Declutter Your Kitchen Drawers

Now is the time to declutter the kitchen drawers. Lets start with the junk drawer. Each of us has at least one “junk drawer.” This is the miscellaneous drawer that isn’t big enough to hold a utensil tray or wide enough to contain all our miscellaneous cooking tools like wooden spoons, spatulas and various measuring cups.

Most of us convert it into a dumping ground out of necessity. It becomes an “I-just-don’t-know-where-to-store-it” stuff drawer. Matchbooks often get thrown in here, along with lone screwdrivers, thumb tacks, elastics, and pens that usually make their way into this drawer. It seems convenient, especially when you think that you do not have time to put the item back where it belongs.

The first thing that you need to do is to decide what you really need and what you do not. And only you can be the judge of that. But keep in mind, if you are throwing stuff in this drawer just because you are too lazy to put it back where it belongs, then that is just making more work for yourself later.

It is best if when you are finished with an item, that you put it right back where it belongs. If you do not have a particular place for an item, then figure out where the item is most commonly used and store it there. For example, if you are storing that screwdriver in the drawer because you find yourself using it often in the kitchen, then it is ok to store it in a kitchen drawer, But if you are just keeping it there because you don’t want to take the extra steps to put it in the tool box in the garage, then do NOT store the tool in this drawer. Put in the tool box where it belongs.

As you go through the drawer, have a trash bag and empty box handy. If you have any old rusted thumb tacks, worn out elastics, pens that no longer write or any other items that are no good then throw them away. Use the box to hold the items that need a new home. Now take that box and go room to room putting the items back where they should be. For instance, any office supplies should be put away in your office, tools in the garage or basement, etc.

Once the drawer if cleaned out, you’ll probably discover that you really do not have may items left in the drawer, But before you put any additional items in this drawer, you should ask if there is a better “home” for that particular item.

Proceed to go through all your drawers. If your house is anything like mine, you probably have one more monster drawer to conquer. And that is the one that is full of wooden spoons, spatulas and miscellaneous kitchen tools that do not fit in the silverware tray or in that container on your counter that holds most of that kind of stuff.

Ask yourself how many spatulas do you really needs. Do you need multiple sets of measuring spoons and cups, How many manual can openers and veggie peelers do you you really need? Do you really need to own three potato mashers? Unless you are cooking for an army of men, I doubt that you will need that many.

I’m sure you’re beginning to get the idea. Now on the other hand, if you find you need different sizes of spatulas, then by all means keep one of each size. But otherwise, it is a good time to get rid of them.

Take each of those items that you decide not to keep and considering donating any items. that are in good condition, to a thrift shop or rummage sale.