My vanity table drawers were a mess until I began using these $2 non-toxic organizing trays – it stopped me from wasting money on makeup duplications, too

Now my vanity drawers are permanently organized

Small bright bedroom with hidden vanity in the built-in closet. There is shelving above the vanity and clear plastic chair. The room has a large window with floor length floral curtains and a bright pink accent chair
(Image credit: Future / Jonathan Gooch)

I spent decades doing my makeup from a travel bag on the sofa with a handheld mirror. Then in 2021, I swore I’d finally get myself a vanity table with a proper mirror and drawers.

However, I realized a vanity table wasn’t enough to keep things organized. When my makeup drawers kept getting messy, I turned to BPA-free organizing trays, available from Target in a set of three for just $2.

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Non-toxic drawer organizers have many benefits

These slim trays create easy-to-see organization, so you can spot what you need at once, and won’t end up buying an item you already have simply because your vanity drawers are a mess.

This reduction or avoidance of any unnecessary duplication is a great way to be more sustainable at home, too and will save you money. It certainly has for me over the last four years.

These are easy to clean. Simply wipe down with a homemade DIY cleaning solution. I like to use essential oils in my cleaning sprays, so simply combine two cups of water, a drop of dish soap, such as Dawn from Walmart, which acts as a surfactant to grip surface grime, and 10-20 drops of a pure essential oil, such as geranium, from Walmart.

If like me you wear makeup every day, you’ll know makeup and other skin care items can leave marks and smudges inside your dresser drawers and therefore, this small storage space needs regular cleaning.

You can wash these slim, long drawer organizing trays by hand at the sink and let air dry, or wipe them down with Clorox disinfecting wipes, also from Walmart.

Other drawer organizing essentials


If you’re looking for a smart solution to storing all your hair care tools, I made my own customized and affordable solution by using a storage cart and one vital metal item.

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Punteha van Terheyden
Head of Solved

Punteha was editor of Real Homes before joining Homes & Gardens. She has written and edited cooking, wellbeing, lifestyle, and consumer articles for the national press for 18 years, working across print and digital newspapers and magazines. She’s a Sunday Times bestselling author, former BBC Good Food columnist, and founding editor of Lacuna Voices. Punteha loves cooking, especially her family's Persian recipes, and has vetted and reviewed home appliances, including Crock-Pot slow cookers, Ninja air fryers, the latest eufy and Switchbot robot vacuums and eufy and Ring video doorbells. Punteha is disabled and in chronic pain, so adaptively-paced tasks that make her household run smoothly are her focus. She's currently testing and loving a set of heirloom pans from Our Place.