How to Clean Out Your Junk Drawer in Minutes

Is your junk drawer a chaotic mess of miscellaneous items that makes it impossible to find anything when you need it?

Between kids, work, and everything in between, it’s easy to neglect certain areas of your home. One area that tends to get neglected is the infamous junk drawer. You know the one I’m talking about – the drawer that’s stuffed with random items that you don’t know what to do with.

Well, today, I’m going to give you some tips on how to clean out your junk drawer once and for all.

It’s time to conquer that drawer and turn it into a functional, organized space that will make running your house easier and more efficient.

So let’s dive in and transform your junk drawer into a well-organized treasure trove!

Key Takeaways to Clean Out Your Junk Drawer

Transform your cluttered junk drawer into a functional and efficient space.
Sort items by category for an organized system & designate a home for each item using containers, labels, or other organizational tools.
Maintain organization with regular cleaning schedules and inventory checks to keep clutter at bay!

Transforming Your Junk Drawer into a Functional Space

Ah, the infamous junk drawer. Almost every household has one. It’s the designated space where we toss random small items that we don’t have a specific place for. The problem is, your junk drawer can quickly turn into a black hole of clutter and chaos. It’s time to take control of the situation and clean out your junk drawer once and for all.

As a mom, I know firsthand how messy things can get in your junk drawers, but with these tips, you’ll be on your way to a more organized home in no time.

Assess Your Junk Drawer Contents

Before diving into the decluttering process, it’s essential to assess the contents of your junk drawer.

For the first time in my life, I do not own a junk drawer! This hasn’t always been the case! I have always had a drawer full of miscellaneous items, like the dogs pee bags, pens always seem to find their way in, as do several pairs of scissors, and lots more junk!

The best thing you can do to clean out your junk drawer is to pull everything out of it. You can either use a plastic bag or a paper bag to put stuff in, or you can use a tubberware.

Get rid of any broken items, or pen lids or expired items you no longer use.

Sometimes, you find items you didn’t realize you still had, you forgot that you put them away when you were in a rush!

Once you’ve figured out what’s essential, it’s time to organize. As you’re emptying the drawer, sort everything into categories such as office supplies, tools, tech gadgets, and miscellaneous items. This will make it easier for you to go through your stuff.

Sort items in your junk drawer by category

After assessing the contents of your junk drawer, it’s time to sort items by category.

Create a streamlined system to easily locate your belongings. Group similar items together and establish specific categories that suit your household.

You don’t just find a junk drawer in the kitchen! You may also have one in your bedroom, or your home office, or the bathroom.

If you have several junk drawers and you are ashamed of that – don’t be.

I am going to show you how to organize each of your junk drawers so there is less junk and you can actually find what you need.

Now that you have your categories, start going through each pile one by one. Ask yourself if each item is useful, necessary, or something that you haven’t used in months (or even years). If it’s not something you need or use, toss it in the garbage or recycling bin. This rule applies to items like expired coupons, pens that bo longer work, old receipts, and broken items that can’t be fixed.

Be honest with yourself about what you need and what you don’t. If you haven’t used it – get rid of it.

After organizing your items into categories, utilize small containers or storage solutions like jars or Ziploc bags. This will prevent mixing items and ensure your junk drawer remains organized. So when you’re trying to find something, you might actually be able to find it.

Wherever your junk drawers are, they need to make sense. So, if you have a kitchen “junk” drawer, it should have things you use in the kitchen, it should not have old makeup brushes, or craft stuff in it!

Later in this post, we will delve into some truly awesome ways to store your stuff.

Designate a Home for Each Item

With your items sorted into categories, it’s now time to designate a home for each item within your junk drawer. By assigning a specific place for each item, you’ll be able to maintain the organization and prevent clutter from accumulating.

Organize your items by using containers, labels, or other tools! Many of these you can probably find at home. Here is a label maker that works perfectly to help you make labels for your stuff.

Keep everything in its designated spot for easy access and a clutter-free junk drawer.

Organize Your Drawers

Reorganize using supplies you have at home

When it comes to organizing your junk drawers, you really don’t need to spend any money on traditional storage organizers.

You can put on your thinking cap and see what you have around that would work,

A small muffin tin is perfect for paper clips, rubber bands, thumb tacks, erasers. Anything small can easily be separated out in a muffin tin, and now you can find exactly what you need in no time at all.
Small tubberwares are perfect to keep hair ties in, or screws, or craft supplies.
You can keep it really simple and go with clear plastic bags or zip locks, just label the front so you know what’s in there.
Repurposing sturdy cardboard, baby food jars, or even gum containers to neatly stash away items like paper clips, thumbtacks, and erasers can work really well too.

Transforming containers you already have at home is a savvy and wallet-friendly method to craft one-of-a-kind storage solutions for your cluttered drawer.

Use drawer dividers

If you prefer to go the traditional way, get some drawer dividers so your junk drawers will make some sense, and you can find what you need easily enough.

Drawer divers can work really well for any kind of junk drawer, such as your junk drawer in the bathroom, or your craft room, or the play room.

They allow you to see exactly what you have in the drawer at all times, just make sure not to let them overflow, because then they just become a huge mess!

