You may be surprised (and relieved) to know that I, a professional organizer, heartily approve of having a junk drawer. I even have one myself. But the key here is that I have one drawer, and it's easy to find what I need in it. Here are some tips to transform your junk drawer (or drawers) into a resource, rather than a nightmare.
Take everything out.Empty the contents (remove the drawer, if you can, and dump it out) onto your countertop or into a shallow box or jellyroll pan lined with paper towels to protect the finish.
Sort the items.Use your countertop to group the rubber bands, paperclips, mislaid game pieces, and other similar items together, using whatever categories make sense to you. Be sure to include a category for unidentified items, and check with other household members to identify them.
Toss the junk.Although it's called a junk drawer, its true purpose should be to hold miscellaneous, useful items. In fact, from here on, I'll refer to it as the "utility" drawer. Evaluate the items you've reviewed during the sorting process. Get rid of the bits of string, dead batteries, parts to things you no longer own, stale gum, etc. True junk belongs in the garbage.
Get rid of items you won't use.Junk isn't just the obvious things mentioned above. It also includes things that are not of use to you. Throw away anything that remains unidentified, or that you won't use. Don't get caught saving things you may need "someday" unless that day will occur in the next 6 months or so. If you can't bear to toss perfectly good items that you won't use, donate them. Don't let these questionable items take up your valuable space.
Relocate the items that already have a home.Sometimes it may seem easier and less time-consuming to toss things into the utility drawer than put to them away. While this may be true initially, just remember how hard it will be to find these things later. Put away the items that belong elsewhere, and resolve to continue this practice in the future. It will save you time and frustration in the long run. If you're using your utility drawer to hold mementos (e.g., your child's artwork, a special coin, a meaningful greeting card), I suggest you find another place. Your treasures may get lost, tossed, or damaged if they're kept here. Find a special place (e.g., a box under your bed or the drawer of your nightstand) for these special items. Here are some things that are typically appropriate to store in a utility drawer: a flashlight and spare batteries, scissors, tape, rubber bands, twist ties, small household tools, matches or a lighter, emergency candles, extra keys (only if you know what they belong to), a stapler and staples, stamps.
Find a convenient location.Your utility drawer should hold items that you need to access frequently or in an emergency. A kitchen drawer is usually ideal because it's in the heart of the home, where many people spend the majority of their time.
Organize what's left.The most common complaint I hear about utility drawers is that people can never find anything in them. That's commonly because they just toss things in any which way. Keep the categories you've created intact by using separate containers or dividers for each group. These don't have to be expensive: boxes from bank checks, plastic food storage containers, small gift boxes, ice cube trays, and empty film canisters are just a few examples of containers you can use. You can also purchase drawer dividers or divided trays at the store. Be sure to label the containers or divided sections - this eliminates confusion about what belongs where, making it easy to get things back where they belong.
Teach other household members where things belong.Let them know that the former junk drawer is now the utility drawer. It's a place to conveniently store useful items, not a catchall for things they don't want to bother putting away. Be sure to clean the drawer out regularly. If you do revert back to calling it a "junk" drawer, make sure that it only warrants this name because it contains a variety of items, not because it looks junky.
Copyright 2003, Sue Becker, From Piles to Smiles. Reprint
permission granted in whole or in part when the following credit appears:Reprinted with permission of From Piles to Smiles, http://www.pilestosmiles.com
