There’s one in every house. The Junk Drawer. The place where all those assorted bits and pieces get thrown because you can’t think where else to put them. Usually it’s in the kitchen, sometimes in the study or workshop, but wherever it’s located, it’s a mess. It’s the resting place for keys that don’t unlock anything in your current house, strange objects with no obvious purpose, and the list goes on.
The good news is that you can get your junk drawer under control. The first step is to dump it all out on the floor and start sorting through it. Create 3 piles:
- Stuff you recognise and may need one day
- What the heck is that? pile
- Things that don’t belong in the other piles
Now throw out the second pile. Immediately. Don’t listen to the “I might need it one day” thoughts.
For the rest, take a look at the first pile and get an idea of the shape and size of the remaining objects. The easiest way to get your junk drawer under control is by creating compartments.
So depending on what junk you still have, you might need to buy some long rectangular drawer trays. Places like KMart have plenty of options. Alternatively, something as simple as a cutlery drawer insert would work. Another option is to use square containers or baskets to group similar items.
If you don’t have consistent sizes, then clear plastic ziplock bags are another good way to group similar items and allow for easy identification. For small items, film canisters can work for small items such as buttons or drawing pins.
For a cheap or temporary option, create dividers using strips of cardboard, notching the ends and locking them together. That will keep everything in check until you source something more permanent. For smaller items, egg carton cups are another good temporary solution.
The end result is a drawer that may still contain a lot of junk, but because it’s neatly compartmentalised, it’s easy to instantly see whatever it is you’re looking for.
And that 3rd pile? If you’re very brave, throw that one out too. Otherwise, put the pile in a box, write today’s date on it and tuck it away in the back corner of a cupboard. If you find it again after more than a year and haven’t needed anything in it before then, THEN you can throw it all out with a clear conscience.