This bamboo divider wouldl work well for your kitchen drawers.
These dividers are wonderful when you need to create different and change the sizes available.
I like this type for your office or craft room to keep pens in, or post it notes etc
A see through divider is always a good idea, because you can see what exactly is in there.
These work brilliantly because they have different sizes so you can just toss the various items in there and it still looks neat.

These creative solutions can help you achieve and maintain a well-organized junk drawer, that’s both functional and visually appealing.

Label, label, label

Labels are your new best friend. Grab a label maker or create some with paper and tape, or use a sharpie. Label your small containers, trays, and your plastic bags.

Basically label everything in the drawer! This will make a huge difference when you need to find something, instead of having to check through all your items, you will be able to check each label to find exactly what you are looking for.

Maintaining an Organized Junk Drawer

Now that your junk drawer has been transformed into a functional and organized space, it’s essential to maintain each drawer so you don’t get to the point where your drawers are overflowing once again!

In the following sections, I will show you how to set up a regular cleaning schedule, decide if something is a keepr or not, and conduct periodic inventory checks.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your junk drawer remains clutter-free and efficient for the long term.

Set a Regular Cleaning Schedule

Establishing a routine for cleaning out your junk drawer is crucial for preventing clutter from accumulating once again.

Keep your drawer organized and tidy by establishing a consistent cleaning routine. Don’t let messes accumulate – stay on top of them!

Follow the golden rule and clean out your junk drawer every three months.

Think Before You Store

Being conscious of what you store in your junk drawer is another great way to maintaining organization. Each time you add an item to your drawer, consider whether it’s necessary and if it belongs where you are putting it. By practicing mindful storage, you’ll prevent unnecessary items from cluttering your drawer and you will prevent unnecessary storing of certain items over the course of time.

Organize your drawer effortlessly by grouping items based on their purpose or use. This simple trick ensures that everything has a designated spot and saves you valuable time in finding what you need. Say goodbye to clutter and hello to a neatly organized junk drawer.

Conduct Periodic Inventory Checks

Periodically checking the contents of your junk drawer is essential for maintaining organization. Inventory checks will help you ensure that everything still belongs in the drawer and is in its designated place. During these checks, remove any items that are no longer needed or broken.

Check pens and markers to see if they still work.
Check any small items such as rubber bands, screws, batteries to make sure they are still needed.
Get rid of expired recipts and coupons.

By conducting periodic inventory checks, you’ll be able to identify any areas of disorganization and address them before they become overwhelming. This proactive approach to maintaining your junk drawer will ensure that it remains an efficient and functional space in your home.

Summary of Cleaning Out Junk Drawers

In conclusion, a well-organized junk drawer can significantly improve the efficiency and functionality of your home. By assessing your junk drawer contents, sorting items by category, designing a home for each item, and implementing creative organization solutions, you can transform your cluttered drawer into a functional space.

To maintain a non cluttered drawer, make sure you store your items correctly, in some type of organizer, and label everything!

Set a regular cleaning schedule, and go through your drawer every 3 months to clean it out again.

With these steps in place, you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of a well-organized junk drawer and make your daily life easier and more efficient.

The Benefits of a Well-Organized Junk Drawer

Having a well-organized junk drawer can make a significant difference in the efficiency and hassle-free operation of your home. Imagine being able to find that lucky pen or chip clip without digging through a pile of miscellaneous items, making your daily life so much easier. A well-organized junk drawer is just like having a home organizer at your fingertips.

Saves time and reduces stress

When your junk drawer is organized, you’ll save lots of time looking for things that you need.

Picture this scenario: Imagine trying to find a pair of scissors in a chaotic mess of items just to open your child’s toy package. Frustrating, right? With a well-organized junk drawer, everything has a designated place, making it easy to locate what you need.

Maximizes space

Maximizing space is especially important for moms who need every inch of storage they can get. A disorganized junk drawer takes up unnecessary space. A space where you could store other things. But, by organizing it, you’ll be able to fit more items in there and still be able to easily access them.

Stop buying things you already have

An organized junk drawer can save money. How many times have you bought a replacement item only to find the original later hiding in the depths of the drawer? When everything is organized, you can easily see what you have and avoid spending wasted money.

So go ahead, open that drawer, and get started on your path to a clutter-free life!

Things To Get Rid of In Your Junk Drawer

These are things you need to get rid of from the junk drawer in your house today!

To go menus
Batteries that no longer work.
Expired coupons.
Coins – put them in your purse and use them.
Buttons – put them with your sewing kit.
Screws – put them back in the garage.
Chargers and chords – find a new home for these.
Hot sauce and soy packets – put these in the fridge so you actually use them. (If they’ve been in the drawer for a while, throw them out).
Pens – I would keep one pen in the drawer and put the rest in your home office.
Paperclips – put these in your home office too.

Anything that doesn’t make sense to be in a junk drawer, get rid of it, or put it where it will most likely be used.

I hope this helps you to clean out your junk drawer, just looking at a junk drawer sometimes can stress you out. If you take the time to clean it out to where it comes a time saver and reduces stress in your life – do it!

Take a few minutes to tidy up that junk drawer? Your future self will thank you!