Tips for Finally Getting Your Unruly Junk Drawer Under Control

Female workplace. White work table. The stylish gold stationery is arranged very neatly in the drawers of the desk. Japanese storage method.

By Jane Lee, organizing expert and founder of Poke-A-Dot Organizer, shares her go-to tips

Most people have at least one junk drawer. It tends to be in the kitchen, but it can reside anywhere there is an accessible, or sometimes inaccessible, empty drawer. It is usually stuffed to the brim and can contain everything from takeout menus, old mail, ketchup packets, batteries and other odds and ends. Instead of shoving more items into it daily and pretending not to notice that it isn’t closing, it is time to finally tackle and organize your junk drawer. 

Below are tips from Jane Lee, organizing expert and founder of Poke-A-Dot Organizer.

Ready, set, go! 

  • Getting started can be very overwhelming. Begin with a clean area where you can place all of your junk such as the dining room table or a counter. 
  • Pull out everything from the drawer and set it onto the clean area that you chose. Don’t forget to bring along the garbage can! Separate “junk” from “necessities”. Do you really need that 8th grade picture of your son who is now 37? 
  • Next, use a damp towel to clean out the drawer. Make sure to get into the corners to remove all those lovely, bug attracting crumbs.  

Divide and conquer.

  • Separate your items into categories. All your screwdrivers and tools go into one pile, pens and writing utensils in another, tacks and nails in another, etc. 
  • Utilize plastic bins or organizers in your junk drawer to help keep items grouped together. The Poke-A-Dot Organizer allows you to create customizable spaces or slots to hold your items instead of going through the hassle of trying to find the “perfect” one in store! 
  • Bonus tip: Make sure to measure your drawer before buying any bins or organizers to ensure that they will fit inside. This will save you from having to make multiple trips to the store!

Take a breather and think.

  • Before you even start to tackle your junk drawer or any cleaning project, make sure you have enough time to get the task done so you aren’t rushing.  
  • Take breaks if you need to. Don’t rush through the process just so you can be done. You’ll end up keeping items you don’t really need. 
  • Make sure to ask yourself two important questions throughout your junk drawer cleaning: Do I really need this item? Have I used it in the last year? 
  • Finally, give yourself credit that you are organizing the drawer that has gathered dust over the years. Whether it takes one hour or a month, good job, you did it! 
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