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POLL: Do you have a junk drawer?

11 years ago
Do you have a junk drawer in your house? You know, a drawer that serves as a catch-all for all those items you find laying around, the random key, marble, screw, bookmark? Bonus points for telling us where it is.

VOTE and tell us about it in the comments! (photos encouraged)

Entry Office Makeover · More Info
Yes, I do!
No, I don't.
Other - Tell us below!

Comments (247)

  • 10 years ago
    My junk drawer is the drawer second to last in my kitchen next to my supply of Keurig K-cups.
  • 10 years ago

    We have multiple junk drawers in our kitchen. It drives me crazy because my husband has to be able to lay his hands on an object/tool right now! No searching the workshop or garage - no it has to be in the kitchen. Since we moved into our new home, our one junk drawer has become 2, if not 3 very small junk drawers that hold batteries, extension cords, the do hickey that prints labels, small light bulbs, et al!!! One of these days I'm going to get them organized because I don't want to be in the embarrassing (and painful) experience of getting my hand caught in one of these drawers again. My husband wasn't home, and I'm looking for something, and proceed to get my hand and a bracelet caught in the drawer. My only saving grace was the phone was close and so was a male friend of the family who only lives a short distance away. He got me free before hubby came home. I no longer stick my hand into drawers :0)~

  • 10 years ago

    Of course! And it's always been in the kitchen! I don't know where else I would put all the little odds and ends that end up there.

  • 10 years ago

    Oh yes we certainly do ! Its a mess. It seems like the mess is growing out of control at this point. We have everything from chinese food restaurant menus (some are not even local) and not even ours, to tape, markers, batteries, tape measures etc. We are generally pretty neat (except teen son's room) so I guess the junk drawer is our let it all hang out drawer. Just remembered we have the old keys that the previous owners left behind 4+ years ago. We changed the locks, why on earth do we still have the keys !!! Oh boy.

  • 10 years ago

    We have three - two in the kitchen and one in a bedroom dresser. But it's not "junk", just random stuff that just doesn't belong in any other drawer.

  • 10 years ago

    In the kitchen. I'd like to say it's neat, but it's a total mess with things just tossed in. I go there to look for those things I know don't have a "home."

  • 10 years ago
    I have a couple of them in different rooms, one in the kitchen, the basement, and the living room..but I use a utensil organizer to try to keep it in an orderly mess
  • 10 years ago
    Always have had one in the kitchen and now I have one in my Craft Room. You need them to keep things like I have calculator, screw drivers, twist ties, fix it sml tape, compared to the basket in the laundry room. That one has the big tapes, cooler cups, big rubber bands, other stuff that's too big for our small kitchen!
  • 10 years ago
    No I don't have a junk draw
  • 10 years ago
    No I don't have a junk drawer.
  • PRO
    10 years ago

    No we don't but we sure need one as the stack of things on our desk is getting out of control! Wood-Mode has some innovative interior drawers that are ideal for organization if you're looking for a great junk drawer.

  • PRO
    10 years ago
    Yes, it catches my mail and recipients when company comes over. I always clean it out every Spring.
  • 10 years ago
    Yes!!! I have one mini cabinet which I never used...that is until my "extra stuff" began to accumulate there!!
  • 10 years ago

    I refuse to have a junk drawer in the house. I grew up with a junk drawer and, before this house, I never had room for "a place for everything and everything in its place" either. Now I have my own office!

    Back in the (‘90s?), I bought two unfinished IKEA cabinets. Each cabinet has 18 drawers: 12 about 1.5” deep and 6 about 3.75” deep (THIRTY-SIX TOTAL!). Last year, after being in storage for twenty years, I washed one in Tiffany Box Blue and one in Hermes Orange. We added label holders and beads.

    Attached are two photos showing how the small items are stored (Whitmor’s honeycomb drawer organizers cut in half). Glue of all kinds and gummed reinforcements have their own drawer; scissors, cutters, and paper punches have their own drawer; paint chips have their own drawer. There are half a dozen small drawers with nothing in them!

