How To Avoid Having A Junk Drawer In Every Room

We all know the drawer: the one overflowing with random receipts, dead batteries, half-used birthday candles, and that one screwdriver you swear you’ll need someday. It’s the junk drawer. And while one might be acceptable and even inevitable, having one in every room can quickly turn a tidy home into a chaotic mess.

You started with one in the kitchen, but now there’s one in the bathroom, one in the guest room, and you’re suspicious that even your kids have one hidden in their rooms.

Here’s how to stop the spread of junk drawers and reclaim your space with intention and clarity:

1. Understanding the Root Cause

Junk drawers don’t appear out of nowhere, they happen because we’re too optimistic. They're usually the result of delayed decisions and a lack of designated storage. When something doesn’t have a home, it lands in the drawer. Multiply that behavior by every room, and soon your home is filled with “temporary” storage spots which often become a source of overwhelm.

2. Designate a Single Junk Drawer

It’s okay to have one multipurpose drawer, in fact, it can be helpful. But the key is to limit it to one and define what goes inside. Items like scissors, tape, rubber bands, and a small notepad? Sure. Every picture your kids ever made you, not so much. A good tip is to use drawer dividers or small containers to keep it organized and avoid the “dump zone” effect.

3. Ensure Your Home is Equipped with Storage Zones

If every item has a logical, accessible home, you're less likely to toss it into a catchall drawer. Store batteries in a labeled bin, keep extra pens in a desk caddy, and place phone chargers in a tech drawer or charging station. Also consider labeled bins, boxes, or shelves: this encourages everyone in the house to return things to the right place.

4. Go Through Your Belongings Often

Let’s be real — not everything is worth keeping. Old receipts, expired coupons, broken chargers, or mystery screws have no business taking up real estate in your home. An easy way to fight the clutter is to take 10 minutes each week to check your drawers. If you don’t know what something is or haven’t used it in 6 months, it’s probably safe to toss.

5. Consider the One In-One Out Rule

Whenever you add something to a drawer or a room, try removing something else. This keeps your storage lean and ensures you’re not just pushing clutter around. Try This: Before adding that new gadget or free pen, ask yourself, “Do I already have one of these? Where will it live?” Furthermore, ask yourself “If I bring this home, will I actually use it within 6 months to a year?” If the answer is no, then you probably don’t need it.

6. Use a Catch-All Basket

If you still find yourself collecting random items throughout the week, use a small basket in a central location — like the kitchen or entryway. Empty it at the end of each week and put items where they belong. That basket can be seen, while a drawer hides your indecision. If you find that you need a bit more motivation, there is nothing more motivating than a label maker. Suddenly you're not just organizing, you're cataloging. You're creating systems. Once you get going, it’s hard to stop.

 

7. Reward Yourself for Keeping Only 1 Junk Drawer

Every time you resist the urge to shove a half-dead flashlight into the nearest drawer, reward yourself. A cookie. A victory dance. A smug text to a friend bragging. Still only one junk drawer and that’s exciting.

 

Organized storage solutions keep spaces uncluttered.

While a junk drawer in every room can seem like a storage strategy, it’s a clutter habit. But with a bit of intention and consistency, you can stop clutter before it starts. Remember: it’s not about having a perfectly minimal home, but about creating a space where everything has a purpose and a place.