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A Good Housekeeping report lists seven items organizers and a home expert keep in a junk drawer, from a compact tape measure and tested pens to a clean takeout container used as a divider. Their advice centers on grouping small items, checking that supplies work and giving batteries a separate, safer storage and recycling routine.
A Good Housekeeping report outlines seven items organizers and an etiquette expert say can make a junk drawer more useful, including a compact tape measure, working pens, a mini flashlight and a battery tester. Their recommendations focus on making small essentials easier to find and maintaining them, rather than filling the drawer with miscellaneous supplies.
Max Wilson, co-founder of Pocket Storage, and organizer Cruz recommend a compact tape measure for quick household checks, such as measuring a drawer for organizers, a stretch of wall or an item that needs to fit through a doorway. The idea is to keep a small measuring tool available for everyday tasks, not to move an entire toolbox into the drawer.
Both Wilson and Cruz also use a zippered pouch to keep small items from spreading across the drawer. Cruz’s pouch holds a working pen and pencil, a permanent marker, tiny scissors and cable ties. Wilson says his holds items such as spare keys, pens, a mini screwdriver and picture hooks. Grouping supplies this way can reduce rummaging, though the report does not prescribe one standard set for every household.
For quick notes, etiquette expert Jo Hayes, founder of EtiquetteExpert.org, keeps pens and a notepad on hand. Cruz advises testing pens and discarding or replacing ones that no longer write. Cruz also recommends a mini flashlight, which she says can be useful during outages or when looking behind furniture and inside dark cabinets; unlike a phone light, it leaves the phone’s battery available and frees both hands.
A battery tester can help identify loose batteries that still work, are running low or need recycling, Cruz says. She stores usable batteries separately, with their terminals covered, away from keys, coins and paperclips; batteries that are running low go into a separate container for eventual recycling. Wilson’s storage suggestion is a clean, shallow takeout container, which can act as a removable divider for batteries, change or small tools. Hayes adds birthday sparklers to her drawer because she keeps them with birthday candles and has used one to reach into a sink drain to remove debris.
Small Supplies, Easier Household Tasks
The recommendations address a familiar household problem: a drawer intended to hold useful odds and ends can become difficult to search. Grouping small items in a pouch or shallow container gives them a place and makes the drawer easier to scan. That may save time when someone needs a pen, a small tool or a measurement for a home project.
The advice also distinguishes useful supplies from items that have merely accumulated. Testing pens and sorting batteries gives residents a reason to remove items that no longer serve their purpose. For batteries in particular, the report describes a separate storage and recycling routine rather than treating loose cells as ordinary drawer clutter. The suggestions are practical options, not evidence that any one arrangement suits every home.
compact tape measure for household
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A Drawer Built Around Everyday Needs
The report presents the junk drawer as a convenient place for small, frequently needed household items, rather than as a substitute for a full tool or supply cabinet. Wilson’s tape-measure example concerns modest jobs, such as checking a furniture purchase or measuring a drawer. Cruz similarly describes uses that can interrupt a small project if the tool is not readily available.
Storage does not have to mean buying a dedicated organizer. Wilson says clean food containers, sturdy lids and old packaging can serve as dividers if they fit the drawer and give a particular group of items a home. The report’s suggestions are based on the named contributors’ routines; it does not include comparative testing, cost estimates or a single required inventory.
“A junk drawer becomes frustrating when you have to rummage through it, so grouping similar items inside a pouch makes it much easier to find what you need.”
— Max Wilson, co-founder of Pocket Storage
No One-Size-Fits-All Drawer List
The report offers personal recommendations, not a tested ranking or a universal checklist. It does not say how many of each item to keep, how often to review the drawer or which supplies are most useful across different household sizes and needs. The source material also gives no publication date. Readers should treat the list as a set of options and adapt it to the tasks they actually handle at home.
Adapt the Setup to Your Home
The report does not announce a product launch or a scheduled follow-up. Its practical next step for readers is to choose a small set of supplies that match their routines, place loose small items in pouches or containers, and check that pens and other tools still work. Batteries should be sorted and stored separately as described, with depleted ones directed to an appropriate recycling option. The source does not specify local battery-recycling rules, so residents will need to check guidance where they live.
Key Questions
What items do organizers recommend for a junk drawer?
The report names a compact tape measure, a zippered pouch, working pens and a notepad, a mini flashlight, a battery tester, a clean takeout container and birthday sparklers. These are contributors’ suggestions, not a required checklist.
How can I keep small items from getting lost?
Use a slim pouch for small supplies and a shallow container to separate categories such as batteries, change and small tools. Wilson recommends giving each container a specific purpose and checking that it fits the drawer.
How should batteries be stored in a junk drawer?
Cruz recommends testing loose batteries, storing usable ones together with their terminals covered, and keeping them away from keys, coins and paperclips. She says batteries that are running low should go in a separate container for recycling. Check local guidance for disposal and recycling.
Why keep a flashlight if a phone has one?
Cruz says a separate flashlight does not use the phone’s battery and leaves both hands free. She uses hers during outages and to see behind furniture or inside dark cabinets.
Do I need to buy drawer organizers?
No. Wilson suggests trying a clean takeout container, sturdy lid or other small packaging as a divider, as long as it fits the drawer and keeps a particular group of items together.
Source: rss
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