Tips for an Organized Junk Drawer
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Do you have a junk drawer?
If it’s overstuffed and disorganized, do not dismay. An organized junk drawer is possible. And necessary.
Suffice it to say, we all know that feeling of looking in your junk drawer and not being able to find anything.
It’s frustrating to try and get things done when you’re constantly digging through piles of stuff.
So, let’s look at how easy it is to organize your junk drawer so that the next time you need something, it’s right where it should be.
Remove all the items:
As simplistic as this may sound, the first step is removing everything from the drawer. This will give you a good idea of what you’re working with and make it easier to see what needs to be kept and what can be thrown away.
Don’t try to organize while things are still in the drawer. That will only lead to more confusion and a bigger mess.
Don’t be surprised if you come across things you haven’t seen in a while!
Once you remove everything, be sure to wipe down the inside of the drawer thoroughly. I mean, when was the last time that drawer had a good clean?
If you want to put down shelf liner once the drawer is dry, feel free to do so. It adds a nice touch and makes cleaning easier.
Separate the items into piles:
Now that everything is out of the drawer, it’s time to start sorting. You want to keep like items together. This gives you a chance to pare down your multiples. And make decisions. For instance, how many glue sticks do you need?
Keep in mind that among your piles, you’ll have a trash pile, a pile of things to be re-housed and potential donations.
You want to ensure that what will remain in the drawer is only what’s useful or necessary for efficient functioning in that space.
Do your best to be honest with yourself and only keep what you will use.
Throw out the trash:
This next step is no surprise. To have an organized junk drawer, you’ll need to throw out anything that is broken or no longer functions. This might be an old phone charger you’ve been hanging onto for years or excess dried-up glue sticks 😊.
There’s no need to clutter up your drawer with things that won’t be of any use to you.
Essentially, this is the easiest step. Anything that is broken, unusable, or doesn’t have a home should be tossed in the trash, or donated if it’s in good enough condition.
Plan how you will store your items:
It’s important to measure your drawer to help you determine the type and size of storage that will work best.
When it comes to organizing your drawer, it’s good to stick with square or rectangular-shaped dividers. This will help maximize the amount of space you have and make it easier to find what you need.
However, it all boils down to preference.
At the end of the day, there are a variety of ways to organize your junk drawer. Here are just a few organizing solutions to get it in order and maintain an organized junk drawer.
Drawer dividers:
If you have a lot of items that need to be separated into different categories, drawer dividers can be a great way to do this. You can find these at most home improvement stores or online.
Cutlery trays:
A cutlery tray is a great way to organize your stuff. They have a variety of compartments that can be used to store different items.
It doesn’t have to be used just for cutlery either! You can use it to store utensils, gadgets, or other small things.
Makeup trays:
Here’s another multi-purpose organizer that offers an elegant and efficient solution to organize your junk drawer.
DIY:
Get creative and create your own dividers. This is easy on the wallet and adds a nice personal touch.
Return the items to the drawer:
Next, put back only those items that belong there – like pens, paperclips, batteries etc., as well as any tools or utensils needed for daily tasks like opening jars or tightening screws.
The important thing is to quickly see what you’re looking for and to be able to grab it without having to search through a pile of unrelated items. At the end of the day, you want what you’re keeping to be accessible and to look neat.
Keep your junk drawer neat:
Now that you’ve got an organized junk drawer, it’s important to keep it that way. These simple steps will help:
Put back the items that belong there:
This is probably the most important step. If you don’t put back the items that belong there, your drawer will quickly become messy again.
Declutter regularly:
The best way to keep your drawer organized is to declutter it regularly. Consider a weekly or monthly purge to get rid of any excess or unused items.
Resist the temptation to have several junk drawers:
One of the easiest ways to keep your junk drawer organized is to resist the temptation to have multiple junk drawers. If everything is consolidated in one place, it will be easier to keep track of and organize.
Recap
Although it might seem daunting, organizing your junk drawer is a relatively easy task. All you need are some basic supplies and a little bit of patience.
Just to recap, the first step in organizing your junk drawer is figuring out what needs to stay and what needs to go. Once everything has been sorted into piles, throw away anything broken or unusable. Then, put back only those items that belong there, using an efficient drawer divider or separator storage system. Now isn’t that better than having a messy pile of stuff?
So, there you have it! A foolproof guide to organizing your junk drawer. We hope these tips help make your life a little bit easier (and less cluttered). Happy organizing!