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Junk drawer

Junk drawer—love it or hate it

The holiday season is here. Lots to do. Too little time. You’re wrapping gifts and preparing goodie bags with name tags. But you can’t find scissors, tape or stapler in your junk drawer. Next comes the frantic search around the house or unplanned trip to the store. That’ll probably waste an hour. Learn how to organize your junk drawer in just 15 minutes.

The ubiquitous junk drawer. We put things in there that we expect to need and easily find. Does yours work that way?

Why it’s a jumbled mess

  • All kinds of things are thrown in there without considering if that’s where they should go
  • There is no system
  • Calling it a junk drawer
  • Junk begets more junk

How to organize your junk drawer in 15 minutes

  • Empty the contents on a large, clear surface
  • Decide which things to keep in the drawer
  • Sort similar items into groups (pens, markers, tape, Post-its)
  • Place similar groups near each other
  • Look around the house for appropriate containers
  • Put everything that belongs elsewhere in a bin to distribute later
  • Toss stuff that’s trash

7  Tips

  1. From now on, call it your “go-to” or “handy stuff” drawer
  2. Store just small amounts here
  3. Make sure things work properly before adding them
  4. Add other items that would be handy to keep here
  5. Buy appropriately sized containers if what you initially used doesn’t work well
  6. Restock as items run low
  7. Maintain results by returning things where they belong immediately after use

Use drawer organizers to get things organized and keep them in their place.

Your drawer can look and function similar to mine, if you want (see photo). Little changes help to make life easier.

Successfully completing a small organizing project may motivate you to try a little larger project, like a coat closet – just in time for holiday guests!

As an organizing and productivity consultant since 2000, I help people lead more productive and fulfilling lives, at home and work, by teaching how to get and remain organized. As a home stager, I prepare homes for sale that sell quickly for top dollar. Contact me for a free discovery call.

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