10 things I stopped keeping in my junk drawer

10 things I stopped keeping in my junk drawer

Junk drawers are like the black hole of the house—things go in, but they rarely come back out. For years, mine was full of stuff I thought I might need or didn’t have the energy to put away properly.

But after one too many times digging through rubber bands and broken chargers looking for a pen, I was over it. I cleared it out and made real rules about what stays. These are the things I stopped keeping in there, and honestly, I haven’t missed them once.

Random cords and mystery chargers

If you don’t know what it belongs to, it’s not worth keeping. Cords and chargers were taking up half my drawer and stressing me out every time I reached for anything. Most of them didn’t even match anything we owned anymore.

Now I keep one extra charger per device type in a labeled bin elsewhere. If I find a cord and can’t identify it within a day or two, it’s gone. I’ve never once gone looking for one after I tossed it.

Dried-up pens and mystery markers

I used to keep every pen I ever touched, even if half of them didn’t work. I’d dig through eight duds just to find one that could write. Same with half-used markers from old craft kits or school supplies.

Now I test everything before it goes in. If it skips, leaks, or takes too long to warm up, it’s not worth the drawer space. I only keep a couple of pens and a sharpie or two in there—ones I know work every time.

Old receipts I never needed again

Receipts would pile up fast. Some were sticky from grocery bags, others were curled and faded beyond recognition. I told myself I might need them one day, but that day never came.

Now I either scan important ones or toss them right away. Anything I actually need for returns or records gets clipped to a magnet on the fridge or filed properly. The drawer doesn’t need to be my second glove box.

Dead batteries I meant to recycle

You know those batteries you set aside thinking you’ll dispose of them properly? Mine were living in the drawer for months—sometimes years. They weren’t helping anyone, and they were probably leaking junk I didn’t want near anything else.

Now I have a small container in the laundry room for dead batteries, and when it’s full, I drop it off at a recycling station. If they’re dead, they don’t get to sit around pretending they’re useful.

Random screws, nails, and wall anchors

They were always “extras” from some project or piece of furniture I assembled—and I thought they might be useful one day. But none of them matched, and I never actually used them for anything.

Now I keep a labeled bin in the garage with actual hardware I use often. If a screw ends up in the drawer, it gets sorted or tossed within a day. I don’t need a drawer full of mismatched pieces I’ll never use.

Takeout menus and business cards

With everything online now, keeping printed menus and contact cards felt unnecessary. They’d get crumpled, stained, and lost in the mess. And if I needed something, I’d Google it anyway.

Now I save numbers or websites in my phone and let the paper versions go. The drawer isn’t meant to store a restaurant filing system, and the space is better used for things I reach for daily.

Instruction manuals I never read again

I used to toss every little manual in the junk drawer, thinking I might need it someday. But I never actually flipped through them, and most were for stuff I didn’t even own anymore.

Now I keep important ones scanned in a folder on my computer or download PDFs straight from the manufacturer’s site if I need them later. If something doesn’t need a full-on manual, it doesn’t need to take up drawer space either.

Random kitchen tools that don’t get used

You know the strawberry huller, avocado slicer, or that freebie wine opener that barely works? All those lived in my drawer and made it harder to find the scissors or measuring tape I actually needed.

I moved all the once-a-year gadgets to a bin in the pantry and donated anything I never touch. The drawer works better when it’s not packed with stuff that sounded helpful but ended up being a pain.

Toys and trinkets with no home

Stickers, bouncy balls, tiny slinkies—every birthday party or fast food trip came with something small and plastic that ended up in the drawer. They’d roll around and get in the way every time I opened it.

Now I keep a small container in the playroom for random treasures. If it doesn’t fit or gets forgotten, it goes in the trash. My junk drawer isn’t a toy chest, and it’s way easier to keep it clean without all the clutter.

Expired coupons and gift cards

I used to toss paper coupons and old gift cards in there, thinking I’d eventually use them. But most were long expired by the time I found them again, and I was tired of the “maybe” pile growing.

Now I keep active gift cards and rewards in my wallet or phone. If it’s expired or unreadable, I don’t let it hang around. No more guessing games when I open the drawer to grab something I actually need.

*This article was developed with AI-powered tools and has been carefully reviewed by our editors.