Step-By-Step Instructions for Today's Declutter Task

Focus:  Junk Drawer

For today's challenge, we're going to declutter the junk drawer.

Every home needs a junk drawer for those small, miscellaneous items that you want to stash someplace quickly.  Typically, I think about the junk drawer being in the kitchen, and that's what you'll see me declutter in the video.  But you could choose any drawer because lots of drawers get filled up with random stuff.

It's important that the junk drawer gets some attention every once in a while to remind yourself what's in there, purge what's no longer needed, and move items that might be better placed elsewhere.

Junk drawer decluttering can take more time than you expect since the things in them tend to be small,  meaning a lot more items will fit in there. 

If your junk drawer is particularly full, you might want break this task down by category, but otherwise, take everything out of the drawer and sort the items into categories by grouping similar items together.

You might want to have a scrap piece of paper handy to check any pens and markers.  Throw out the ones with the dried up ink.  If you have pencils that are now itty bitty stubs of what they once were, toss them. 

If you have take-out menus, do you look at them, or do you go straight to the menu on Google?  If Google is your go-to, you can probably recycle the paper copies.

Two categories I bet you'll find in the junk drawer are (1) things that belong someplace else, and (2) things you have no idea what they are or what they go to.  Group the things that go elsewhere according to the room they should go back to, and consider containing the items you're unsure of in a baggie until you figure out what they are and if you still need them.

While everything's out, go ahead and give the drawer a quick wipe down.

After you've done the sorting and made the decisions, put the keepers back, toss the trash, and take those things that belong elsewhere to their rightful home. 

You did it - you decluttered for 7 straight days!  Well done!