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Things get lost and forgotten in shadowy cabinets—but not inside drawers. When decked out with peg systems, sliding racks, or adjustable dividers, drawers can be used to keep everything from table linens to extra shampoo bottles in line and easily accessible. No one knows this better than Ashley Murphy and Marissa Hagmeyer, the cofounders of professional organizing company NEAT Method. For 15 years, they’ve been bringing order to people’s homes, and if there’s one thing that’s crystal clear from their debut book, The NEAT Method Organizing Recipe Book, it’s that you can use a drawer to contain just about any item. Ahead, in this condensed excerpt, the pros outline six unique ways to put them to work.
A Drawer for Dish Towels
A dish towel drawer is the easiest “quick win” in a kitchen. Use the drawer closest to your sink for efficiency. File folding each towel allows you to see what you have and easily access what you have. Editing will be one of the most important steps of this project: confirm that all towels you choose to keep are in good condition and similar in size. Insert drawer dividers. File fold each towel to a width and height that will fit within the divided drawer.
A Drawer for Snack Bags
We suggest keeping single-use food storage products near [your] reusable containers, so everything is in one location. Baggies can be removed from the boxes and placed in shallow open drawer organizers or plastic bag drawer organizers. This will enable quick access and cut down on visual clutter.
A Drawer for Kids’ Tableware
First consider whether these items should be placed where it’s easiest for kids or for adults to access them—this will probably depend on the child’s age. We recommend using a bottom drawer, to encourage kids to get involved in setting the table. And as with everyday dishes, we suggest placing kids’ dishware and utensils near the dishwasher or dish-drying rack to simplify the process of putting them away. This location will be in constant transition as your children age, so we recommend a flexible solution like a drawer divider or bins that can be moved as the items in this area change. Decide whether to sort by type or by child if your children are of varying ages and needs. Place kids’ flatware upright in an open canister alongside the dishes.
A Drawer for Water Bottles
Whether we buy them when we take up a new sport, receive them as a gift with purchase, or pick them up at a random event, somehow we end up with far more water bottles than we actually use. To determine how many each person in your household really needs, think about how many times you use one in a week and how many times a week you run your dishwasher. Once you figure that out, organize what remains either by activity or by household member.
A Drawer for Pet Supplies
Determine where you complete your pet routines and clear out a nearby space (such as a shelf, hook system, or drawer). If using a drawer, measure it to determine the size of your drawer divider. You may wish to create subcategories with canisters to corral smaller items. If your pet eats dry food, consider decanting it into an airtight food-safe container with an easy on-off lid and a measured scooper. If your pet requires medicine and you have small children, be sure to store this out of reach or in a childproof container. Consider creating a secondary area in the garage or mudroom for items use for outside play/walking/grooming.
A Drawer for Reusable Totes
We always find it funny how something that is typically free can be so difficult for many people to edit. Reusable bags and tote bags tend to pile up and spread out into different areas of the home. The goal for this category is to set boundaries. We suggest doing this a bit backward. Purchase one bin that fits the space you have to store these bags, or designate a drawer for this purpose. Edit your current collection with this space in mind. Tuck handles into each bag before file folding. Return the stack to the bin or drawer; label the bin, if using.
