Jewelry and other important possessions not only hold economic value but also emotional value for a lot of people. So, it is only natural to think of ways to protect them and prevent them from being stolen. Many places at home may be safe to hide these valuable items, but there are also some obvious and not-so-safe options where jewelry should not be hidden or kept. Here are some common places to avoid hiding your jewelry:

1. Fridge
Hiding valuables and jewelry in a fridge has become quite popular, thanks to certain movies and shows in which people freeze cash and other valuables in the freezer. While it may seem like a good idea, it has now become a known place to hide valuables, so at the time of the break-in, the robbers may also check the fridge contents.

2. Drawers
This is another common place where homeowners usually hide their jewelry, hoping robbers will not find it. However, many robbers already expect this to be a good hiding place for homeowners and go straight to the closet. While people assume that the jewelry will be safely covered under the clothes, the robbers will simply toss everything aside and search relentlessly. This also means that the jewelry safely kept aside will be tossed out and can easily break or shatter.

3. Laundry basket
Keeping valuables in a dirty laundry basket may seem like a great idea, because who would want to go through that? But burglars are prepared to go through all the items in the house, so they will most likely go through the laundry basket as well. Additionally, robbers know that people usually keep spare cash or credit cards in their pockets and often forget to remove them before dumping clothes into laundry baskets. So, more often than not, the laundry basket will be among the first few things they check.

4. Closets
This is never a great idea because, apart from jewelry, a closet may contain other valuables like documents or identity cards. There are some closets where a hiding spot can be installed, but the robbers again expect that, and they can easily disassemble or break the furniture to check. However, if a homeowner has found a way to conceal a hiding spot, some items can be kept there if necessary.

5. Under the mattress
Keeping valuables under the mattress again is not a good idea. It’s one of the first places robbers might check, as people often tend to keep cash, documents, or important files under their mattresses. Most thieves are often armed and don’t care if someone is sleeping on the mattress. They might try to intimidate homeowners and harm them. For this very reason, it’s essential not to keep jewelry or other valuables in children’s rooms.

6. Over the sink cabinet
Why would anyone go through the mirror cabinet above the washbasin, which may just contain certain treatment products? Some of these products may also carry a lot of street value, and they may simply take them while going through the house. If they find anything valuable in there, they can then continue to search the bottles and boxes further to make sure nothing is inside them and, in the process, break more items.

7. Toilet tank
This one, too, is quite a popular hiding spot shown in TV shows and movies, so it’s not as genius a hiding place as it may seem for some. A robber might check inside the tank. So those who have cash or jewelry stored in waterproof bags and taped inside the tank should think of another secure spot to store their valuables.

8. Safety boxes or lockers
This usually makes for a great hiding spot, but not if the safety box or locker is easily visible or is known by anyone. There are many ways to conceal a safety box in furniture or walls to make it inconspicuous. Another thing to note is that safety boxes or lockers should not be mobile; otherwise, the easiest thing for a robber to do is to run away with them and figure out how to unlock them in a place where they won’t be caught.

Installing a security system at home is essential to make sure that the home is safe from burglars and break-ins. There are many sophisticated systems available on the market that can be easily installed with the help of a professional. Also, valuables and jewelry pieces that are not required or worn daily should be stored in a bank’s safety locker. One should also consider getting insurance on these valuables.