    One of the deeper drawers has my checkbook, additional checks, and payment schedule. Dave’s checkbook has its own drawer. One deep drawer for notepads and post-it notes, one for pens, and one for camera accessories.

    The six-drawer chest from the ‘70s that I previously used for stuff is now used for sewing supplies (I actually don’t sew as much as it looks; I bought someone’s huge drawer of sewing supplies at auction for $15.00).

    I also have 24 (TWENTY-FOUR!) filing cabinet drawers. There’s one for medical, one for house/legal, and one for house/user manuals.

    I have SIXTY! places to put stuff. You name it; I can file it!

    Batteries have their own container in the utility room. Our emergency closet (formerly called the linen closet) also has a set of AA, AAA, C, and D batteries. That reminds me: never toss batteries willy-nilly into a drawer. If the negative side of one battery connects to the positive side of another battery, they can create enough heat to start a fire. The button batteries in the envelopes are blister-packed on cards.

    I’m 69 and retired. I spent most of my working life in an office. Maybe I just miss work!

    There are a few things that belong in every room of the house (yes, including the bathrooms):
    Clock
    Dave’s reading glasses
    Facial tissue
    Pen and paper
    Scissors (three pair in the kitchen)
    Screwdriver
    Tape Measure

    P.S. I do have a Ziploc bag marked "Mystery."




  • 10 years ago

    our junk drawer is in the kitchen - it has twixit clips, and a hammer, pliers, wire cutter, phone chargers, glue, rolling pin, knife sharpener... you get the picture. Hubby made a divider, per my plan for the drawer so everything has it's own place. So junk or not, it's organized.

  • 10 years ago
    I have a large glass rose bowl in my laundry room. Everything from pens to change from the laundry goes in there as well as anything that does not have a place. Easy to find too, if you are looking for lost items.
  • 10 years ago
    yes, but well organized and labeled so all family members can quickly find, use and replace. Office supplies, batteries, scissors, tapes, glue, screw driver, needle nose pliers, etc.
  • 10 years ago

    Only one ?!! I wish, I got more junk drawers than organized

  • 10 years ago

    But, of course! It's the last drawer in the kitchen and holds hardware and other small items that I use all over the house for maintenance/repair, plus a few little rare or specialty parts I scavenge from broken household items or furniture that I think may come in handy for a future repair or DYI project (and so often they do). I love my junk drawer, can't live without it, and probably use something from it at least 3-4 times a week.

  • 10 years ago
    The draw everyone loves to hate but is secretly thankful is there!!!
  • 10 years ago

    We have junk drawers and junk baskets, tried to tailor them down but WHERE do you put all the odds and ends. Mind you as soon as you have a clear out my hubbys says wheres that box of plugs and wire, opps I really do not know is the answer.

  • 10 years ago

    Junk drawer, cabinet, 2 bowls...all in kitchen!! Argh!!

  • 10 years ago

    Oh, Suzanne Melton, I SO want to emulate you!! I have Ikea cabs, too, and am slowly getting office stuff into them. And my tools in garage are a nightmare!! One day...!

  • 10 years ago

    I have one shallow junk drawer in my kitchen. Used to be stuffed with items that had no real home, all mixed up. Then I got organized about 6 months ago and what wasn't thrown out is now organized into compartments. Amazingly, it's stayed that way. Makes me smile to know I am becoming the person I always wanted to be.

  • 10 years ago

    btlantz: Thank you.

    Years ago, Dave bought three library card files at a grade school auction. Each card file has (16? Not sure; they're still in the garage) drawers.

    When Dave's office is finished, we'll probably refinish the card files and those will be used for HIS "stuff."

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Yes. I have two in the bedroom and one big one in the kitchen. I could use another one because it's so hard to find things in the three I have. They definitely have no type of organization. Or should I say I have no organizational skills. lol There are things that I find that I don't know what they are or what they go to, but I'm sure they're important or they wouldn't be in the drawer, would they?

  • 10 years ago

    Jay, and as soon as you throw something out, the next day you'll find that you need it! It happened to me ;0(. lol

  • 10 years ago

    My junk drawer is a spare kitchen drawer. My granddaughter (11) went through it, organized it, and threw stuff away. She did a great job, however slowly it's starting to look a little junky again.

