As American as a Junk Drawer

I was looking for moral support and commiseration when I decided to clean out my desk junk drawer, so I posted the following on a Facebook page: "Do you have a junk drawer, and if so, where is it and what's in it?" Over fifty group members commented, but my favorite reply was that "it is un-American not to have one." 

The most common place for a junk drawer is in the kitchen, although some admitted to having one in every room. The contents vary depending on the location. One thing that is emblematic of junk drawers is that they reflect indecision. When in doubt whether to throw something out, where to store it, or what to do with it, no matter what the "it" is, the item lands in the drawer.

I appointed myself CEO of my stuff and took control. 

My desk junk drawer yielded a whole bunch of procrastination. I found my deceased mother's hearing aids that were in there for years because of indecision. I mailed them to an organization I found online that refits devices for people with limited resources. Likewise, eyeglasses with old prescriptions were dropped in a bin at my library for distribution by a service organization. I was able to give the gift of sight and hearing by making these donations, instead of leaving the eyeglasses and hearing aids unused and cluttering the drawer. 

An old cell phone was donated to an organization that helps victims of domestic violence by providing the ability to call for help and a dog collar that doesn't fit my pup anymore went straight to an animal shelter. There were numerous UEOs (Unidentified Electronic Objects) which I dropped off at the town recycling center and left a message while I was there for ET to phone home. These disposals required effort on my part, and though it would have been easier to trash it all indiscriminately, my choices left me feeling gratified. 

Unlabeled old keys are tricky. If you're certain the key is for something no longer in use, then toss it, but you don't want someone in your household to come around looking for a key to open a lockbox or desk drawer to learn that you threw it out. I found a spare key for a car I no longer own, a door I replaced, and desks that I gave away. Only after I was certain the key was no longer useful did I dispose of it. 

A desk drawer yielded a lot of pens and markers, many of them dried out and no longer working. I read on social media about a recycling program for markers. When I attempted to obtain a return mailer from the company, I learned the program was discontinued because of the complexities of recycling. My job is to debunk that information; dry pens and markers are rubbish.  

The kitchen junk drawer has its own special contents. How many take-out restaurant menus can be found in yours? Some of the menus I had were from restaurants that were out of business and I'm sure the others from restaurants still in operation had outdated food offerings and prices. My phone is the source for take-out orders now, so I tossed all the old menus into paper recycling.  

Random electric cords should be matched with an appliance. Is it from the large urn coffee maker or the hot tray? Repurpose a cardboard roll from toilet paper or paper towels and place the cord inside with the name of the appliance written on it. It will keep it neatly rolled and make your life easier the next time you entertain. 

Spare change makes its way to junk drawers. Set up compartments for pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters (a third of an egg carton with 4 compartments can keep them separate) to exchange for bills at the bank. If you have enough coins to put into wrappers, you can roll them while you watch television.  

Avoid what I did which was to throw spare change into a 5-gallon water dispenser jug for a decade until it was too heavy to get out of my house and into the car. I had to pour the coins into coffee cans and make 8 trips to a supermarket coin machine, which takes a percentage of the haul. I was mortified when it sounded like Las Vegas as I fed the machine and a shopper called out, "winner, winner, chicken dinner!"  

So many people keep tools in their kitchen junk drawers: hammer, screwdriver, box cutter, nails, screws, razor blades and picture hangers. It makes sense to set up a small toolbox and keep it in a closet as you would with a sewing kit; it is much safer.

Batteries are another junk drawer favorite that might not belong there. Battery manufacturers say it isn't necessary to keep batteries in a refrigerator, in fact, refrigerators may be too moist for optimum storage. A cool, dry place is recommended.

I remember the saying, "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen," which makes me wonder whether a kitchen drawer, possibly near a stove producing dry and moist heat, is the best storage location. Contact with metals, such as change or staples, can damage the batteries. Find a better location. 

Here are some items that rightly belong in your junk drawer: birthday candles and matches, bag clips, bottle stoppers, refrigerator magnets, scissors, tape, glue, a flashlight, a magnifying glass, scrap paper and pads, pens and markers. It is helpful to remove everything and thoughtfully replace what you still want. A drawer organizer can make the contents readily accessible.  

When I open my cleaned out and organized drawer, I feel a sense of satisfaction because I own less junk, have donated to charitable organizations and recycled what I could. I can even consider myself patriotic for having a well-maintained good ole American junk drawer. 

Linda Goor Nanos is a practicing attorney, author, wife, mother and grandmother. Her writing credits include a memoir "Forty Years of PMS," professional articles and published essays on life lessons. Read More