When people ask him about organizing a home, I tell them that the ubiquitous ‘junk drawer’ has to go. If you have a junk drawer, then you are not organized.

They say confession is good for the soul; right? Well, this week I had to concede that I have a junk drawer:

This drawer is right below my wardrobe in the dressing room.

I’ve always struggled with what to use it for. This week, I finally got the answer. I should be using it for what I’ve been using it for, as a place to store the tools and supplies that I grab the most. Why are they in this drawer instead of where the belong? Because most of my tools live in the basement and most of the supplies live in the study and those locations aren’t practical for those items.

I emptied the drawer contents onto the bed in the back and did a quick sort.

There was a lot of trash and a few things that really did belong in the bins in the study.

I didn’t realise that drawer is so big!

Finally, I sorted like with like and containerized:

I even brought the knife and staple gun bin from the study and put it in this drawer (it’s the big white one).

Now, I can grab my electrical supplies all at once. No more buying fuses or ring terminals because I can’t remember where I last dropped them!

I still have work to do. There is a lot of stuff in the battery compartment that is going to end up in this drawer. I also want to move most of the screwdrivers into the drawer as well. Thankfully, there is lots of room left in the drawer!

The funniest item I found in the cleanup was this 2009 receipt for the Whitehorse Walmart:

When I finish with the drawer, I will be moving on to the cabinet below it. It’s a shame that it’s not doing more than it is.