How to Stock a Junk Drawer So It’s Actually Useful, According to Organizers
Done right, it's the most helpful drawer in the house.
My junk drawer is in my kitchen, and until recently it held four dead batteries, an archive of research papers I wrote in college, and a few pens I’m not sure still have ink. This is normal. Nearly every home has a similar drawer, and nearly everyone treats it the same way—as a holding area for... well, things.
Professional organizers don't see it that way. "The word 'junk' should refer to a variety of frequently needed but different items that would be handy to keep in one accessible place," says Renata Cruz, cleaning expert and professional organizer at Coastal Maid San Diego. "It shouldn't refer to clutter." In other words, the junk drawer isn’t for junk.
I asked three organizing pros what's in their junk drawers—and it’s an interesting look behind the curtain. Read on for their useful, and sometimes oddball, picks.
A compact tape measure
"A small tape measure is probably the most-used item in my junk drawer," says Max Wilson, co-founder of Pocket Storage. "Whether you're replacing a storage box, buying a piece of furniture or checking if something will fit through a doorway, it saves a lot of guesswork."
The key word is compact—you're not relocating your toolbox. Cruz uses hers for the small measurements that stall a project: the inside dimensions of a drawer she's buying organizers for, a blank stretch of wall, or the size of a trash can.
A zippered pouch for the small stuff
The single most effective thing you can do for a junk drawer is to stop small items from roaming. Cruz keeps a slim zippered pencil pouch holding a pen that writes, a pencil that writes, a permanent marker, tiny scissors, and a few cable ties.
Wilson does the same thing with spare keys, pens, a mini screwdriver, and picture hooks. "A junk drawer becomes frustrating when you have to rummage through it, so grouping similar items inside a pouch makes it much easier to find what you need."
Pens that work—and a notepad
"In a world that is increasingly digital, with most 'notes' taken on our phone, tablet or laptop, the humble pen and paper have become a rare feature in many homes," says Jo Hayes, founder of EtiquetteExpert.org. She keeps a small stash of both for the notes that are faster to scribble than to type—what to grab at the store, a pickup time, a reminder for someone else in the house.
The maintenance rule here is non-negotiable, per Cruz: test them. A pen that doesn't write isn't a pen, it's clutter with a cap on it. Toss and replace as needed.
A mini flashlight
Not your phone. "A flashlight is preferable to using your phone's flashlight because it doesn't drain the battery and keeps both of your hands free," Cruz says. She reaches for hers during power outages, when peering behind heavy furniture or appliances, and when lighting up the back of a dark cabinet.
A battery tester
This is something that solves a problem most households never address. "You're going to collect a few loose batteries over time," Cruz says. "It's helpful to be able to test them to find out whether they're dead, dying, or dandy. That way, you're not constantly tossing them into the junk drawer without really knowing what you're doing with them."
Her system: good batteries get stored together elsewhere in the house, with the terminals covered so they're not mingling with keys, coins, and paperclips. Dying ones go into a separate container that eventually makes its way to battery recycling.
A clean takeout container
This is Wilson's left-field pick, and it doubles as the drawer's infrastructure. "I keep a clean takeaway container in mine, which might sound strange for a storage expert, but shallow food containers make brilliant drawer dividers." He uses them to separate batteries, spare change, and small tools, and they lift out easily when he needs to see underneath.
"You don't always need to buy a new organizer to create order," he adds. Small boxes, sturdy lids, and old packaging all work, as long as they fit the drawer properly and give one specific group of items a home.
Birthday sparklers
Maybe the most unexpected item anyone named. Hayes originally stashed the long, wiry candle sparklers in her junk drawer simply because it's where the birthday candles live—then discovered they're an excellent tool. Thin, bendable, and long enough to reach into narrow spaces, she's used one to fish hair and gunk out of a bathroom sink drain.
Noah Cortez is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor writing about
travel, culture, food, and lifestyle. Prior to this, he was a social media
editor at GQ Magazine, Complex, and Conde Nast Traveler, and his writing
has been featured in Tripadvisor, Hotels Above Par, Conde Nast Traveler,
and more. Find out more at noahcortez.com.
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