By Mary Lynne Murray
Reprinted from Contra Costa Times, July 26, 2003
AS YOU might guess, I see plenty of junk drawers. They seem to
be a morgue for remnants and rejects from days past. They include,
but are not limited to: a lifetime collection of twisty ties,
random buttons, safety pins, paper clips, pens that don't work,
remote controls that no longer control anything in the house (old
electronic parts are common), coins, old phone books, dried-up
glue, tattered school pictures of your now-married niece, freebies
that you never found a use for, dead batteries, phone cords, rubber
bands, mystery keys - junk.
First, the name needs to be changed, along with the mindset that
allowed the accumulation. Anything that can be called "junk"
does not belong in your home, claiming valuable storage space.
For junk, we have the trash, a recycling receptacle, or a donation
box. Call it whatever you like, perhaps "utility drawer";
or the "freedom drawer" to signify your successful conquering
of at least one clutter-free space in your home.
Dump the drawer contents onto a newspaper on the counter or floor.
(Utility drawers can be grimy.) Put only the things you actually
use back in the drawer. You will probably find that there is 50
percent less stuff in the drawer.
Tip: In general, I don't advise unloading a storage
space completely, because most will become overwhelmed or disillusioned
before the job is done. This drawer though, is doable in one short
session. Try not to spend more than an hour on this.
Use a drawer organizer to divide and conquer. Always sort and
purge before buying an organizing tool. As tempting as it may
be to shop for snazzy organizing gadgets, sorting first and buying
later will encourage appropriate purchases. Style choices are
available at the Container Store (www.thecontainerstore.com):
- Everything organizer, $6.99. Has two levels with 23 compartments.
- Custom drawer organizers, $3.49-18.99. Just measure, score
and snap dividers in self adhesive mounts to the desired length.
- Drawer doubler, $4.99. To use the space at the top of the
drawer; it rests on the top of the drawer frame, is adjustable
with 8 compartments, and slides from front to back.
- Mesh drawer organizers, $2.49-5.99. Made of steel that defies
dust. Customize by combining various sizes to fit your drawer.
- Interlocking drawer dividers 99 cents-$2.29. By Rubbermaid,
combine various sizes to fit your drawer.
Most drawers contain oodles of unidentified objects, which become
even more anonymous with time. The next time you have spare parts,
place them in a resealable bag and label, such as "shelf
holders - kitchen cabinets." Establish a hardware/tool drawer
for this type of leftover.
A periodic clean-out of your utility drawer will keep the useless
items away from the useful items, those used frequently. You may
notice that things get shoved in the drawer because there isn't
an obvious place for them. Ask yourself how the item is used,
and the answer will guide you. If you can't identify a specific
use, time to recycle, donate, or trash it.
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