How to Organize a Junk Drawer That Actually Stays Organized

I'm going to start with something that may be controversial among professional organizers:

I think you should have a junk drawer.

In fact, it's perfectly OK to have more than one. You might have one in the kitchen, another in your home office and even one in the garage — wherever those little but useful things naturally accumulate.

Every home has miscellaneous items that need a convenient place to live: pens, scissors, tape, a few batteries, a small screwdriver, rubber bands and all those little things you regularly need but that don't necessarily deserve their own storage department.

The problem isn't having a junk drawer.

The problem is having a drawer where absolutely anything goes.

A good junk drawer is really a household utility drawer. Give it some boundaries and it can be one of the most useful drawers in your home.

Empty the Entire Drawer

This is one organizing project where I recommend taking everything out.

Put it all on the counter and you'll quickly see why the drawer stopped working.

You'll probably find:

• Pens and pencils
• Scissors
• Tape
• Batteries
• Small tools
• Rubber bands
• Notepads
• Keys
• Chargers and cords
• Loose change
• Coupons and receipts

Mystery parts you're afraid to throw away because you're certain they belong to something

Start by throwing away obvious trash and anything that's broken or dried out.

Test the pens while you're at it. A pen that doesn't write isn't a pen anymore. It's a small plastic stick you've been storing.

Decide What Deserves to Come Back

This is the most important step.

A junk drawer should contain small household items you actually use and want conveniently located.

It shouldn't become the temporary home for everything you don't feel like putting away.

Before returning something, ask:

Do I use this, and does this make sense here?

If the answer is no, either give it a proper home somewhere else or let it go.

And remember that different junk drawers can serve different purposes. Your home-office drawer might contain tape, scissors, pens and small electronics accessories, while the garage version might contain a measuring tape, small tools and other frequently used odds and ends.

The location should help determine what belongs there.

Use a Sectional Drawer Organizer

This is one place where I strongly recommend using an organizer.

A sectional drawer organizer or combination of compartment trays creates boundaries for all those little objects that otherwise slide together into one pile.

You might create sections for:

• Pens and pencils
• Scissors and tape
• Small tools
• A few batteries
• Clips and rubber bands
• Measuring tape

Frequently used charging accessories

Choose the organizer after measuring the inside of the drawer. Measure the width, depth and height, and make sure the organizer won't interfere with the drawer closing.

If one organizer doesn't fit the drawer well, combine several smaller trays.

I particularly like modular trays because you can arrange them around the items you're actually storing rather than accepting whatever compartment sizes someone else decided you needed.

Don't Keep Too Many of Anything

You probably need a few pens in the junk drawer.

You probably don't need 37.

The same goes for rubber bands, takeout menus, promotional magnets and those tiny screwdrivers that seem to reproduce when the drawer is closed.

Keep a reasonable working quantity. Store overstock somewhere else.

Convenient storage isn't the same thing as inventory storage.

Keep Only a Few Batteries in the Drawer

It's fine to keep a few commonly used batteries handy in your utility drawer. You don't need your entire household battery supply taking up valuable space.

Keep the overstock together in one designated battery-storage area, such as the garage or utility room.

Mr. Organized Recommends — The Battery Organizer

For a larger battery supply, I own and recommend The Battery Organizer. It can be wall-mounted, making it a particularly good choice for a garage or utility room and allowing you to keep different battery sizes together in one location.

Click here to view The Battery Organizer

Mr. Organized Recommends — YXQ Battery Organizer

If you have a lot of batteries or prefer keeping your overstock in a drawer or on a garage shelf, I also own and recommend the YXQ Battery Organizer.

It's another good way to keep a larger battery supply contained and easy to inventory.

Click here to view the YXQ Battery Organizer

Whichever system you use, follow the battery manufacturer's storage and safety instructions.

Give Cords Somewhere Else to Live

A junk drawer can easily become a retirement community for unidentified charging cables.

Don't let it.

Keep only the charging accessories you actively use in the drawer. Extra cords, chargers, adapters and electronics accessories should have their own dedicated organizer elsewhere.

We've already selected a clear compartmented charger and cable organizer for our Cord, Cable & Electronics Organizer Buying Guide. That's a much better home for extra electronics accessories because cords can be separated by type instead of becoming one tangled collection.