topic Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house? in Community Chat

Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

retiredatlast — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 20:58:12 GMT

I have always kept a junk drawer in my kitchen. Polled some of my CA friends and most of them have never heard of keeping one. Wondering if this an East coast thing, as I grew up on the East coast and moved to CA in my 30's. I keep all the odds and ends that have no other place to go. Extra scissors, markers, tape measures, a handy screw driver, pens and pencils, catnip for the kitty, extra packs of sugar free chewing gum, paper clips, food bag clips, scotch tape, box openers, packing tape, and many other miscellaneous items. I have a very large drawer and I have organizers in the drawer to keep keep things separate. I don't think I could ever get rid of this kitchen staple for me as I always seem to be going to that drawer for something many times a day. Any one else have one? And what do you keep in yours?

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

Venezia — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:01:55 GMT

@retiredatlast - A junk drawer? I have at least three! Two in the kitchen, another in the office.

I see no reason to get rid of any of them. There's always something that doesn't have any other place to live.

(Oh, contents are pretty much the same as yours.)

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

Kachina624 — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:03:15 GMT

I've always had a junk drawer in the kitchen. So did my mother. I tried using a small bin in the pantry but it just wasn't convenient.

Where do the California people keep their odds and ends?

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

We rescue cats — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:06:28 GMT

We do! There's one in the kitchen that holds the same things you described, otherwise those things don't have a home. We also have one in the basement and there's one in motorhome. Obviously I have too much junk.

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

Bookplate — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:16:25 GMT

I do and recently tackled it. Taking pride of place was a huge clump of rubber bands and paper clips that had melded together in imitation of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Also cat collars for cats long deceased, coupons, refrigerator magnets and enough twist ties to circle the Equator.

Rubber bands (the ones I could rescue) are now in a baggie, twist ties in another one, and paper clips in a jar, and I am monitoring the drawer now like like a mother hawk.

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

smoochy — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:18:47 GMT

Yes, in the kitchen. With an organizer in it. Most of the same things mentioned by the OP. Whenever I open it my cat tries to snatch things out of it.

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

SoCal Bred — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:25:05 GMT

I live in CA and have several junk drawers in my home, kitchen, bathroom and spare bedroom.

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

on the bay — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:27:15 GMT

@retiredatlast,

Well, I think you just have weird CA friends lol!

How can people not have one, or maybe they just don't call it a junk drawer. Maybe that is a regional name of it.

I kinda have one in every room

I consider myself very organized too. Very organized "junk" in it's nice drawer all of it's own.

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

justashopper — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:27:39 GMT

It didn't start out that way.... but yes there usually is one or two. Right now, I have one in the entry table. It's a catch all of mail, reciepts, coupons and other odd and ends that don't have an official home.

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

Still Raining — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:29:17 GMT

My instant answer is NO, of course not. Which is literally true, no drawer.

However, all types of all kinds of tape fill a big rubber maid on the top of the closet. Never met a tape I didn't like. At least three more in first aid for large DIY bandages.

Little screwdrivers live in a section of lower bathroom drawer (don't ask 😂). Sewing machine screwdrivers are upstairs in the *gasp* sewing box. Then the garage, arranged by type, size, length...

Ah scissors...sewing in box, little clothing label ones in with little screwdrivers in bathroom 😂, garage ones down there and finally kitchen in slots in the kitchen, multiple.

Spread the wealth and it looks tidy is my theory.

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

on the bay — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:37:01 GMT

That's so funny @Still Raining.

I believe every single room should have a pair of good scissors.

Laundry and bathroom too, car and yes purse. There is always something that needs cutting or cutting off.

Also every room needs a kleenex box. Used for so many things!

And I would never give or lend my tools for more than an hour or so especially screwdrivers. Not every tool is the same and I like mine.

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

spumoni99 — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:37:39 GMT

I live in CA and have a junk drawer in the kitchen, tape, scissors and misc junk.

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

VanSleepy — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:38:27 GMT

You amateurs have junk drawers? I have junk rooms 😂

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

MerriSherri — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:40:26 GMT

Yes. We have a junk drawer in our kitchen. I have a large organizer in it which keeps everything in its place. It pretty much has everything you mentioned from scissors, paper clips, screwdriver, pens, pencils, matches and a lighter along with note pads to keep a running grocery list. I'm a neat freak so I clean it out a few times a year.

We have another large kitchen drawer which is our snack drawer. When our daughters were younger I would keep snack packs of chips, cookies, and gummy bears. Now I keep it filled with energy bars and lemonade sticks for me and my husband.

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

jlkz — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:45:36 GMT

@Bookplate

Re: Rubber Band Clump

Whether it is "molded" as you described or in a baggie, DH would suggest using an old cassette type plastic holder and placing the rubber bands around it.

He did that here and it is easy to take one off without dealing with a baggie. It also looks neater and can also serve as a separator in the drawer.

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

LizzieInSRQ — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:49:28 GMT

@retiredatlast your friends either lied to you or are too removed from normal life to understand the question.

Of course i have a junk drawer

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

Nightowlz — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:50:09 GMT

I have a large junk drawer. After we remodeled the kitchen I was putting everything where I thought I wanted it but could change if I didn't like it. All the stuff I didn't know where to put or even if we need to keep is all in the junk drawer now. LOL!!! 2 yrs later it's all still there. Guess I should get rid of what we have not used in those 2 yrs.

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

mspatmac — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 21:52:00 GMT

Of course I do and my lovely junk has lived in NJ, California and now Texas. Much easier to dump into a box and move it than clean it.

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

Venezia — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 22:03:34 GMT

@VanSleepy wrote:
You amateurs have junk drawers? I have junk rooms 😂

@VanSleepy - I love it!!! (I hate to admit it, but so do I.)

Re: Do you have a "junk" drawer at your house?

Bookplate — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 22:04:00 GMT

@jlkz wrote:
@Bookplate

Re: Rubber Band Clump

Whether it is "molded" as you described or in a baggie, DH would suggest using an old cassette type plastic holder and placing the rubber bands around it.

He did that here and it is easy to take one off without dealing with a baggie. It also looks neater and can also serve as a separator in the drawer.

I am liking this; thank you!