31 Days to a Clutter Free Life: Junk Drawer (Day 8)

Day 8: Junk Drawer

While maintaining a “junk” drawer might seem counter-intuitive to a challenge that is intended to rid our lives of excess clutter, the reality is that this type of catchall space holds an important purpose in a well organized, clutter-free home. The fact is, not every single item we own can be easily categorized into a larger, more purposeful space. Sometimes we just need a place to hold on to the little things so we know where to find them when we need them. That said, it is also important to keep this space from becoming too, well, junky.

 Objective: An organized an purposeful “junk drawer” that serves as a catchall for life’s little necessities that otherwise might not have a home.

Assess the current situation: What is the current state of your junk drawer? Do you actually use the items that are found there? Do you currently throw things in at random, or do only certain things belong? Do you have more than one junk drawer? How many catchall drawers do you think are realistically necessary in your home? What are your biggest clutter struggles when it comes to your junk drawer? What would you like to change?

Assignment:

1. Declutter. If you have multiple junk drawers, only focus on one drawer at a time. Empty the drawer of all contents, then sort and purge:

Keep only items that:

• Are currently useful
• Are in good condition and good working order
• Don’t have another home

Do not items that:

• Belong somewhere else
• Are broken, damaged, or missing key pieces
• You feel obligated to keep because they were expensive
• You feel obligated to keep because they were a gift
• Drive you crazy
• You don’t use
• You don’t need or want

2. Get rid of unwanted items. Donate them to a local thrift shop if appropriate, or consider selling any expensive items that may be valuable on Craigslist or Facebook.

 3. Create a functional storage space for your remaining junk drawer items. Be sure to sort them in a way that makes sense and makes them easy to access. Use drawer dividers to create specific areas for each item, and LABEL EVERYTHING so that everyone in your family knows where each item belongs!

 

 

1. Tidy & Tucked Away (RealSimple.com)

2. Unclutter Your Drawers (LiveSimplyByAnnie.com)

3. Divide & Conquer (Umbrinco.com)

4. Tame Your Junk (BHG.com)

5. Everything Organized (ContainerStore.com)