Buzz
Are your parents always finding your private things? Got cash, secret notes, or other personal items you'd rather keep under wraps? With a bit of planning and creativity, you can keep your stash safe from wandering eyes. Not confident in your hiding skills? You will be after this.
How-To Guide
Stashing Small Items
Pick unusual hiding spots. Forget about common places like your underwear drawer, under the bed, or closet shelves—your parents probably checked those when they were your age! Choose less obvious and trickier spots instead.
- Consider placing your items in a sibling's room. If your parents are searching for something that’s yours, they’re less likely to look there. Just be cautious if they routinely search the whole house or if your sibling tidies often.
- Stick things underneath your dresser or inside the tops of drawers where no one usually checks. An old school bag or unused backpack also makes a perfect, unsuspected hiding spot.
Set up multiple layers of protection. Wrap your item in tissues, seal it in a plastic bag—or do both—and tuck it beneath some old clothes in the basement. Make it blend in with its surroundings to avoid drawing attention.
- Only use spots your parents never touch, move, or clean out.
- Plastic bags or saran wrap can unlock more sneaky hiding places. Try the bottom of a potted plant—most likely no one will notice for ages. Just make sure to waterproof it properly.
Create your own stash container. There are plenty of creative ways to build one, and it’s easier than you might think. Reuse old gadgets, jars, bottles, or household items no one pays attention to and turn them into secret storage.
- Pop off the top of a spray deodorant can, remove the inner core, stash your stuff, and put the cap back on. Instant disguise!
- Empty food containers or drink bottles work great and blend right into your room. Line them well and hide in the freezer for extra stealth.
- Choose your stash container based on what you’re hiding—not everything fits in a bottle or can.
Keep it on you. For small items, the simplest trick is to just carry them. Wallets, coat pockets, or your daily bag work well—just remember to empty them before laundry day.
- Be clever with your clothing—add hidden pockets inside sleeves or collars using glue, stitching, or tape.
- Tape items to the inside of your shoes. The toe area in pointy shoes works especially well.
- Flat stuff like money or notes? Slip them under your shoe’s insole.
- Some sneakers even have built-in hidden compartments in the heel or tongue—perfect for discreet storage.
Explore hidden spaces in electronics. Devices like game consoles, DVD players, or TVs often have flaps or compartments where you can stash small items. Just be sure your parents don’t regularly use or check those features.
- Double-check that you're not stuffing anything into a port or button that controls important functions like resetting or networking.
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Use the attic space. Attics are ideal for long-term hiding since they’re rarely visited. Stash your item somewhere easy for you to reach but not immediately visible if someone else enters.
- Wrap the item in a garbage bag and disguise it beneath old, unwanted clothing.
- Label the bag something boring like "Holiday Décor" so it stays untouched until a specific time of year.
Team up with a friend. Ask a friend to hold onto your item if they’ve got more space and it won’t cause issues for them. If your stash includes snacks or soda your parents disapprove of, a friend’s house can be the perfect spot.
- Ensure your belongings are marked or hidden well so they don’t get used or mistaken for someone else’s.
Invest in a portable safe. While your parents may raise an eyebrow, a safe can keep items secure if hidden cleverly, like in the attic.
- A mini fridge with a lock can double as a safe and will seem less suspicious if left out in the open. Choose one with a locking feature.
- Disguise the safe with cardboard to make it look like an ordinary storage box.
Create a hollow book. This clever hiding trick works well if you’re an avid reader. Just make sure the book fits your usual reading interests.
- Keep a second, unaltered copy of the book on hand in case someone wants to borrow it.
- You can also hollow out old VHS tapes or DVD cases and store them with similar unused items to disguise them.
- Some websites offer custom hollow books that match your storage size needs.
Stash your items outdoors. Hiding things outside gives you more room and reduces the chance your parents will find them. Be cautious so others don’t stumble upon your stash.
- Use well-concealed spots like dense bushes or wooded areas. Green carrier bags hidden in thick shrubs can work if kept out of sight.
- Consider the shed or garage for bulkier items. These places are rarely searched and mostly house seasonal gear.
- Bury your items underground, but make sure they’re protected from moisture and hidden where the soil doesn’t give it away.
- Use crawl spaces or spots beneath decks to stash things discreetly. Be ready to move them if the area is accessed for other uses.
Concealing Digital Information
Clear your browsing history. Most browsers keep a record of your internet activity, which can be easily checked. Head into your browser’s settings to delete specific sites or wipe everything.
- In Google Chrome, open Settings > History to view and delete browsing records. You’ll also find Privacy controls there.
- In Microsoft Edge, go to Settings and select “Choose what to clear” to pick which data to remove, like your browsing or download history.
- Disabling history tracking may raise red flags if your parents check it. If possible, set up separate browser profiles with their own settings, or selectively remove individual sites instead.
Secure sensitive files. Relocate files like messages or account details to password-protected folders and keep them out of obvious locations.
- Give them harmless filenames—“Homework Notes.txt” is better than “Passwords.txt.”
- Disguise them inside folders for unrelated apps, like a game’s save data folder.
- On Windows, use the “hidden” attribute in file Properties to hide files.
- Mac users may find it easier to physically move files to a less obvious location instead of hiding them digitally.
- Cloud storage tools like DropBox or OneDrive also add a layer of protection through login verification.
Use a lock screen on your phone. Set a password so no one can snoop through your messages or call history. Always lock your phone before setting it down, even for a moment.
- Create a strong, unpredictable password using letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Enable fingerprint or biometric locking if available for added protection.
- Apps like Snapchat can automatically delete messages and images, offering an extra layer of privacy.
Keep social media private. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook should be set to private to stop parents or others from viewing your content unless you approve them.
- Create a second account tailored for family viewing if you still want them to follow you without revealing everything.
- Customize your post visibility with tools like Facebook’s sharing controls, so you decide who sees what.
Always have a backup explanation. In case something is discovered—whether it’s a chat log or hidden item—have a reasonable story ready. It may not always work, but a well-thought-out excuse can save the day.
- Try something like, “That’s my friend’s, I’m just holding it,” or “My friend borrowed my phone and left that there.”
- Pick a friend your parents don’t know to avoid unwanted follow-up calls that could unravel your story.
- Don’t keep everything in one place. If that spot gets found, you lose it all.
- Be original—your sock drawer isn’t fooling anyone. Get creative with hiding places.
- Think about why you feel the need to hide things in the first place. Some items, like contraception, might not be as taboo as you think—your parents could appreciate your responsibility. Open communication is often better than concealment.
The suggestions here are inspired by real tips from Mytour readers. Got a smart idea? Share your advice using the form below and help others out!
- Use app hider software on your phone to cloak files, apps, or profiles under password protection. Suspicion might remain, but access won’t be easy.
- Slip small items into your hat or stash them discreetly in your undergarments. It’s unconventional, but it works in a pinch.
- Repurpose an old stuffed animal—cut a slit and tuck your item into the stuffing. Just make sure the cut stays hidden and secure.
- Use your school locker as a seasonal hiding spot. Lock it up during the year, then move the stash to your bag over summer.
- Hide things in the pockets of rarely worn clothes like tuxedos or formal dresses—places few people ever check.
Cautionary Notes
- No matter how clever your hiding method is, there’s always a risk of discovery. Stay ready for the consequences.
- Never stash items on someone else’s property without their permission—that crosses legal boundaries.
- Incognito mode won’t shield your activity from employers or ISPs, but it can keep this article off your browser history at home.
