This is a sponsored post by HEXA by Spectrum Diversified Designs.
Spring is here again. So… it’s highly probable that you, like me, are launching a full-scale cleaning plan for your house. I like to start in the hub of our home: the kitchen. This week, I tackled our most-used, but rarely organized coffee station with the help of some sleek in-drawer organizers. Here’s how to organize drawers in 5 easy steps.
I had just finished reading an email about NINE different methods of decluttering. Who knew there were so many?! While I love a good Marie Kondo fold, and I’ve participated in the 40 Bags in 40 days project several years in a row, there is no way I’m packing up my entire house just to see what items I “really” need. Sorry not sorry.
Here’s what I know about decluttering. It is VERY easy to get clean floors and surfaces in my house for a family gathering or birthday party. So easy, I barely sweat it anymore. Want to know my secret? Maybe this will be the “10th way!”
The Quick-Clean Clean Sweep Method
I shove everything in closets, drawers, or another room. Voila! Delightfully clean kitchen, living room, and playroom for guests! I call it my “quick-clean clean sweep!”
Until. Those closets, drawers, and other rooms are so cluttered I no longer have room to temporarily park clutter. I’m sure you know the feeling.
So, here’s another truth I’ve learned. To have space available for a “quick clean sweep,” you have to free up space deep in the crevices of your home. Yes, I’m looking at you, junk drawer. Junk closet. Junk room.
You have to THROW away so you can PUT away.
BEFORE:
I said it. To truly declutter and clean, there has to be ROOM. That’s why a combination of declutter methods works best for me.
Yes, Marie Kondo is right when it comes to keeping similar things together. We should hold onto those “spark-joy” moments. And her folding methods are bar-none!
Yes, you probably do have 40 bags of clutter to remove from your home.
And sure, a massive box-up will show you what is essential—eventually.
But these methods don’t work well on their own.
Case in point with my coffee station. A tea strainer does not spark joy (okay, maybe my little pug one does!). And if I put it in a box, I might not need it right away because I only drink tea certain times of the year. But I certainly don’t want to have to repurchase this item every year!
There has to be both method and purpose to the cleaning madness! Otherwise, we’re cleaning for the sake of cleaning. And purging for the sake of an ideology, and not for practicality.
Okay, let’s get going! I’m going to walk through the steps I took to organize my coffee station in one afternoon.
How To Organize Drawers in 5 Easy Steps
It starts with the drawers. Purge your drawers and cabinets regularly (at least once a year), so you have space for those “clean sweeps” for company.
Step 1: Remove everything from all drawers. (Thanks Marie Kondo!)
Step 2: Clean and re-line drawers as needed. (I was so thrilled to use my leftover natural surfaces Terrazzo shelf liner for this!). Shelf liner is optional, but it really does help protect wood from liquids and staining.
Step 3: Purge old, broken, unnecessary items. Work quickly and just go with your gut at this point.
Step 4: Combine similar items. I had three (!) opened containers of cocoa mix. My friends, cocoa mix is cocoa mix at the end of the day. I dumped all of them into a glass jar, gave it a shake and called it a day. That’s a 66% clutter reduction! Plus, a simple glass jar just looks better to me. Write the usage instructions on the side with Sharpie marker.
Step 5: Keep drawers organized with bins. I could replace everything without bins. But you know as well as I do what happens. When I start using up teabags or other items, everything sloshes together. When I open the drawer, everything shifts or rolls to the other side. Before long, you have a huge “junk drawer” again.
AFTER:
See how everything has its own space? This is why I use bins. Let me explain:
Benefits of In-Drawer Organizer Bins
Bins keep items together. No more finding stray cocoa packets or Kcups in the back of a drawer.
Various bin sizes help you make the most of space. With the various sizes of my HEXA in-drawer organizers, I can stand teabags upright and pack them together, so I have more space than before.
Bins alert you when to restock. Since I rearranged my tea into black, green, and herbal tea sections (mostly), now I can know at a glance which one I need to buy next.
Bins keep items stable during drawer opening/closing. I have several round tea infusers or milk frothers. These tended to roll around or get knocked over every time we opened the drawer. I had used several slots of my 6-compartment utensil holder to organize my extra tea. Then, I discovered the extra slots were perfect for securing those round containers on their sides. They don’t roll anymore!
An open-bottomed bin allows for easier cleaning. The HEXA organizers have hexagonal shaped openings across the bottom. This means crumbs and minuscule debris falls through to the drawer bottom. Read: Coffee Grounds! Now I don’t have to take everything out of the drawer to clean it. I just lift out the bins, vacuum and wipe the drawer bottom, and replace the bins. So much less work!
Bins make it easy to serve items too! If someone wants black tea, I just take out the black tea bin and put it on the counter. Now we can all see what’s available, and after teatime, put the bin away.
Check out these HEXA by Spectrum bins!
This year, I have a selection of HEXA in-drawer organizer bins to help me stay organized. I got the clear color so they’re barely noticeable. It looks like I’m magically organized!
These bins are incredibly nifty! They’re modular so you can purchase various styles and sizes to fit your space (handy for me, since two of my drawers have an asymmetrical front!).
They have rubber feet so they won’t slip in the drawer, which is great for keeping items stable opening and closing drawers!
Plus, they have hexagonal openings— “HEXOLOGY” technology!—to let water and debris fall to the bottom and keep items clean. This helps with maintaining a clean drawer through the year.
The silverware trays come in expandable versions, so you can slide the sides to fit a variety of drawer widths. Love this feature!
I’m pretty excited about how my coffee/tea station is organized now. I can see everything at a glance, and keeping it clean will be easy-peasy.
And don’t limit yourself to the kitchen! Use these organizers in your craft room, homeschool station, garage, bedrooms and more! They’re perfect for anywhere you need to store an assorted of small items!
And my kids are more interested in trying different tea flavors now that they’re out of their boxes.
Plus, in purging and combining items, I’ve created a lot of “open space.” Some of our daily coffee items feel a bit cluttered to leave out for company: extra coffee varieties, paper filters, various sweeteners. I can swipe these items into the top of the drawers until company leaves. Hmm…maybe I should even have a “swipe” bin for this purpose!?
Now that my coffee / tea station is organized… it’s time to sit back and enjoy. With a cup of coffee, of course.
Win or Buy Spectrum HEXA In-Drawer Organizers!
I hope this helped you with how to organize drawers. I’ve got a great giveaway to thank you for reading this post! A collection of HEXA in-drawer organizers valued at $55!
Just enter in the form below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don’t want to wait? I wouldn’t either. Purchase your own selection of HEXA in-drawer organizers.
Thanks to Spectrum Diversified Designs for sponsoring this post on how to organize drawers. I received products and compensation in exchange. All opinions are my own and I only share what I have found to be personally useful, quality items here on the blog.
