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A useful junk drawer is really a small household utility drawer: a place for practical odds and ends you reach for often. Professional organizers do not share one proven, universal seven-item checklist, but these examples can help you build one around your own home.
What belongs in a useful junk drawer?
Think in terms of tasks, not a universal inventory. Renata Cruz, a cleaning expert and professional organizer at Coastal Maid San Diego, told Good Housekeeping that “junk” should mean different items that are frequently needed and handy to keep in one accessible place. Jennifer Moore, founder and professional organizer at Organized Boutique, similarly describes it as “a safe space for practical, frequently used items you want easy access to,” in Martha Stewart.
With that in mind, consider these seven adaptable examples. Keep only the ones that solve a real, recurring need in your household.
Seven practical examples to consider
1. Pens and a small notepad
A pen and notepad are useful for jotting down a delivery note, a measurement, or a quick reminder. If you already keep writing supplies elsewhere and reach for them more easily there, they do not need a second home in this drawer.
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2. A small household tool
A compact screwdriver or another small tool can be handy for quick fixes around the house. Choose tools you actually use, rather than treating the drawer as a catch-all for hardware.
3. Batteries you use
Spare batteries can earn a place if you regularly need them for household devices. Keep types you use, grouped together so they are easy to spot; do not let loose or unidentified batteries accumulate.
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4. A spare key
A key you reach for often may be convenient in a central utility drawer. Keep it only if the drawer is an appropriate, secure place for it, and make its purpose clear to household members.
5. Tape
A small roll of tape can help with quick household tasks and is one of the kinds of practical odds and ends that may fit the drawer. If you have several types, keep only the ones you regularly need here.
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6. Scissors
A pair of household scissors is useful for opening packaging and other small jobs. Give it a defined spot so it does not disappear beneath other items.
7. A small, frequently used miscellaneous item
Use the final space for something specific to your household—perhaps a small item you repeatedly look for. The point is not to fill every compartment, but to make a commonly needed object easy to find.
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How to organize the drawer you already have
Empty it before sorting
Take everything out so you can see what is there. HGTV’s organizing guidance, updated February 27, 2026, identifies emptying the drawer as the first step advised by organizers Holly Blakey and Samantha Pregenzer. Set aside only items that have a useful purpose and belong in this accessible spot.
Group items by use
Put similar small objects together—for example, writing supplies in one compartment and batteries in another. The goal is to give each group a visible home rather than letting small items collect in one jumble. Martha Stewart reports Moore’s recommendation to use clear organizers and labels where needed; a label is most useful when a container’s contents are not obvious.
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Fit the organizer to the drawer
Measure the drawer’s usable width, depth, and height before choosing trays or dividers, then compare the compartments with the items you plan to store. HGTV attributes this principle to the organizers it consulted: “Don’t buy a drawer to fit your organizer — buy an organizer that fits your drawer!” Prioritize compartments that fit your actual belongings, are easy to see into, and can be adjusted if the contents change.
Reuse a suitable container if you have one
A purchased organizer is optional. Shannon Murphy, Professional Organiser and Founder of Simpl Living Co, told Ideal Home that phone boxes can be split into two pieces and reused as small trays for batteries, keys, or tools. Repurpose a box only if it fits the drawer and keeps its contents easy to reach.
Make the list fit your household
The seven examples above are suggestions, not a fixed set that professional organizers have been shown to keep. The useful test is whether an item is needed often enough to justify an easy-access place, and whether its designated compartment helps you find it quickly. If something is rarely used, belongs elsewhere, or has no clear purpose, it does not become useful just because there is room in the drawer.
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