What's In Your Junk Drawer?

It's now officially spring and that means many good things—shiny new leaves on the trees, colorful spring flowers, sunny days that don't include below freezing temperatures at night.  Unfortunately, it also means seasonal chores—putting away the winter coats and clothes, getting out the summer clothes, switching over from furnace to air conditioning, rounding up the garden hoses and sprinklers, and finally the inevitable once a year chore—that ritual known as spring cleaning.

And speaking of spring cleaning, shouldn't that include straightening out and organizing that infamous catch-all known as the junk drawer?  Don't deny that you have one.  Everyone does and it's usually in the kitchen.  What are some of the common items kept in a junk drawer?

1)  Scissors:

These are a must in a junk drawer.  They don't need to be an expensive pair, but they do need to be there.

2)  Paper clips and safety pins:

When something needs fastening, it's a nuisance to rummage through your office for a paper clip and sift through sewing supplies to find what you need.  It's very convenient to have a few of these items handy in the kitchen.

3)  Pens and pencils:

Another must for the junk drawer.  Everyone always needs one in the kitchen.  This is where a lot of the free give-away promotional pens end up…or the one you liberated from the grocery store after writing that check.

4)  Bandages:

Just in case you cut yourself while chopping veggies.

5)  Gum:

Always a nice surprise to find a stick of gum or piece of candy.

6)  Rubber bands:

While they're essential to a junk drawer, they often end up running amok.  You need to put them in something so they won't get tangled with everything and with each other.

7)  Bag clips:

If you have the kind with magnets on them, then you probably keep them on the freezer or refrigerator.  But if they don't have magnets, you'll most likely keep them in the junk drawer.

8)  Batteries:

Many people keep batteries in their refrigerator, but it has been debated whether or not this actually extends battery life.  I keep mine in my junk drawer, mostly AA and AAA batteries since they are the most used.

9)  Mini tools:

It's good to have a few tools handy such as different sizes of screwdrivers (both Phillips head and flat head) and maybe a hammer for those quick emergency fixes that don't require dragging out the big tool box.

10)  Flashlight:

It's nice to have one handy in case of that power failure.  Of course, I also have one in my bedroom and my office.

In my junk drawer I have some of these items and I have some that aren't mentioned here such as a couple of extension cords, a jar with miscellaneous nails and screws, and a roll of duct tape.

There are drawer organizers made for the specific purpose of putting that junk drawer in some kind of order.  I've given up on them and have returned to the basic disorganized system.

What kind of stuff do you keep in your junk drawer?