you should never store things under your bed according to a declutter expert

Can you part with your under bed drawers?

Underbed storage is the ideal place to stow shoes, books all sorts of odds and ends, right? Well, according to a decluttering expert we couldn't be more wrong.

Related: How to declutter your living room – and start 2020 on a tidier note!

Under the bed has long been our favourite place to stuff old suitcases full of extra clothes, maybe the odd pair of shoes and box off books. An empty space under the bed seems the perfect location to help accommodate our overflowing belongings.

As we got older our under bed storage grew more sophisticated. We found ourselves perusing built-in drawers, loft beds, vacuum-pac bags and even under-bed bookshelves. Anything to help us store as much as possible in our favourite bedroom hiding place. However...

Why you should never store things under your bed

A blue fabric bed with drawers, a mustard coloured throw and bright cushions

(Image credit: Future PLC/Dominic Blackmore)

According to decluttering expert Vicky Silverthorn, we've been storing things in our bedroom all wrong. Speaking to Good Housekeeping, Vicky Silverthorn from youneedavicky.com explained that storage drawers and box under the bed were a big no-no for her.

'I sleep better knowing there is a clear space below,' she says. 'So I purposely ordered a bed with no storage under it.'

While a bed free from storage will be a dream to clean, we completely understand if the idea of sacrificing the storage space under your bed is causing you more sleepless nights than actually having it.

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Pink bedroom walls with white bedroom furniture and white and pink bedding

(Image credit: Future PLC/Dominic Blackmore)

Luckily, if you have a small room that desperately requires you to use that space under the bed or an extensive wardrobe, Vicky has an exception to her no under bed storage rule.

'My advice would be to only store items under the bed if it is a simple category and is simply organised, such as your seasonal clothing or items you only wear on your holidays,' Vicky explains.

Put an end to storing a hodgepodge of jumpers, swimsuits and shoes under your bed. Storing just one category of clothes or items under your bed will guarantee your favourite top won't get lost and dusty in the depths of 'under the bed land'.

Related: How to organise your self storage unit and make the most of the space

If you're planning a declutter this January will you be giving your under bed storage a rethink?

Rebecca Knight
Deputy Editor, Digital

Rebecca Knight has been the Deputy Editor on the Ideal Home Website since 2022. She graduated with a Masters degree in magazine journalism from City, University of London in 2018, before starting her journalism career as a staff writer on women's weekly magazines. She fell into the world of homes and interiors after joining the Ideal Home website team in 2019 as a Digital Writer. In 2020 she moved into position of Homes News Editor working across Homes & Gardens, LivingEtc, Real Homes, Gardeningetc and Ideal Home covering everything from the latest viral cleaning hack to the next big interior trend.