  • 10 years ago

    wenjoy, you need to put out an all points bulletin for "need help from 11 yr. old granddaughter, please hurry, before it is too late". lol

  • 10 years ago

    1 small bottom kitchen drawer, 1 large legal size drawer in built in desk, and 1 drawer (ok maybe 2) in chest in guest room.

  • 10 years ago

    hi there all of you, just counted up, have five junk drawers, and four junk baskets, Been though them all and thrown out quite a lot out wow, Oh just spotted the shoe box on the tv stand full of ???? Glad I am not the only person with a STUFF, I wait till the winter and a really horrible day and spend all day clearing out cupboards and drawers. It makes it easier if you pretend is that we are moving house and do we need to take all this STUFF to another house and refill more drawers.

  • 10 years ago
    when we renovated the kitchen I eliminated drawers except for utensils. no drawers available means no junk drawer
  • 10 years ago

    It's in the kitchen. There are a few things in there we need, e.g., band-aids, rubber bands, and a dynamic time capsule of things that seemed important for forgotten reasons: permission slips, receipts, all those extra screws and parts that are left over from the Ikea furniture builds.

  • 10 years ago

    Judy, 2 1/2 drawers of built-in kitchen desk taken by grandkids for cups bowls,... for easy access, so I am being deprived of junk drawer space ;0(! lol

  • 10 years ago

    I have a whole desk in the kitchen with an assortment of junk, office supplies, and the most common household tools. My kitchen remodel project includes a dedicated junk drawer(s) as well!

  • 10 years ago

    in the kitchen...no too messy...LOL

  • 10 years ago

    The question is "do you have a junk drawer?". No, I don't. But I am no neat freak. You didn't ask about my garage or spare bedroom! Haha

  • 10 years ago

    Judi, wow think that is a whole new discussion, walk in cupboard in my bedroom is a prime example, just given up with it. hehe

  • 10 years ago

    Wow, walk in cupboard?, do you mean a pantry ? ;0)

  • 10 years ago

    jan turner, good morning ;0), read my Oct. 14 posts 2 of them, you'll like them, e.g. rubber bands, refrigerator magnets....... ;0)

  • 10 years ago

    tw123456, no its a cupboard in my bedroom, has all my bedding in, clothes important papers, shoes, boxes of wool and many more boxes of STUFF, and baskets of STUFF bags of STUFF, never mind it has doors that shut and hide it all.

  • 10 years ago

    Yes, doesn't everyone???

  • 10 years ago

    jan turner, I like that, "never mind, it's has doors that shut and hide it all". ;0).
    You should read my comment under the one which you read, about moving.


  • 10 years ago
    Kitchen drawer closest to the garage. (In all three houses we've had, ha!)
  • 10 years ago

    The real question should be how many junk drawers do you have. Everybody has stuff that just shows up on the kitchen counter and has to go someplace when company is coming, or when you need the island to be cleaned off so you can eat. I hope to organize it better one day. But.......

  • 10 years ago

    Two junk drawers- one on top for the everyday Junk, one on the bottom for the

    " have no clue where this was supposed to go and i know if i throw it away i will go nuts looking for it stuff" . Usually works and funny thing is when I CLEAN those two drawers and get organized I can't find a THING for weeks.. Chaotic organization seems to work best in this house.

    Bottom line If you don't know where IT goes or where IT belongs or even What IT is or does but you need IT look in the junk drawers 99% of the time "IT" is there. Sort of like the foster home for the "why do i have this items"


  • 10 years ago

    Right now no junk drawers but when I get my dream house build I will.

  • 10 years ago

    Junk drawer? No thanks. If it's junk and around? It gets tossed. Drawers are prime real estate. If I have to shove something in a drawer, it doesn't belong there. Each drawer in the kitchen holds one related category of items. There is no hodge-podge of stuff. The drawers are not stuffed, and you can find what you need at once. They have divided compartments in them.

  • 9 years ago

    Moved recently, so I have one in my kitchen ( as always) and my bedroom dresser.

  • 9 years ago

    I have a junk house, never mind drawer.