Everyone has one. But few of us use it effectively. Yes, that’s right: the family junk drawer. Almost always in the kitchen, it becomes a catchall for everything from specialty kitchen tools to spare keys, gum to school permission slips, office supplies to emergency essentials. Here’s our four-step plan to help you sort through the mess and transform your drawer from junky to ingenious!

STEP 1: ASSESS THE MESS
Take everything out of the drawer and put it on a (spacious!) flat surface. What’s actually in there? There’s stuff that should be there (batteries, extra keys), and probably a lot that shouldn’t: tools, school permission slips, junk mail, candy. Determine what’s staying, and what’s going.

STEP 2: RELOCATE WHAT NEEDS RELOCATING
Move the aforementioned misplaced items to their rightful places (in the tool box, into the garbage or recycling bin), then ensure similar items won’t end up in the junk drawer in the future. Put baskets by your front door or mudroom so kids have someplace to stash school notices, and you have a spot to put mail, junk or otherwise. Set up a plastic binder or sleeve to hold takeout menus, placing it near your phone book. And vow to take the extra time to put screwdrivers and drill bits where they belong, to avoid searching later.

STEP 3: CREATE NICHES FOR JUNK-DRAWER ESSENTIALS
Now dedicate space for junk drawer must-haves. These are the things you want on-call on a weekly basis, as when packing lunches, jotting down notes while checking voicemail, handing off the house to a home-sitter or babysitter, lighting candles, and so on. Also, you’ll want to keep some emergency supplies handy, like the essential flashlight and batteries. Shallow plastic drawer organizers, with moveable dividers that can be adjusted to fit drawer size, are perfect for all your junk-drawer needs. Flashlights, notepads and pens, twist-ties, kitchen twine, scissors and matchbooks are all accessible.

STEP 4: CONTAIN TINY MULTIPLES - OR NOTABLES
Paper clips, rubber bands, stamps and loose change benefit from further containment within the organized junk drawer. Use TakeAlongs Twist & Seal single-serving food containers to hold these easy-to-lose items. It’s also a good way to set aside spare keys.