How to organise deep drawers – experts reveal the best ways to maximise space in bedroom, bathroom and kitchen drawers

Figuring out how to organise deep drawers can feel like a daunting task. They can be both a blessing and a curse.

While they offer ample storage, they often end up as a chaotic jumble of items – whether it’s organising a junk drawer, a bedroom drawer crammed with everything from socks to keepsakes, a tangle of toiletries in the bathroom, or an overflowing kitchen utensil drawer.

The good news? With the right home organisation tips, these spacious storage spots can become a streamlined dream.

From clever dividers to simple folding techniques, we asked the experts for their storage and organisation tips and tricks, transforming deep drawers into tidy, practical spaces that work for your home.

Whether you’re tackling the kitchen, bedroom, or bathroom, these smart solutions will bring order to the deepest of drawers, no more rummaging required.

How to organise deep drawers in any room

Deep drawers can be a dream for storage but only if you know how to use them. If you use them right, they'll offer a streamlined way to tuck away everything from kitchen gadgets to winter woollies.

So try out these pro strategies to tackle a crammed-looking deep drawer anywhere in your home.

1. Start with a clear out

Before diving into organising, like any decluttering method worth its salt will advise, it's worth taking take everything out. It may feel a little overwhelming but laying it all on a surface and assessing what’s worth keeping is a great starting point.

The key here is to be a little ruthless. If you haven’t used it in the past year, it’s time to donate, recycle, or bin it. Make every item earn its place.

2. Group similar items together

Whether it’s organising utensils in the kitchen, sorting out toiletries in the bathroom, or sifting through scarves in a bedroom drawer, grouping similar items together makes it way easier to find what you need.

Doing this will prevent the dreaded ‘junk drawer’ effect, where everything is thrown in with zero logic. Try something like an expandable organiser, like this Mr SIGA one from Amazon, to keep everything in order.

3. Stack vertically to maximise space

Just like we end up with empty vertical space when organising our wardrobes, the same applies when tackling deep drawer organisation.

Deep drawers have the advantage of height, so it's worth making good use of it. Stack items using tiered organisers, or store things upright like files rather than in messy piles. This is a game-changer for T-shirts, baking trays or chopping boards.

4. Add labels for a foolproof system

If the whole family is in and out of the drawers you're organising, labels can be a lifesaver.

Whether you take a leaf out of the pros' books and use a label maker (this top-rated Nelko label maker from Amazon is a good choice), make handwritten tags, clip-on labels, or simply use stickers, a little signage will help make sure everything goes back in its rightful place and stays that way.

5. Use internal dividers or boxes

Without any structure, deep drawers can easily become a bottomless pit. Enter internal dividers. You can buy adjustable ones or repurpose shallow storage boxes, which work just as well.

In the kitchen, you could go for bamboo organisers for utensils like this Joseph Joseph cutlery drawer organiser from Amazon; and in the bedroom, fabric cubes for socks and accessories will keep all the fiddly things contained (this 6 pack from Amazon will keep things in order).

How to organise deep drawers in a bedroom

The best place to start when sorting through deep bedroom drawers is categorising all your items. Think nightwear, gym gear, or accessories, so everything has a dedicated place.

Use dividers (these bamboo drawer dividers from Amazon are extendable) or small storage boxes to create compartments to keep items from shifting around and getting tangled are great bedroom storage ideas.

'If you can pull the drawer out really far, you can still reach the back, but working with containers or boxes is probably the thing that's going to make a difference,' advise professional declutterers, Ingrid Jansen and Lesley Spellman from The Declutter Hub.

Ingrid Jansen and Lesley Spellman, The Decluttering Hub

Ingrid Jansen and Lesley Spellman, The Declutter Hub, are the UK’s top decluttering experts, with a leading podcast (2.5M+ downloads) and a 50,000-strong Facebook community. Their new book, Reset Your Home: Unpack Your Emotions and Your Clutter, Step by Step (Bloomsbury), out February 2025, shares their proven method for emotions-based decluttering and lasting organisation.

One of the best ways to fold clothes to maximise space is actually to roll them instead, especially if you have limited storage space in a small bedroom. Not only does this save space but also makes it easier to see everything at a glance. For bulkier items like jumpers, a great clothes storage idea is stacking them vertically so you can grab one without disrupting the rest.

'For clothing, maximise drawer space by using the envelope fold technique for hoodies, t-shirts, and jumpers—this allows for efficient use of the vertical space,' adds Hayley Harrison and Gemma Abraham, professional organisers and founders of Organise-d.

