Ask Lemmy

I sort of have 3 variations of this drawer. One is fully named “the junk drawer” and contains things like rubber bands, batteries, scissors, garden snips, things that are sort of odd one out in other spots, but I feel are still relevant to my kitchen. Then I have one that is this but specifically things used on the stove and for mixing. So that puts spatulas, whisks, and such into their own mess. Finally is the “kitchen gadgets” drawer which looks very similar to yours. No organizer tray because everything is odd shapes, but also honestly sees little enough use I don’t really mind digging through it.

Well this backfired on OP

Almost every home has a junk drawer or other junk container. Mine has multiple.

All that being said, I don't think I've seen a drawer as confusing as this.

Not only does everyone have one of these, they suffer from quantum entanglement.

These misc drawers are the best way to worship anoia, Goddess of Things That Get Stuck in Drawers (also luck).

I regrettably also have this drawer.

Attempts at cleaning it usually end up with the drawer now being somewhere else, but it clings to life somehow.

I think they're just a fact of life at this point.

Every family has at least one packing drawer of course!

Every single organization system will fail. When we try to put things into categories, there will always be some things that don't fit. That is why every organization scheme needs a miscellaneous category. That seems to be the purpose of this drawer, and that's great.

This is not a junk drawer. A junk drawer has flashlights, pocket knife, some tools, tape, bandaids, pens. This drawer doesn't have anything like that.

This is the food prep drawer.

I have three food utensil drawers. Dining, serving, and prep.

If you have a small kitchen, maybe you would combine serve and prep utensils into one drawer.

Can opener, cheese grater, scale, rolling pin, whisks, mixer parts, and cooking knives, all go into drawer. But like the bread knife and cake knife go into serve drawer, along with ladels, and serving spoons, for example.

Exactly like in the picture

That's essentially the "overflow" drawer. The only solution is to have less stuff... Or just live with it like i do lol

I have accessory drawers, but they have organizers in them and I never put sharp things just randomly strewn i n a drawer. I have some baskets with random stuff in them for like extra cotton balls, the other of a 2 pack of soap, and stuff like that which could be considered "junk drawers", but none of it is junk really. And I do have in my basement workbench a drawer that has random leftover parts from projects like screen spline, insulation spools, etc. That could definitely be called a junk drawer, but non of that is dangerous to reach in and grab, nor will any of the items damage each other when fumbling through them.

I have one of the drawers and I'd consider myself organized. I try to keep it organized with one of these rather large Ikea Stodja drawer organizers. I used to use silverware organizers but stumbled upon this thing, 14"x20". They come in other shapes and sizes too but is a lot handier than using a regular silverware organizer because the compartments are pretty large.

Pens and notepads/post-it notes in one, batteries and an Eneloop wall charger in another, hair ties/lip gloss/rubber bands in another, big compartment holds a roll of packing tape and various other tapes, and another slot has a couple pairs of scissors.

I'd recommend getting a larger organizer just so you can compartmentalize larger things together, something a silverware organizer usually can't accomplish

When my daughter was 4, she named it the “Don’t know where go drawer” and that’s how we’ve referred to it since.

I also have a man drawer.

where's the sauce packets?

I wish my drawer was that empty.

In reality you live in a junk drawer cozy. Just support the junk drawer and everything will probably be OK.

Yes, everyone has this

The 3rd drawer down from the top

Sorry OP, we've got two in our home.

My life is this drawer.

Yes. Most kitchens have a junk drawer. This is often where the household hammer is kept, among other random things.

Compromise in marriage means not organizing everything to death and allowing your partner to maintain some jumbled spaces. A junk drawer is organized, out of sight chaos that still maintains a certain logic.

We’ve also floated the idea that not having a junk drawer in the kitchen may be a marker of psychopathy. I jest, but also not. Just know, junk drawers are common, diverse, and almost as expected as silverware drawers.

Ah yes, the "junk" drawer. I have three! :-)

Yes. I've tried to sort it, but there are too many small things that don't go anywhere else, so they are dumped together.

Trust me, that one is fine

Aaaah, the "As seen on TV"+drawer! Yes we have that one.

I do not have that drawer. Mine is at least twice as full.

Sorry to say, your wife is right. Sorry to say, even if she is wrong she is right.

Yes, embrace the drawer

The "junk drawer" is supposed to have old receipts, loose batteries, the toy(s) you took from your kid when they threw it at your head, some vaguely kitchen-esque looking tool you got as a wedding gift but don't know what it is....crap like that.

That's just a normal large/specialty utensil drawer.

We've got 2

Every family afaik has at least one of these drawers. Just accept it and live your life.

My wife has serious ADHD, this is every drawer.

This is not a junk drawer, there are no coins or condiment packets.

This looks to be a kitchen accessories drawer although I'm unsure why you have a pill cutter in there.

Yep, I have a 'random shit' drawer too

Ours is a little more organized with dividers, but it doesn't look much better. Everyone I know has a drawer like that. I'd take the scale out and put it on a shelf. Scales are delicate.

PS, we have the exact same can opener, pizza roller, and grater as you guys.

Only if you have extra drawer space to waste. Most beneficial would be to give a dedicated space to the scale

I am ridiculously organized and clean. I do that 5 minutes of swift pickup/wipe a few times each day.

That said, still have this drawer. There is always a collection of items that don't seem to go "together" but they're always used. That's what this drawer is for.

I don't get the stock picture though. It's an obvious arrangement of tools that haven't even been used.

Every family has a misc. drawer. Staplers, pens, rubber bands, paper clips. Lots of office supplies usually but it often will broaden out to all kinds of random crap.

That one is not exactly what I’d expect in the misc drawer but it’s not totally out of bounds?

You have the OCD strain of autism and so do your parents.

Of course, everyone has this drawer. It's called a junk drawer. Where else would you put this crap. What planet are you living on?

Yes absolutely

But not the scale tho