JudoMom Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 I'm a very organized person, but I have a junk/catch all drawer in my kitchen. It's the place I toss coupons, grocery ads, restaurant menus, church directory, keep card games, nail clippers, and the miscellaneous little toy pieces and things. It drives my dh nuts. As he was looking for the church directory last night he was getting frustrated and told me that the drawer is just not like me. I got the directory for him, and told him I needed a place to keep all that stuff. But now I'm trying to figure out how I can organize it and keep it organized (I do clean it out about twice a month). That led to me wondering how many of you have a drawer like this, and how common/normal it is. If you have one, is it organized? Or is it a mess? If it's organized, how do you keep it that way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 I'm a very organized person, but I have a junk/catch all drawer in my kitchen. It's the place I toss coupons, grocery ads, restaurant menus, church directory, keep card games, nail clippers, and the miscellaneous little toy pieces and things. It drives my dh nuts. As he was looking for the church directory last night he was getting frustrated and told me that the drawer is just not like me. I got the directory for him, and told him I needed a place to keep all that stuff. But now I'm trying to figure out how I can organize it and keep it organized (I do clean it out about twice a month). That led to me wondering how many of you have a drawer like this, and how common/normal it is. If you have one, is it organized? Or is it a mess? If it's organized, how do you keep it that way? How about a three-ring binder with page protectors as pockets. Each pocket can contain something. One pocket for the church directory, one pocket for coupons, one pocket for receipts, etc. Your book can go in the drawer. If you have room get a couple of those small hook together trays for things like clippers, extra nails/screws, toy pieces... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brehon Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 You mean I'm supposed to organize a junk drawer? Ye gods, when did this memo go out? So, I guess that answers your question. My junk drawer is also in my kitchen. Like your dh, mine really wants me to organize it better. When he mentioned this to me (and, admittedly, I was right in the throes of PMS) I responded, um, less than graciously. I can find what I want in there; however, I suppose I could make an effort to organize it a wee bit better -- just as soon as I finish the ironing. Now, where did I put my iron? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Another Jen Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 It's a mess. I'm going to eliminate it this week as part of my de-cluttering effort. I've tried cleaning it out and organizing it, but it always ends up a mess again. I'm putting together a binder of important papers- the rest of the junk must go. If there is no "place" for it- I'll throw it away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmy Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 No I don't have a junk drawer. Instead I have this system where we put crap on every flat surface of our house until there are piles of junk everywhere......:glare: Then before we have company come we run around with a big laundry basket and shove it all in there and hide it in our bedroom until "later". I wouldn't recommend it though....:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 (edited) I have more than one...unfortunately. There is ususally one in about each room that has drawers. :( My drawers are shallow, so the mess is usually small toys, pens/pencils, and other misc small crap that we hardly use or ever look for. I do not have a big huge junk drawer with papers in it or anything. I file those in a filing cabinet. Edited January 1, 2009 by Tree House Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 No I don't have a junk drawer. Instead I have this system where we put crap on every flat surface of our house until there are piles of junk everywhere......:glare: Then before we have company come we run around with a big laundry basket and shove it all in there and hide it in our bedroom until "later". I wouldn't recommend it though....:tongue_smilie: :iagree: And i have 2 junk drawers on top of it :LOL: :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deece in MN Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 We have a junk drawer in our kitchen. It is not organized at all! It has things like tire patch kit, bug balm, odd and ends nails, screws, picture hangers, eye hooks, etc., votive candles, matches, rubber bands, dh extra reading glasses, air freshener (disc type things from Target), dog nail clipper, batteries (new and used), old throat drops (yuk!), and I am sure there are some other misc. items that I don't even know about. :) I have a different drawer for the phone book and other paper items of that sort. It is a bit easier to find things in this drawer. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 My junk drawer actually doesn't contain paper! It's where I put the hard to categorize little things that don't really have a home. It contains batteries that still work, but have been used, board game pieces that I keep around as spares, a calculator, some office supplies that I don't want the kids to have access to when they use the computer (they always use up all my post-its!), a spare garage door opener, a couple of disposable cameras that I really should get developed, and hand creams from various gift sets I've received over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Mom Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 No I don't have a junk drawer. Instead I have this system where we put crap on every flat surface of our house until there are piles of junk everywhere......:glare: Then before we have company come we run around with a big laundry basket and shove it all in there and hide it in our bedroom until "later". I wouldn't recommend it though....:tongue_smilie: That's hilarious! Thanks for posting that, makes me feel better about my junk counter! Isn't the point of a junk drawer that you are allowed to keep it disorganized until some future date when you decide you have nothing better to spend time on so you clean it out? That's the way ours works ;). