Do you have a junk drawer? Do you have several? If so, 2016 may be the year to clear them out. Many suggest overhauling or organizing your junk drawers with containers and organizers, but we're saying this is the year to get rid of them altogether.
People love junk drawers because they hide away the clutter. However, this is exactly the problem with them, said the Times Union. Deep down, you know that you still have a bunch of things lying around that you don't need. Organizing junk drawers is a noble errand, but we all know that they very easily come unorganized over time, especially if you keep referring to it as a junk drawer. It's time to decide what goes where in your home. If it doesn't have a place, trash it.
It's best to not have a junk drawer at all, said Beth Ziegler of Bneato Bar, according to Oprah.com. She prefers to use magnetized baskets stuck to her fridge to store items like pens, scissors and the like, and to leave drawers to important, frequently used items like spices or tools. It keeps these random "junk drawer" items in plain sight, meaning that if you don't use them, you'll notice and you'll feel OK about getting rid of them. If you don't have a junk drawer, you'll be less tempted to hold onto little items that add up to big clutter.
Courtney Carver, of Be More With Less, agrees. A great way to try and face the junk drawer and eradicate it forever is called The Tabletop Method, said Carver. This method has you dump the contents of your junk drawer onto your dinner table and leave it there for a whole day. You'll notice the contents of the drawer are in your way and are largely useless, so you'll be able to part with everything that you don't use. Whatever you do use, you can find an appropriate place for. If you're looking for a less extreme approach, go the Sorting route. Dump everything out of the drawers and sort the stuff into two piles: truly useful things and garbage. Once you're left with only useful things, find a place for them in your home.
Your peace of mind will skyrocket when you get rid of your junk drawer, be it messy or organized, small or large. Like the old adage says: a place for everything, and everything in its place.
