20 Days, 3 Ways, __Bags: Junk Drawer

I am probably safe to say we all have one: a junk drawer.

Some junk drawers literally do consist of JUNK – half of the stuff in them is not even worth keeping. Some junk drawers consist of the biggest hodge-podge of stuff – batteries, gum, tape, you name it.
Some junk drawers are so full that you can’t even open it to see what’s in it!
Some junk drawers serve a purpose – a practical purpose.

Which category does yours fit in? Ours USED to be a couple of those things – filled with stuff we didn’t need, a hodge-podge, and half the time we couldn’t open it all the way. Okay, so the 3 big ones. It consisted of a little of this, a little of that. Now, we are getting it to the 4th – the junk drawer having a practical purpose. Instead of calling it our “junk” drawer, I like to think of it as our “all-purpose” drawer.

So how do you convert a junk drawer that you can’t even open to an all-purpose drawer?

1. Empty out the whole thing. For some, this may mean taking up the whole floor because the kitchen counter won’t be big enough!

2. Make sure each item BELONGS in there. If you have an office, but your office supply items in your office (like paper clips, rubber bands, etc.). Make sure everything has a PLACE.

3. Is anything broken or missing a piece? If so, get rid of it – recycle or trash it – fill a bag!

4. If you keep tools in there, make it minimal – like ONE screw driver (not the whole set).

5. Be thinking if there is a BETTER place to store something

6. Consider relocating your junk drawer! Often junk drawers are in the kitchen because it seems to be the most logical place. What if you moved it to another room? Would that force you to put things away in the right place after you used them?

7. Don’t shy away from getting rid of things – fill up those bags! You don’t need 100s of pens/pencils. You maybe need 10. You don’t need 50 batteries – you maybe need only 10. Yes, they may have been on a good deal, but is it worth the space they take up?

8. Everything in that drawer should be practical – something that you use often. It is taking up precious space in your kitchen (unless you relocated it), so make sure it serves it’s purpose!

Now, is your drawer a junk drawer or an all-purpose drawer? It takes some time. You may have to go through it a few times to make sure you clean out as much clutter as your can. Filling up bags to donate, recycle, or trash, is something we need to keep working towards! Your house, your drawers, and your closets will thank you!