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 drawer...singular? ha! i wish. we have several and no, they are not tidy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted January 1, 2009 Author Share Posted January 1, 2009 How about a three-ring binder with page protectors as pockets. Each pocket can contain something. One pocket for the church directory, one pocket for coupons, one pocket for receipts, etc. Your book can go in the drawer. If you have room get a couple of those small hook together trays for things like clippers, extra nails/screws, toy pieces... Thanks for this suggestion! I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but I'm going to make a Circa book for the drawer. Once the paper is contained I'll think about little drawer trays for the miscellaneous junk that I throw in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiCO Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 No I don't have a junk drawer. Instead I have this system where we put crap on every flat surface of our house until there are piles of junk everywhere......:glare: Then before we have company come we run around with a big laundry basket and shove it all in there and hide it in our bedroom until "later". I wouldn't recommend it though....:tongue_smilie: I do that too! Only I do have a junk drawer, and that is actually organized. I just bought one of those two-layer drawer organizer thingies. It's brilliant- lots of little sections for paperclips, etc., and a couple bigger compartments for scissors and pencils. Space in the back of the drawer for small tools. I have a separate drawer for directories and phone books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 No, they're not organized. I actually thought that *was* the definition of "junk drawer". If it were all organized, it would just be another tidy drawer like the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnetteB Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Multiple Junk Drawers here, a laundry basket, cardboard box and covered counters. We burned the phone books during the coldspell along with catalogs (those drawers are now rehabilitated) :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BabyBre Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Well, my junk drawer was a mess until dh couldn't take it anymore. He bought the little compartmented containers that you often find in tackle boxes. They're big enough to only fit 2 in each drawer (OK, I have 2 junk drawers!), and they have lids so putting things away and getting things out of them is something you have to intentionally do. You can't just throw stuff into the drawer anymore. This is where miscellaney of all sorts is kept - picture hooks, shoelaces, buttons, parts found that no one knows what they go to but must surely be important, super glue, batteries, outlet plug covers (don't ask me why I can't get rid of those yet), assorted nuts, bolts and screws, assorted tools, etc, etc, etc. This is a much better arrangement for all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 yes, I have one in the kitchen and a small one in my bedroom. I like to think of it as a tradition handed down from my mother Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terri NS Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 My DH keeps trying to convince me to have a junk drawer. When we moved into this house 2 years ago I said no junk drawer. He has a garage so extra screws and string and fuses and all the what nots can get put away. He seems to now know where to find his screw drivers or wrench or whatever...in the toolkit, in the garage. I keep a few pizza menus in the phone book, but we don't do a lot of take away. My biggest issue is with not in use cell phone chargers that always seem to hang about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaik76 Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Yes, it's a big mess. But so is my house, so the junk drawer is in keeping with the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaid Dad Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 I don't, but my dw does. ;) I inherited a secretary desk from my mother that has lots of little bitty drawers that are just the right size for random stuff. Most of them have some rhyme or reason (checkbook, stamps, Post-It notes), but there's one drawer in the desk that I have to ignore or it would drive me right round the bend. I figure it's one very small space in an otherwise organized home, and I need to get over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 I used to have a junk drawer but we moved to a smaller house with a smaller kitchen so no space has been spared for a junk drawer. If there was space I'm pretty sure we'd have one. Now I do have a junk box in a closet for those kinds of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaik76 Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 No I don't have a junk drawer. Instead I have this system where we put crap on every flat surface of our house until there are piles of junk everywhere......:glare: Then before we have company come we run around with a big laundry basket and shove it all in there and hide it in our bedroom until "later". I wouldn't recommend it though....:tongue_smilie: I missed this post earlier! This is so our house (except we have a junk drawer, too). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 We do have a junk drawer, and I put that it's a mess, but it's not too bad, really. Dh will go through and sort it out occasionally, and we do have one of those drawer organizer thingies in there. You can usually find stuff, if the girls haven't taken it out and left it somewhere. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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