In Defense of the Crap Drawer: Why Every Home Needs a Well-Organized Junk Drawer

Every home has at least one, and every person seems to be ashamed of theirs. 

The humble crap drawer: the place where all the small, random things go to live until the exact moment you need them.
One idea you'll hear me talk about a lot is the concept of "away." (We'll dive much deeper into that in another post.) But in short, every item in your home should have an obvious place to return to - one that doesn't require stopping to think, "Now where does this go?"

When I'm working with families, I always tell parents that the best way to get kids to put things away is to make "away" incredibly simple. One bin for all the tiny toys, for example. If it takes more than a second to figure out where something belongs, the system is probably too complicated to stick.

The funny thing is... adults aren't any different. And that's exactly where the crap drawer comes in.

Is it pretty? Absolutely not. But it serves a very important purpose. It gives all those little odds and ends a designated home, which means you're far more likely to find them again when you need them. That's a win in my book.

Part of its charm is that it's a mishmash of items that don't necessarily belong together…and this is one place in your home where I not only allow that... I actually encourage it.

Two Ways to Show Your Crap Drawer Some Love

1. Give it a wee-bit of structure.

There's no need to overengineer it. A simple multi-section desk organizer or a few small containers create designated homes for the things that tend to collect there: rubber bands, binder clips, safety pins, pens, batteries, and yes... a couple of Allen wrenches.

2. Give it a refresh twice a year.

Set a reminder on your calendar and spend 20 minutes emptying it out. Toss what you no longer need, keep what you do, and put everything back with intention.

And consider this your official permission slip to throw away most of those Allen wrenches.

Now it's your turn.

Take 20 minutes this week and give your crap drawer a little love.

If, however, you're realizing you have more of a crap room…or maybe even a whole crap house (no judgment!)...I'd love to help. 

Reach out to schedule an organizing consultation, and together we'll create systems that make your home feel a little easier to live in.