Get Your Junk Drawer Organized for Good with This Foolproof Method
Apartment Therapy’s Decluttering Cure is a free two-week decluttering program that’ll help you achieve a tidier home. Sign up here and get all 14 assignments delivered to your inbox.
Junk drawers are home to far more than just “junk.” Yes, the odd or random item can end up here, but most of the time they’re filled with necessary items, like pens, rubber bands, scissors, charging cords, or even receipts for something you intend to return.
Because they’re a spot where miscellaneous things gather, junk drawers can often get super messy. Fortunately, a quick decluttering session can snap yours back into shape. Here’s how to declutter a junk drawer the right way.
Day 3: Declutter a Messy Drawer in 30 Minutes
The assignment is simple: Tackle one messy drawer in 30 minutes (or 15 minutes if you’re feeling speedy, or an hour if you need more time). For a successful clear-out, follow these steps to declutter and organize your junk drawer.
Take everything out — and we mean everything. Then, put items through the five-question assessment and utilize your outboxes for things you want to relocate or revisit, donate, or sell (if any); throw away any trash or unwanted items; and put everything back in an organized fashion. Keep note of any paper piles or items of sentimental value (we’ll address those at another point of the Decluttering Cure). And that’s it! Your messy drawer is now a tidy one.
More Ways to Participate in the Decluttering Cure:
- Sign up for email updates.
- Visit the 2026 Decluttering Cure page and catch up on assignments.
- Download the Decluttering Cure calendar.
- Check off that you’ve completed this task and track your overall Decluttering Cure progress here!
- See all the winners from our 2026 Organization Awards to get your home organized.
The Cure Program is a tradition here at Apartment Therapy — it happens every January, April, and September. Click here to learn more about the year-round program and when to sign up.