Start Your Spring Cleaning with the Family Junk Drawer
When I was growing up, we had a junk drawer in the kitchen that was so full the drawer often stuck when you tried to open it. Maybe it was a pair of scissors that had gotten lodged in the back, or maybe it was a sheaf of pizza menus that was catching. If there was an order to it, only my mom was aware of it. I distinctly recall her trying to keep it in order and discouraging the rest of the family from throwing any old thing in there. As a kid, it seemed pointless, just a way of delaying the inevitable task of sorting through a bunch of odds and ends and probably throwing most of it in the trash.
Now that I'm all grown up and have a place of my own, I recognize the importance of the junk drawer (also known as a crap cupboard in some families) and don't think any space is complete without one.
How it's kept and maintained, however, is a different story. In order for the space to serve a purpose, it must contain items that your family will actually use or might need in an emergency or a pinch. You never know when a roll of duct tape will save the day--or just your shower head.
Banish your junk drawer anxiety and get more organized today by following these four tips:
1. Empty it Out: This is the annoying part that makes us not want to tackle the task to begin with, but it's absolutely necessary. If you don't empty out all of the contents, you'll just end up missing stuff (read: junk) that you might have tossed if it was right in front of you. Find a place where you can focus and see the job through.
2. Examine the Contents: Nail clippers, safety pins, random shirt buttons? These small items don't necessarily belong in the garbage, but they do deserve a more clearly designated home. If you haven't thought ahead and purchased drawer dividers and organizers, use clear plastic sandwich bags as a temporary solution. Most of the paper can go (unless important receipts got mistakenly filed with the rest) including delivery menus, pamphlets and yoga schedules, all of which can probably be located online, saving you from a mess of crumpled brochures. You'll probably also come across plenty of things that don't belong in there at all but, rather, have a place in the medicine cabinet or in the toolbox. Don't just toss these back in the drawer; return them to their rightful destinations.
3. Get Organized: Now that you've assessed the drawer's total contents--getting rid of stuff your family has no use for, creating piles for items that are similar and moving things that don't belong in the designated "junk" drawer--you can get on with organizing the interior of the actual drawer. An organizational tray is important, but if you don't have one on-hand, see if there's anything else around the house that might work equally well. An ice-cube tray, for example, could house small items, and an old cutlery separator could hold bigger items.
4. Maintain the Order: Ok, so now you've got a neat and orderly drawer. When you open it, you recognize every item looking back at you, and it doesn't catch from being overstuffed when you pull it out. Make a point to keep it that way. Yes, it's a junk drawer and some random items are going to end up finding a home in it, but try not to resort to tossing things in there lazily. Make your goal maintaining the order's disorder. Don't stop at the junk drawer! Why not move on to the desk, whose contents you've been neglecting?
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