Junk drawers are spaces in your home where random stuff is stored. The stuff might be useful, but it doesn't have a designated home and the result is a drawer full of clutter. For those of you with a cluttered junk drawer, consider the following strategies to clean it out:
1. Sort and remove your stuff.
After you've taken all the stuff out of your junk drawer, the Everyday Minimalist suggests going through each pile and throwing out "what is really too small or unable to be useful for anything in the foreseeable future. Test what you can to make sure they still work such as pens for ink. If that red pen is dried out & useless, now is the time to toss it!"
2. Make sure everything has a home.
Rather than throwing a hodgepodge of stuff into a drawer, find a home for each items. If your stuff has a designated place to hang out, this will make your life a lot easier. For instance, the next time you look for your tape measure you won't have to sort through your junk drawer!
3. Blockade the problem area.
For me, this meant taping the junk drawer shut. By putting stuff away or blocking off an clutter-prone area, your house will become less cluttered and more organized. And remember if you haven't used the item in 30 days, donate it to charity!
Tammy Strobel blogs at RowdyKittens about simple living and is the author of Simply Car-free: How to Pedal Toward Financial Freedom and a Healthier Life.
The Ace of Space is a biweekly column that will provide you with the tips and tools to live lightly and creatively in a small space.
