Most homes have a junk drawer that houses various items that are seldom used. It’s perfectly acceptable, but when the junk drawer becomes so full that it ends up spreading to all of the other drawers in the house, it may be time for a little organization. Follow my steps to cleaning and organizing your junk drawer(s).

1. The first step is to see exactly what you’ve got piled up in the drawer. Empty out all of the contents onto your counter top. Start sorting through the old poker accessories, office supplies and miscellaneous scraps of paper. Place like items into small boxes.

2. Once you’ve sorted through everything, it’s time to get rid of unnecessary items. Don’t be tempted to hold onto things you haven’t used in years. Throw everything out that you know will never be able to use in the future such as expired coupons, and pencil stubs.

3. Now that you’ve sorted and rid yourself of unnecessary items, it’s time to start organizing your current drawer. Take a look at the items you removed and decide which items should go back into the drawer. Consider the drawer’s location in your home to make final decisions. If the drawer is located near a phone, then items like a pad of paper, pens or paper clips are probably a smart decision.

4. Before placing the items back into the drawer, thoroughly clean and disinfect the drawer. You may want to line it with wrapping paper if the bottom looks particularly scratched or messy.

5. Purchase some space efficient drawer organizers to slide in and keep items separated from each other. These will help you to maintain the organization of your drawer and avoid falling back into old ways.

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