'Beyond clothing, deep drawers are perfect for storing handbags, shoes, accessories, and toiletries. We use baskets and boxes to keep categories neatly separated.'

Finally, make sure you keep everyday essentials within easy reach at the top or front and centre, while seasonal or rarely used items can be tucked towards the back.

How to organise deep drawers in a kitchen

Getting good tips for organising kitchen drawers is a lifesaver especially when dealing with deep drawers because they can quickly become a chaotic jumble of pots, pans, and mismatched lids, and don't I know it.

Start off by grouping similar items together, storing saucepans with their lids in a dedicated section, stacking baking trays vertically using dividers. If you're struggling to organise a kitchen utensil drawer, try using adjustable inserts to create compartments for utensils, gadgets and tupperware.

For everyday essentials, clear containers or bamboo boxes, like these bamboo storage boxes from Amazon, keep everything neatly in place while making it easy to grab what you need.

If you’re storing bulkier items, consider layering with a second, shallower organiser tray on top to maximise space. A great kitchen storage idea is to use labelling and colour-coding where you can to make putting things away that much easier so the whole family then knows where everything belongs.

'Are the drawers shallow, or higher up? If they are higher up drawers, you can put bulkier items in them such as pots and pans, or have plastic containers in them, like tupperware,' suggests Ingrid and Lesley.

'If they are shallow and still deep drawers, you probably want to work with drawer inserts or drawer dividers and if they’re really deep, put less-frequently used items in the back and more used items in the front. But see if you can use drawer inserts to help you with that.'

'If they are not shallow drawers but more drawers for pots and pans, you probably don't want to use a lot of inserts or dividers because the items themselves are already bulky but what might be handy is actually to put some sort of mat in the bottom of the drawer to prevent the pans from scratching the drawers.'

'Make the most of deep kitchen drawers by using pan lid holders to store baking trays, chopping boards, and lids upright. This method keeps everything accessible and prevents clutter,' adds Hayley and Gemma.

How to organise deep drawers in a bathroom

Have you got bathroom drawers that are a jumble of half-used toiletries and tangled hair tools? Hopefully these bathroom storage ideas for deep drawers will sort them out.

You could start by grouping similar items together, taking everything out to sort through everyday essentials like toothbrushes and skincare and more seldom-used items.

Everyday items should be placed back in the easiest-to-reach spots, while less frequently used products can be tucked further back. Look for acrylic dividers or small containers (these acrylic boxes from Amazon are just the ticket) to separate categories and prevent everything from rolling around.

Vertical storage, like standing up bottles in shallow containers maximises space, seperates them out and keeps products visible at a glance. And don’t forget to label where necessary.

FAQs

How to fold clothes in deep drawers?

We asked decluttering experts Ingrid Jansen and Lesley Spellman from The Decluttering Hub for their advice.

'This is where the Marie Kondo style of folding comes into play. A lot of people fold their T-shirts and stack them horizontally on top of each other,' explain Ingrid and Lesley Spellman.

'But you can't see what you have. So people then start to rummage through and then the T-shirts get creased and unfolded.'

'She folds the T-shirt normally, but then folds it double again and then stacks them vertically behind each other. So that makes a massive difference.'

'Instead of piling clothes on top of each other, use the envelope fold method, stacking items from front to back of the drawer,' agree Hayley Harrison and Gemma Abraham, founders of Organise-d. 'Drawer dividers will help maintain structure and prevent movement.'

How to organise a deep sock drawer?

'Especially with socks, it's really important to categorise,' says The Declutter Hub's founders Ingrid Jansen and Lesley Spellman.

'Categorise between knee highs and tights, and then trainer socks and short socks and long socks and socks for wellies, and day-to-day socks and black socks and white socks, and all of those things.'

'I'd recommend using larger boxes where a category of socks can go.'

Hayley Harrison & Gemma Abraham of Organise-d suggest you could 'Fold or roll socks and standing them upright. Use drawer dividers to separate by colour or function (e.g., work, school, or sports), and label sections. This makes it really easy to see what you have.'

And if you keep losing socks, Ingrid suggests:

'I would also put lonely socks that have lost their partner in a separate box somewhere or maybe even keep it in the laundry room. When they find their friend again, I can match them up together. If people have a lot of lost socks, they need to bite the bullet and just do an hour of sock finding and then just go right, I've now tried to make as many pairs as I can, and the rest is just gone and I'm going to bring it to the charity shop because they can sell them off as rags.'

If you know how to organise kitchen cupboards, many of the same principles apply to deep drawers. Keep things together in smaller containers within the drawer and perfect your folding.

Will you be trying any of these tips to regain control of the deep drawers in your home?