How to Organize a Kitchen Junk Drawer

It's every kitchen's little dirty secret: the junk drawer. A junk drawer is a handy "go-to" drawer that houses an assortment of frequently used items. But do you know what's hiding in yours? If you're like most people, the answer is "no," but it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, you're just an hour away from having the most organized kitchen junk drawer on the block. This easy method for organizing your junk drawer is not only fast, but inexpensive, easy and practical too. An added bonus: this organizational technique can be applied to a number of common, yet seemingly overwhelming, organizational tasks! So let's get started.

Step 1. Clean it out.
There's a reason it's called a junk drawer, and you're about to be reminded. Make ample space on the kitchen counter top, and empty the contents of the junk drawer. Once the kitchen junk drawer is empty, grab some cleaning supplies and give it a good scrub-down. Any organized area starts with a clean space. If you feel the need, lay down shelf paper to keep the drawer in good condition, or to hide those especially stubborn spots that just won't budge.

Step 2. Toss and sort, sort, sort!
You're now looking at a pile (possibly large) of items from your kitchen junk drawer and wondering where to start. Don't worry, I'm here to help. First, throw out all the obvious trash (old gum, expired coupons, exploded pens, keys to unknown locks.) Next, grab an old shoe box (or something similar) and set aside all the things that clearly don't belong in your kitchen junk drawer. For me, this includes things such as lip gloss, drill bits, a Slinky, a tennis ball, a TV remote control and a library card. Deciding what goes in your kitchen junk drawer is obviously a personal decision. But, if you don't think you'll use it at least once a month, then find another place for the item. The obvious trash is gone, and the objects that don't belong are set aside. You're now head-to-head with a group of items that you've determined belong in the kitchen junk drawer. Start sorting and don't stop until all items are accounted for: pens in one pile, batteries in another pile, coupons, extra house keys, to-go menus all in their own piles. Hang in there. The hard part is over, and you're doing great!

Step 3. Organize.
Using shallow organizational bins of various shapes and sizes is the best way to keep your junk drawer in ship-shape condition. You have two choices here. Shop for new organizational bins, or use plastic food storage containers you already have on hand.
Shopping for organizational storage bins can be fun. There are a number of materials and designs to choose from, and prices vary significantly. Plastic storage bins are usually basic in design and inexpensive. Metal and wood bins tend to offer a more attractive look, but require a bigger investment. Before you go shopping for your organizational bins, be sure to measure the drawer length, width and height of your kitchen junk drawer. Also, take a good look at size and shape of the items you'll be placing in the kitchen junk drawer and buy organizational storage bins accordingly.
While shopping is fun, recycling old plastic storage containers is economical. As you sort through your array of plastic food storage containers, you'll find that some no longer have lids. Medium sized, rectangular shaped plastic containers that have lost their lids are perfect for organizing pens, pencils, calculators, and even small scissors. Mini plastic snack containers are just the right size for paper clips, loose change, and keys.
Remember that your kitchen junk drawer should be handy- so place items such as pens and notepads toward the front of the drawer, and items you'll use less often toward the back. With a little trial and error, you'll come up with a kitchen junk drawer solution that not only looks fantastic, but encourages efficiency. Congratulations, you successfully organized your kitchen junk drawer. Just one more bit of advice...

Step 4. Keep it tidy; keep it organized!
Now that you're proud of your kitchen junk drawer's stellar organization, keep it that way! Consistently putting items back where they belong in the drawer and resisting the temptation to toss non-junk drawer items in the junk drawer are important lessons. Yet, most people find that no matter how hard they try, the kitchen junk drawer eventually becomes unorganized. The key to success is to "reorganize" before totally anarchy sets in. Just repeat the steps outlined above, and you'll see that the task of organizing your kitchen junk drawer is nearly effortless.