Getting Your Junk Drawer Organized
Isn’t it ironic that a junk drawer is born from our attempts to “clean up” or “organize” our counters?
How many of us have swept odds and ends off the kitchen counter into the perfect hiding spot – the junk drawer – right before company comes over? Almost every home has a junk drawer (or cabinet, or closet, or room!) of the stuff we don’t know what to do with. The problem is that these spaces become black holes of stuff that gets lost and forgotten! Taking time to organizing your junk drawer can not only de-clutter the space, but also the mental clutter that comes from the question “Now where did I put that…?”
Our professional organizer went to an organizing client’s home to help create paper systems. But, they first decided to take on the junk drawer. This couple’s junk drawer was like many of ours – disorganized, clogged with odds and ends, and nearly impossible to find things in! And, it was more like four drawers! The client knew that this “system” wasn’t working for them anymore and decided to tackle this project before taking on their paper systems.
This is what their junk drawers looked like before:
In just a couple of hours, our organizer helped the clients bring order to these drawers by giving each drawer a purpose. Organizing junk drawers starts by taking the time to assign a spot for the odds and ends that we usually avoid dealing with. After seeing what was actually in the drawers, the clients were able to assign a purpose to the space (rather than having it be a catch-all).
Now if they are looking for something specific, such as a pen or stamps, they know exactly where to look. Talk about clearing mental clutter! How many of us have put off mailing that ‘Thank You’ card or bill because we didn’t have time to dig for stamps?!
This is what the drawers look like now:
Using containers that they already had, and then adding a product (the white organizer) at the end of the project once they knew what they needed, this couple has taken back precious territory in their kitchen!
One morning, about a week after this project was completed, the couple noticed some ducks resting up against their glass sliding doors. The wife said “I wish we had a camera!” and the husband was able to proudly reply, “I KNOW WHERE IT IS!” He then went straight to the place in the drawers that was designated for the camera! Mission accomplished!
A simple, quick project with a big payoff! So, what’s hiding in your “junk” drawers? Maybe it’s time to find out!
Related:
- Learn more about getting hands on help from our professional organizers
- For DIY organizing resources, visit our webstore
