A Case For Ditching The Junk Drawer Once And For All (And What To Try Instead)

There are really only three things that every American kitchen needs: a refrigerator, a sink, and a junk drawer. Junk drawers, which are as straightforward in concept as the name suggests, are a uniquely American phenomenon that dates back to at least the early 1900s. Why so many people have the impulse to collect random assortments of items in the same location is a mystery, but regardless of the cause, there is hope. While decluttering the junk drawer is a way to help mitigate the mess, some experts argue that the better option is to do away with the un-treasure chest altogether.

Jessica Litman, author, educator, and founder of The Organized Mama Co., spoke exclusively with House Digest about ditching the junk drawer once and for all and shared some ideas for where those misfit items should end up once they've been evicted from the kitchen. Don't worry — you won't have to sacrifice all of your miscellaneous goods in favor of a more streamlined home. Instead, the goal is to be more intentional with your placement so you'll have more space to organize and store the things that actually matter.

"I think wasting space on a junk drawer is the reason so many people complain they don't have space in their kitchens," Litman said in an exclusive interview with House Digest. While it's still a good idea to get crafty and make the most out of those storage space in the kitchen that you've been missing out on, Litman says that the junk drawer is the best place to start because it is often the biggest drawer in the room. "This is a huge waste of prime real estate."

According to Litman, step one to reclaiming your precious kitchen space is to give the drawer a "purpose." Clearing the drawer without a plan could mean trading one unorganized drawer for a slightly less unorganized drawer. "Maybe you need an office supply drawer. Or a tools drawer. Once you decide on the drawer's purpose, remove anything that doesn't belong." Having the garbage and recycling bins open during the clear out will help you toss a few pieces that are obviously trash, while the rest can be sorted into piles on the counter or floor while they wait to be relocated.

With the junk drawer given a new purpose, it's likely that the items left inside won't need such a big home. Jessica Litman said in her exclusive interview with House Digest that the next step would be to move that new dedicated office supply or tool drawer to one of the smaller drawers in the kitchen. From there, you can use the bigger drawer to organize and store kitchen items that you need to keep readily available. This larger space means it can be used for larger items, so you won't be nearly as limited by what you can store.

Storing spices flat in a drawer, for example, frees up counter space and makes grabbing the ingredients you need easier than it would be if they were packed three deep on a shelf. Adding a tray to a drawer would also make a great Keurig coffee pod storage solution. Whatever collection of things you choose will probably be better than the random keys, mismatched batteries, and miscellaneous cables that were there before. Just make sure you can resist the century-old habit and organize or dispose of newly accumulated items in real time. Even the most well-arranged drawer can quickly turn into a haven for junk if you're not committed to keeping up with the change.