IKEA best buys - hit me with yours!

[cocomomo]

I'm about to do an order from IKEA as I don't have a car. I have to pay for delivery, so plan to get as much as possible in one go.

I love organising (Marie Kondo style), and am looking for your best IKEA buys to help me organise my house (including nursery). What bits and pieces from IKEA have you found useful?

Other non-organising-related but useful buys also welcome!

Thanks!

Oh I forgot about the GODMORGON bathroom cabinets. I have two ( stealth boast ) in my bathrooom , they have been there 15 years . Look as good as new.

My DD bought similar from B&Q last summer and the corner of the mirrored door on hers has started to rust.

@Tobermory, you absolutely need these in your life! I completely forgot but I have loads of various sizes in the utility room too. The original picture is called ‘Variera’ but these are ‘Kuggis’ and are really handy.

Excellent organisation if I may say so, tatteipants .

@TattiePants
Oooooooo niiiice storage!! 😻

Came on thinking " bet no one mentions the freezer bags"!

I love that you get two sizes in one box, such a brilliant idea!

I also love their paper napkins, lots of different designs.

We put the 2nd mattress for the day bed against the wall as it’s too high together (we seem to have normal depth mattresses with ours though) it makes a nice teddy shelf- just slightly lower than the back of the bed so they don’t fall.

It may have changed since I last considered ordering Ikea online (i say considered as i decided the delivery fee was ridiculous for what i actually wanted) but I'm not sure all items arevailable to order online.

wooden cutlery divider/draw insert
plastic fridge organiser boxes (I think these are the picture that a PP had)
Fitted bed sheets. Can't remember what it's called but it's the most expensive (but still not expensive) one they do and it's deep/high thread count/soooooo soft

My only gripe with Ikea is that they stopped the Edland Range. I LOVED the Edland range with the dinky white handles and elegant legs.

I bought a couple of trivets for £3 each which are brilliant when you're doing a massive dinner and you've got lots of hot trays and dishes.

So our pantry is a mess - I seem to have thousands of packets of half used polenta, fennel seeds, pine nuts, etc. I don't think I'll want to kilner jar all of them, so does Ikea offer an alternative solution? Variera boxes stacked side by side, each holding a few packages? Anything cleverer?

Hmm www.ikea.com/gb/en/ideas/5-pantry-storage-tips-for-your-kitchen-1364479553505/

Variera kitchen shelf inserts - fantastic.

Skugg (?) bedroom drawer inserts - double fabulous (pants in one, socks in another, bras in a third, belts rolled up not damaging other clothes).

Glass water jug/carafe.

Any bags from the Family section - we have a laptop bag, shopping trolley, backpack that we take swimming, fits EVERYTHING and very sturdy.

Also that little trolley with three deep shelves, that you can wheel around..name escapes me. We have two, one for my sewing, one for DS' crafts.

P

I need clarity on the freezer bags!!

I understand that you get 2 sizes in one box, but what is it that makes them amazing?

Is it the sizing?

I've been trying to manage without for the last year, but dh just crumbled ande brought some normal supermarket one.

Pretty please, and thank you!

Meanwhile, yes to Skubb drawer inserts.

Also drawer lining material - a sort of rubberised webbing that stops plates etc.shifting around.

Not to be a party pooper, I don't have anything against IKEA, love a browse and a meatball session at the best of times but you can get all the same storage stuff; pantry jars, labelling, a million and one handy storage boxes, decent freezer bags, drawer organisers, hanger solutions etc on amazon and ebay by searching for storage solutions. If you already have Prime it's cheaper than using IKEA delivery. I also don't think IKEA is always that cheap (depends what you're buying).

Expedit (now Kallax) and things to fit inside (baskets, boxes, drawers etc.).
And I am a great IVAR fan

@lborgia

I need clarity on the freezer bags!!

I understand that you get 2 sizes in one box, but what is it that makes them amazing?

Is it the sizing?

I've been trying to manage without for the last year, but dh just crumbled ande brought some normal supermarket one.

Pretty please, and thank you!

Meanwhile, yes to Skubb drawer inserts.

Also drawer lining material - a sort of rubberised webbing that stops plates etc.shifting around.

I bought Ikea freezer bags after all the hype, but have decided they don't work for what I use them for, which is mostly freezing chicken and other meat in meal sized portions.

They're good quality, and not the cheapest, but that makes you feel obliged to reuse them, but when they've had chicken in them, you've got to wash them really well, and I'm never convinced they're properly clean. I won't be buying any more. I'm happy to reuse bags that have had bread or vegetables in them, but not meat.

But anyway, we've accumulated a lot of plastic takeaway containers which fit a couple of chicken breasts of portion of mince quite nicely, and these can go in the dishwasher, so I'm going to use these from now on. They stack nicely in the freezer too.

But OP, have you had a really good clear out, before you're looking to buy more stuff, or organise things you should really get rid of?

@BarbaraofSeville - thanks for coming back to me, that's what I was wondering - I hate decent plastic bags because I waste too much time worrying that I should wash and reuse, which I can't stand.

I'll leave them for those who aren't barking