Dear ATLA,
My boyfriend insists on a junk drawer in the kitchen. It's out of control. How can I get him to just put things in their proper place so we can have the extra space?
-Jennifer
Hey Jennifer,
We Understand where you are coming from. We pride ourselves on our order and we know where everything is. But the way we keep our obsessive compulsion from becoming disorderly, is by keeping a junk drawer.
We keep it under control by once every few years dumping out the contents onto the floor and sorting the treasures from the trash.
The truth is, some things dont have a home. That odd piece from the espresso maker...crazy glue...a few rubber bands, a packet of Sweet& Low.* Our junk drawer is also a place to keep the quick go-to items that are otherwise hidden away; an extra measuring tape, a few packets of soy sauce, batteries. We look at our junk drawer like an emergency kit. It holds the things you cant throw away because one day you will need something...like the spare key when you lock the original in the car. (Trust us) Thats why we all need a junk drawer.
* The picture also shows a bag clip, puppy leash, coaster, matches, cheesecloth, gum, incense holder, tape gun, and a clothes pin. Those all seem essential, dont you think?
The difference between a "junk drawer" and a "proper place" is ease of finding stuff when you want it.
Speaking as someone who hates junk drawers, a "proper place" means three things. (1) You can find the widget at a glance. (2) The widget is stored near widgets with related functions. (3) If you need it a lot, it's easy to get at and put away.
Silverware trays and stackable boxes are critical to my life. Things go in their tray or in their box. Tasks that I do often -- like packing and shipping, back when I was eBaying to declutter -- get their own box with all the necessary equipment. Individual craft projects also have their own box until they're done. As for trays -- the drawer stops being a junk drawer when you can see at a glance what's stored in it.
How you get a boyfriend to comply, I dunno. My method was to support the hubby in taking an out-of-state job where he's only here on weekends, so I put everything away where *I* want it. Hey, it works!
I say give the man the drawer! It's not asking for too much. And if you don't like the way it looks, then equip the drawer with small bins or compartments--that neatly hold tape, batteries, cords or whatever else he wants to put in there. It's just a drawer, and if it make him happy, why not?
As part of the bargain for having a junk drawer, you could make him sort it once a month, so it doesn't silt up. If you sort your junk drawer, maybe you'll be happier with it. I don't have a junk drawer, but I do have a drawer for batteries and packing tape, and in another apartment, I had a drawer that only had pens and menus. If your junk drawer only contains the type of junk you want it to contain, it'll be under control and won't become a dumping ground for unsorted crap.
Find some way to compartmentalize the drawer and you'll be happier with the results.