Turn your junk drawer into an ‘unjunk drawer’ – my pro organization tips will keep your stash spots from exploding
THE unruly junk drawer may be a thing of the past according to one professional neat freak.
She said that turning a messy space around can be done with her simple hacks.
Christina Morton DesAuguste, founder of The Organizing Company gave her two cents to The U.S. Sun on tidying up.
She addressed the dreaded "junk drawer" is not an uncommon phenomenon — but terrible if looking to create a calmer space.
She also discussed an alternative to tossing items in one spot in a way that will minimize mess.
DesAuguste even addressed what she noticed is the untidiest area of most people's homes — and it's not the bathroom.
EVERYTHING HAS ITS PLACE
When it comes to junk drawers, DesAuguste said there's no excuse if organizing is the goal.
"I think that when you’re organized there’s very little need for a true junk drawer," she said.
"When you’re organized you know what zones the random rubber bands and twist ties should go in, for example. You have a drop zone where you can empty your pockets and the kids’ backpacks.
"Plus, when you’re organized it’s easier to put things away because everything has a home, so you don’t need a place to stash things that don’t have a home.
"I find junk drawers explode because people don’t know where to put stuff or it’s too difficult to put back. Being organized really minimizes that."
AN EXCEPTION TO THE RULE
DesAuguste said although a junk drawer is unacceptable, there may be similar situations that are called for.
"I do see the purpose for a utility drawer in the kitchen, however. It’s nice to have some scissors, pens, and sticky notes handy instead of only in the office," she said.
"Same goes for some things like one Phillips and one flat head screwdriver, or a combination, that are used often in the house.
"But it’s organized within the drawer and tidy with labeled containers to keep things separate and it’s limited to what is used frequently and in that space.
"Your kitchen 'unjunk' drawer shouldn’t be where you stash things that just need to go back upstairs to the bathroom or office or laundry room.
"It’s for high use, quick grab items that don’t fall into a major category or zone in that space."
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
DesAuguste stressed the importance of keeping certain parts of the home tidy after seeing so many in bad shape.
She narrowed in on the garage as well as the kitchen of abodes she's worked on.
"It’s a toss up between the garage and the kitchen, but I think the kitchen wins," she said.
"The biggest reasons for that are [that] people don’t get organized properly when they move in or they don’t use a strategic method and so it’s never quite set up well.
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"And then they add the challenge of dealing with new gadgets and appliances that make their way in.
"And people tend to want the kitchen to look nice for having company over and prioritize that over functionality."
