How to Maintain Neat & Clear Drawers
Do you have a “Junk” Drawer(s)? My mom used to call it “Varios” (various in English) and of course, I thought it was the norm! Everyone has a junk drawer, right? Wrong, and when my drawers lack maintenance, it brings more stress into my life.
This blog is about maintaining neat and clear drawers by having a home for your items. The time you spend looking for items and buying new ones will cut your time & money by more than half.
Have you heard of the term, ‘out of sight, out of mind’? When we throw items in our Junk Drawer, we are unable to have a clear inventory of our items. So when we don’t see it at first glance, we spend more time looking for it, and when frustrated to keep searching, we waste more money buying items that we already have.
The stress and time wasted drive me insane when I throw items in a drawer for each of my rooms. Currently, my garage is chaotic and a place I rather avoid. We can all fall into this habit, therefore maintaining is a better word for this blog.
If you follow this blog or my YouTube Channel, you know I love cleaning and tidying up 15 minutes at a time. Why? Because the opposite of Chaos is Order. You can ask my mom and sister, this is a learned habit, way opposite of what comes naturally to me.
So today, I want to encourage us with 2 phrases:
#1 - Find a home for every item you “Love & Use Daily”
#2 - Get in the habit of “Rinse and Repeat”
It’s all about repetition and the baby steps!
My organization journey started with the things I value most, and that is my desk! I’m sure I’ve had a desk at home since I was in elementary. Start with a room in the house that absolutely brings joy to your life and love.
When you love something, you use it. So key phrase # 1 was “Love & Use Daily.” Also, when we love something we want to take good care of it.
One of the things I love to use as a camp or home base for the items I care about is all of the cases from my Apple products. They are white, black, or gray which is one of my favorite color schemes and most of them have smaller compartments.
The compartments help me to separate the items that are of most importance or that I use daily. It can also help set up different sizes. You know, like your paper clips. It’s annoying when they get all tangled in different sizes.
When we compartmentalized it can allow us to see all of our items at a glance.
For me it’s my office supplies, for you it may be jewelry or a hobby. Have you noticed that back in the day, furniture had a lot more drawers? It brings order to the artist who is in the middle of creating.
Another reason I love using Apple products is that I love repurposing items and saving time and money shopping at the Container Store. You know what I mean by that! You say you’re going to get 1 item and walk away with 5.
It’s now a habit to save my cases as well as Jimmy’s and everyone in my extended family. Other repurposing items are mason jars and old coffee mugs. When a mug I love cracks somewhere, I get to use something I love and reuse it for other items I love. Key phrase # 2 “Rinse & Repeat.”
It’s like going for an oil change every 3 months, you know that feeling when you drive your car from the dealership, the ride is smoother. Also the more you do something in quarters or seasons, the more it comes as “second nature” or a habit.
In conclusion, your drawers are smaller bedrooms for the items you love, use, and care for it daily. When I see items that have been in a drawer for over a season/quarter, I know it’s time to donate or throw them away.
It’s refreshing as mint to open a drawer that brings you joy! Check out the Livestream on this topic below:
As always, please share your thoughts and share this blog with a friend.
Love,
Me.
