Do I get any say in this?

[DawnM]

(ok, this is a lighthearted post, but it has had me scratching my head.)

I bought a new set of measuring cups and measuring spoons.  They are nicer than any I have ever gotten, and when they arrived, I put them in the drawers we usually keep serving and baking supplies in.

The boys/men in the family decided it would make more sense to put them in the junk drawer next to the stove top.  With the screwdrivers and measuring tapes.  So, that is where I found them this morning.

It is currently 3 against 1.  One additional young man thinks he should remain Switzerland.

HOW does this make sense?  But I don't do most of the cooking anymore, my husband or son do.  So, I guess I don't have a whole lot of say.

SIGH!

Edited February 27, 2020 by DawnM

[ashfern]

That's a weird place to store a product that touches food. Will that argument work? Honestly, the main cook gets to decide where to put things in our kitchen. That's me! Can you move the junk drawer somewhere else?

[DawnM]

9 minutes ago, ashfern said:

That's a weird place to store a product that touches food. Will that argument work? Honestly, the main cook gets to decide where to put things in our kitchen. That's me! Can you move the junk drawer somewhere else?

 

DH created the junk drawer!  I think their thinking is, measuring spoons and cups, measuring tape......DUH!

But I may see about moving the non-food touching items to another place.

And DH does most of the cooking these days.  He works from home 3 days per week and I get home so late......so he does a lot of it.

[regentrude]

My question is: why is prime drawer real estate next to the stove top wasted on stuff that doesn't have anything to do with the kitchen? I agree that it's a logical place for the measuring cups - but not for the other stuff.

In the end, the person who is doing the cooking gets the say.

[Soror]

I agree that it makes no sense but if I wasn't the main cook I'd try to go along with it, try.

[BlsdMama]

1 hour ago, DawnM said:

(ok, this is a lighthearted post, but it has had me scratching my head.)

I bought a new set of measuring cups and measuring spoons.  They are nicer than any I have ever gotten, and when they arrived, I put them in the drawers we usually keep serving and baking supplies in.

The boys/men in the family decided it would make more sense to put them in the junk drawer next to the stove top.  With the screwdrivers and measuring tapes.  So, that is where I found them this morning.

It is currently 3 against 1.  One additional young man thinks he should remain Switzerland.

HOW does this make sense?  But I don't do most of the cooking anymore, my husband or son does.  So, I guess I don't have a whole lot of say.

SIGH!

In my house the one who does the work gets the say.  So, a nod to your situation and I understand they're still emotionally attached to you because they're nice and your purchase, but I would choose the person using them the most gets to decide where they are most convenient.

[Lecka]

I would move the junk drawer and claim that drawer for kitchen things.  
 

Or if it’s just a few things like that, that would fit in a box/organizer, I would be okay with them being in a box/organizer in the same drawer as cooking things.  I think I would.  If they were dirty or people went in to get them with dirty hands, I would not be okay with it.  
 

I would move that stuff to be by the washer and dryer, or to the garage, or shed, or something.

[Lecka]

See, I would feel like I was being helpful to move those items and free up space in the kitchen.  And maybe he does want the measuring cups there.  But then the other things can move elsewhere.  
 

If my husband wanted to move things back I would let it go, but if it was just inertia causing that to be a junk drawer, I would move those things somewhere I thought would also be good.  

[barnwife]

How about a compromise? Put the old set in the junk drawer and the new one where you want it.

Really, though, I would explain to DH why his system drives me bonkers. Then, I'd try and accept whatever he does after that. However...I, like others, wonder why there is a junk drawer in that location. I might not be above just moving that somewhere else.

[DawnM]

17 minutes ago, Lecka said:

See, I would feel like I was being helpful to move those items and free up space in the kitchen.  And maybe he does want the measuring cups there.  But then the other things can move elsewhere.  
 

If my husband wanted to move things back I would let it go, but if it was just inertia causing that to be a junk drawer, I would move those things somewhere I thought would also be good.  

 

I actually put them where they *should* go when they arrived from Amazon, but they moved them.

[Renai]

Frankly, regardless of who cooks, things that touch food should not be with things like screwdrivers. That's just unsanitary and would drive me bonkers. Both dh and I cook. His tools aren't in a drawer in the kitchen by the stove though, so maybe the nonfood items should move..

[DawnM]

2 minutes ago, Renai said:

Frankly, regardless of who cooks, things that touch food should not be with things like screwdrivers. That's just unsanitary and would drive me bonkers. Both dh and I cook. His tools aren't in a drawer in the kitchen by the stove though, so maybe the nonfood items should move..

 

This is the screw driver and measuring tape that came with the house.  He has his own tools in the garage.

[SKL]

I agree with moving the junk elsewhere and keeping the cooking stuff near the stove.

I'm not a germophobe, but I can't see touching food with something from my junk/tool drawer.  And since you usually use those items on dry ingredients, washing them before use doesn't sound like a workable plan.  Your men heard these arguments and still insist on mixing tools with dishes?

If we were arguing about which dishes should go with which, then I would say leave it to (a) the cook and/or (b) whoever has to put the stuff away / fit it into the space.  But there are limits.  I would tell them to find a different home for anything that doesn't get washed after each use, then clean out and maybe line the drawer before putting cooking stuff back in there.

But it would be hard to fight any situation that involves the men cooking for me every day!  😛

[Lecka]

I think it's up to you.  You can just move this stuff and go "oh, it got moved there?"  Or you can let it be.  

