Storage Products You Should NEVER Buy, According to Pro Organizers

If you are a regular House Beautiful reader, you have probably noticed that we editors consult professional organizers a lot. After all, a tidy home is a happy home, and that's what we are all about. There are plenty of organizing products out there that supposedly help to get your life in order; however, not all professional organizers recommend investing in them. So, to prevent you from cluttering up your home with unnecessary items, we asked the pros about which so-called organizing products they would not buy.

Ahead, see what three professional organizers had to say about the items they'd skip adding to their carts—along with what actually works to keep the messiest parts of the home neat.

Don't Buy: Lidded Bins

Bins may seem like the ultimate storage hack, and sometimes, they are, but only in certain scenarios: when they're lidless. Lids mostly just get in the way, causing more problems than they solve.

"When you can't see inside a container, those items become out of sight and therefore out of mind," says Lucy Milligan Wahl, owner of San Francisco–based LMW Edits. "Plus, if you stack lidded containers, I guarantee you that the only ones you'll open will be the ones on top of the stack." She's not wrong. How annoying would it be to need something that you think may be in the bottom bin, only to remove all the bins on top of it and realize the thing you needed isn't there? "So then it's almost as if you don't even own any of the stuff in the lower containers because you literally never use it," adds Wahl.

Buy Instead: Drop-Front Bins

"These bins will stack, but you can see inside them and access the contents without taking down the whole column," Wahl says.

Don't Buy: Four-Tier Hangers

Multi-tiered hangers may seem like they're there to make life easier because they save space, but don't be fooled. They're more of a nuisance.

"Once you load them with clothes, they turn getting dressed into an early morning upper body workout because of how heavy they become," says Shaniece Jones, professional organizer and founder of Los Angeles–based Closet Therapy. "They're bulky and use up the space that you thought you were saving."

Buy Instead: Skirt Hangers

"I would use a single hanger to hang the pants or purchase a proper skirt hanger," Jones adds.

Don't Buy: Divided Turntables

Otherwise known as lazy Susans, turntables are great when they don't come pre-divided and live in the middle of the dining table for easy access to napkins and condiments. However, in a cabinet or on a countertop, they're not great—especially if they're siloed.

"Food containers come in all shapes and sizes, and you are super unlikely to have exactly the same combination of containers at all times. The smaller compartments are in your storage products, the more exactly you have to control the times you're storing in them," Wahl says. "A divided turntable fits fewer things and may not accommodate all the containers you need."

Buy Instead: Open Turntables

Wahl adds, "They will still give you access to your bottles and jars, and fit all kinds of combinations as your needs change."

Don't Buy: Over-the-Door Storage

This one may be a bit divisive because people either love or hate over-the-door storage—namely, shoe racks.

"If I could remove one product from the market, it would be this. They swing, they bang, and they turn your door into a visual eyesore, especially in bedrooms. Imagine lying in bed, staring at a bunch of clutter dangling from your door. That’s not peace," Jones says.

Buy Instead: Drop-Front Shoe Boxes

"I would try drop front shoe boxes and/or a stackable shoe rack," Jones adds.

Don't Buy: Overpriced Acrylic Drawers

We are not anti-acrylic drawer. In fact, we like them because they're durable and transparent, so you can see exactly what's in them. That said, Ashley La Fond, founder of Of Space & Mind, doesn't recommend buying the tiny ones that cost way more than they're worth. "They never fit as much as you think they will," she says.

Don't Buy: Small Wooden Shoe Racks

Hear us out: We are not knocking all shoe racks; just very small ones that hardly hold any pairs.

"Most of my clients struggle with shoe storage—especially if they're a shoe-free household. Part of the struggle is that they vastly underestimate the number of pairs of shoes they actually need to store," Wahl insists. "Small wooden shoe racks look attractive and low profile, but they just don't store enough shoes for most families, and only allow for boots and heels on the top shelf."

Buy Instead: Expandable Shoe Racks

"The more flexible your storage, the more you'll be able to use it to fit your unique needs. When a shoe rack is expandable and stackable, you can have enough storage space without wasting any open space in your shoe storage areas," Wahl adds.

Don't Buy: Fridge Drawers

Here's the thing: Most fridges come with built-in shelves and drawers, so there's really no need to buy more because they just end up taking up space. "The smaller and more closed a container, the less flexible it is. Fridge drawers store surprisingly little and take up a lot of space," Wahl says.

Buy Instead: Fridge Bins

"If you truly struggle with delineating space in your fridge, use deep open-top fridge bins. These will take up less space and allow you to store odd sizes and shapes of containers and foods without butting up against the limit of a drawer," Wahl explains.