How do you store restraints and accessories discreetly?

Good storage for BDSM gear does three jobs at once. It keeps restraints and accessories private, it keeps them clean and in good condition, and it keeps metal fittings off your furniture between scenes. Get it right and a playroom or bedroom returns to ordinary quickly, and everything is where you expect it next time.

Principles

• Keep everything out of sight, behind a drawer front, a lid or a door.
• Store nothing until it's been cleaned and dried.
• Give each kind of item its own place, so things don't tangle, rub or mark each other.
• Store things near where they're used, so setting up and putting away are easy.
• Lock storage if anyone else shares or visits the home.

Choosing storage

A chest of drawers

A chest of drawers in the bedroom or playroom is a flexible option. Give each drawer a purpose, line drawers with soft fabric, and choose one with a lockable drawer if you need it. A chest of drawers reads as ordinary bedroom furniture.

An ottoman or blanket box

A lidded ottoman or blanket box at the foot of the bed keeps things close to hand and looks like a place for throws and spare bedding. Keep a layer of blankets on top.

Under-bed boxes

Lidded boxes that slide under the bed are discreet and close to where they're needed. Choose boxes with closing lids, and line them with fabric.

A wardrobe or cupboard

A wardrobe gives room for longer items, a hanging garment bag for anything that creases, and shelves for boxes. A lockable cupboard door adds privacy.

A lockable case or trunk

A lockable case or trunk keeps everything together and private, and can be moved to a cupboard or another room when needed.

Storing by type

Cuffs and straps

Store cuffs and straps flat or loosely rolled, in pairs, in a lined drawer or box. Keep metal buckles and clips from resting against each other or against softer materials. Leather items should be kept dry and away from heat and direct sunlight, and cared for according to their maker's instructions.

Rope

Rope stores best clean, dry and loosely bundled or hanked, so it doesn't tangle or kink. Natural-fibre rope needs a dry, ventilated place. Our guide to which rope works best with a steel frame covers rope care and storage.

Connectors and clips

Keep metal connectors and clips together in a small lined box or pouch, so they don't scatter in a drawer or mark other things.

Safety shears

Between scenes, give safety shears a fixed home so nobody has to search. Before every scene, set them out on a table or chest within reach of the partner leading, beside whichever piece you're using, and put them back afterwards.

Fabric items and costume

Blindfolds, fabric restraints and costume store best clean, folded and kept in a drawer or garment bag.

Cleaning supplies and towels

Keep cleaning supplies, soft cloths and towels together, close to where they're needed, and kept apart from the gear itself.

Each partner's own things

Give each of you a drawer, pouch or box for personal items that aren't shared. It keeps things clean and separate, and it respects that some things belong to one person.

What you use less often

Occasional items can live in a lockable case away from the playroom, cleaned, dried and checked before they're put away, and checked again before they come back into use.

Keeping the furniture clear

Take every restraint and connector off the furniture when a scene ends. Metal buckles, clips and connectors left hanging against a frame can mark the finish, and restraints left in place make a room harder to return to ordinary. A rule of nothing left on the furniture between scenes keeps both the furniture and the room in good order.

Before storing anything, check it. A worn strap, a fraying rope or a damaged buckle should be taken out of use and replaced.

Cleaning before storage

Clean each item according to its maker's instructions, and let it dry fully before you put it away. Items stored damp can mark, smell or deteriorate. Keep the products you use for cleaning gear off the furniture's finish; our furniture is cleaned with a soft cloth and mild soap, then dried, and abrasives and harsh chemicals are kept away from it. Our guide to using bleach on a powder-coated frame covers cleaning products for the frame.

The room

Store gear in a dry, ventilated room, away from radiators, damp walls and direct sunlight. A drawer against an outside wall prone to condensation is a poor place for leather or natural rope.

Privacy

Locks give privacy whenever others share or visit the home. Keep the keys on you, or somewhere only the two of you would look, especially while guests are staying. A labelling system that only the two of you understand, or none at all, keeps contents private if a drawer is opened by mistake. Our guide to keeping a playroom discreet in a shared home covers the rest of the room.

Setting up and putting away

Good storage makes setting up part of the ritual. Laying out what you've agreed to use, in an agreed order, can be the start of a scene. Putting everything away afterwards, cleaned and in its place, is a quiet way to end one. Agree beforehand what you'll use, as part of the same sober conversation as limits, signals and aftercare, and keep the scene sober too. Consent is a yes that's freely given, informed, specific, ongoing and withdrawable at any moment. Our guide to what to agree before using restraint furniture covers it.

Questions about storage

Can restraints be left on the furniture between scenes?

No. Take every restraint and connector off when a scene ends, store it clean and dry, and check it before its next use.

Where should safety shears live?

Out on a table or chest within reach of the partner leading, beside whichever piece is in use, for every scene, and back in their fixed home afterwards.

Should storage be in the playroom or somewhere else?

Keep what you use regularly in the room where you use it, so setting up is easy. Keep spares and occasional items elsewhere, locked.

How do we store gear when we travel?

A lockable case with lined compartments keeps things clean, separate and private.

A storage checklist

• Closed, lockable storage near where things are used.
• Each kind of item in its own place.
• Everything cleaned and dried before it's stored.
• Nothing left on the furniture between scenes.
• Safety shears set out within reach for every scene, and back in their fixed home afterwards.
• Worn or damaged items taken out of use.
• A dry, ventilated room.

For the wider picture, read our guide to turning a spare room into a playroom, or see our BDSM beds, each made to order in S235 steel with a current lead time of 8–14 weeks.