I would move it.  But if it got moved back, I would let it be.  I do think I would try to have a little box so the things wouldn't touch within the drawer.  

Could those things go in a little box in the pantry?  On a shelf?  

We do have a screwdriver in a kitchen drawer, that is clean and only used for inside things that will not be messy at all, but it is in with things like pencils and index cards.  

 

[Renai]

2 minutes ago, DawnM said:

 

This is the screw driver and measuring tape that came with the house.  He has his own tools in the garage.

Tbh, I'm just happy yours stayed in the kitchen. All of my measuring things walk away... to the bathroom (dh puts oil in them for his electric razor), the toy box, outside... It's time for me to buy yet another set, actually.

We live in 659 sq ft and space is premium. We only have two drawers in the kitchen, so only things pertaining to cooking go there.

[Lecka]

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/core-kitchen-drawer-organizer-set/5040512

I would be fine with something like this, little tubs, if the screwdriver and measuring tape were clean and never used for anything grungy, and your husband and kids are the type who would make that distinction.  My husband does, he will use a screwdriver from the garage for grungy things, but likes to have a screwdriver handy a few places around the house.  

[Annie G]

Can you divide the drawer so junk stuff is separated from the measuring things that touch food?  It could be as easy as a gallon size ziploc bag to hold things like measuring tape and screwdriver and whatever else is ‘junk’, though I’d really prefer a wooden divider or something.  It would drive me crazy too. 

[DawnM]

28 minutes ago, Renai said:

Tbh, I'm just happy yours stayed in the kitchen. All of my measuring things walk away... to the bathroom (dh puts oil in them for his electric razor), the toy box, outside... It's time for me to buy yet another set, actually.

We live in 659 sq ft and space is premium. We only have two drawers in the kitchen, so only things pertaining to cooking go there.

 

I got this set and what I like about it is that the spoons have magnets in the center, so they stay together.  And the cups have a ring if you want to hang them.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P6H9XNS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I suppose you could also put up a metal plate type thing in your cabinet and magnetize all of them to it.

[PeterPan]

Like the others, I would say move the junk drawer contents to the laundry room or garage and put the measuring spoons/cups where they get used FIRST or LAST. 

[MysteryJen]

How it works in our kitchen is: whoever empties the dishwasher choses where things go.

No one likes to empty the dishwasher- but we all like to control where things go.

It has worked pretty well-over a couple of months we sorted out the living spaces for kitchen things.

I would move the measuring tape and screwdriver- probably they are not being used very regularly.

[Arcadia]

3 hours ago, DawnM said:

I bought a new set of measuring cups and measuring spoons.  They are nicer than any I have ever gotten, and when they arrived, I put them in the drawers we usually keep serving and baking supplies in.

 

I bought them for myself, I pick where I put them. Kitchen is my territory anyway 😂  If someone move my stuff, they would likely forget where they move the stuff to. I am also the official locate misplaced stuff person in my family  😛

[hjffkj]

36 minutes ago, MysteryJen said:

How it works in our kitchen is: whoever empties the dishwasher choses where things go.

No one likes to empty the dishwasher- but we all like to control where things go.

It has worked pretty well-over a couple of months we sorted out the living spaces for kitchen things.

I would move the measuring tape and screwdriver- probably they are not being used very regularly.

That would drive me insane. This is how things worked when my mom first moved in with us because she didn't know where anything went and didn't think to take the time to figure it out. She'd just empty the dishwasher and put things in any convenient drawer. Then the 3 people who do the cooking, dh, my dad, and me would spend a ridiculous amount of time looking for what we needed to prepare meals.

It got to the point where on a daily basis dh was getting really annoyed and he ended up not making a hot breakfast everyday anymore. 

So, him and I reorganized everything and had to put labels on all the drawers in hopes that she'd put things where they go. For the most part it is a non-issue now.

[hjffkj]

To the OP, next to the stove sounds like the perfect spot for measuring cups and spoons and as the main cook in my house that is where they are and I wouldn't let anyone move them from there permanently. But junk drawer stuff doesn't belong there at all.

[gardenmom5]

who does the cooking and baking?  that is the person who decides where they go.

[Tanaqui]

This is your spare screwdriver and measuring tape etc? Do you use those things regularly? If not, if it's really junk, why not toss it?

[RootAnn]

So, I get the placement of the junk drawer. (I think it is a great idea to move it but good luck with that. We have a junk drawer in the kitchen but we really don't have drawers anywhere else convenient for grabbing such things.)

I'd hit the thrift store this weekend & pick up another set of measuring cups/ spoons that is cheap but usable. I'd put those in the junk drawer & mine back where they belong. So they can use the cheap ones in the junk drawer all they like & mine stay nice & clean for me to use when I cook.

[katilac]

8 hours ago, regentrude said:

My question is: why is prime drawer real estate next to the stove top wasted on stuff that doesn't have anything to do with the kitchen?  

I'm surprised at the number of people who are saying a junk drawer doesn't belong in the kitchen. I thought having a junk drawer in the kitchen, next to the stovetop, was a timeless tradition handed down by our ancestors. Or possibly written into the Constitution. 

2 hours ago, RootAnn said:

 I'd hit the thrift store this weekend & pick up another set of measuring cups/ spoons that is cheap but usable. I'd put those in the junk drawer & mine back where they belong. So they can use the cheap ones in the junk drawer all they like & mine stay nice & clean for me to use when I cook.

I agree with buying a second set if keeping hers elsewhere is important to her, but I wouldn't buy the main cooks in the house a crappy set, lol. Buy a second good set.