We all have a junk drawer. It’s the place in our office or kitchen where we throw old receipts, loose change, and soy sauce packets. It’s the drawer we choose to ignore. It’s inevitable to have a drawer for miscellaneous knick-knacks, and keeping it organized requires focus. Here are some tips to help transform your junk drawer into a tidy place for odds and ends:
“Is this garbage?”
Oftentimes, items are relegated to the junk drawer because we fear needing them later. We walk over to the trashcan and are filled with existential dread. It’s just easier to save than commit something to disposal. Saving an item may seem easier than throwing it out, but we often spend more time in the long term disposing of things later. Think about whether or not you will actually need an item before you save it, no matter how small. When in doubt, throw it out.
“Does this belong somewhere else?”
If your item survives the first step, the next thing to consider is an alternative storage solution. Ask, “Is this drawer really the best place for this to live?” Soy sauce packets, for example, will most likely be forgotten if they’re stored alongside bills and thumbtacks. A better place for disposable condiments is a box in the pantry, your refrigerator, or your spice cabinet.
Organize the Rest
If an item is deemed important enough to save, store it in a way that will help you find it later. It is helpful to group items by function or purpose. Here are some other tips to help you get organized:
- Buy a junk drawer organizer to sort your clutter or use existing boxes from around your house. Shoeboxes, business card boxes, or any other box will do. If it is too tall for your drawer, simply cut off the top portion.
- Receipts can be organized alphabetically (by store), by date purchased, or by the last day an item can be returned for a refund.
- Change is much more useful when stored by denomination, like in a cash register. That way, you can quickly grab exact change when needed.
Get Organized Today
For more organization tips, contact your closet and organization experts at Closets & Storage Concepts Charlotte. Call today for a free, in-home consultation!
Photo by Ryan Dickey, licensed through Creative Commons 2.0 Generic.