It’s never a good feeling to open a drawer, only to find it’s wedged shut. We’ve all been there! You tuck your hand in to dislodge the problem then, once it’s free, you rifle through the contents to find what you need.
All kinds of things can clutter up your drawers. It tends to be a safe space for items we don’t want to leave on display. And once it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind. But, as things stack up and mix, it quickly turns into a hidden and frustrating mess.
The good news is, there are ways to sort your drawers and keep them organised while making the most of your space. Here are the storage solutions you need to declutter your drawers like a pro.
Katie Mortram, GH’s household advice editor, shares some of her top tips to get you started:
Katie’s drawer organisation tips
- You need to declutter before you organise. Take everything out of the drawer and sort into piles to “keep”, “donate”, “sell” and “throw away” in order to remove items you no longer need.
- As you sort through what you’ve decided to keep, look out for any duplicates (excluding cutlery and stationary) or things you haven’t used in the last six months. Consider why you want to keep them and whether someone else might get more use.
- While empty, measure out the drawer and consider what kinds of organisers might help you to make the most of the space. Would a tiered design fit, or perhaps an extendable organiser can fill an open space?
- The next time you’re about to bung something into the drawer, stop and think if you really need it or if it’s going in the right place. If it’s something you’ve purchased, maybe something else should be removed so you’re not losing storage space.
- Try to check and routinely tidy these drawers to keep them organised. Emptying and cleaning the drawers every three months is a good excuse to do this.
Now you’ve decluttered your drawers, it’s time to refill them in a way that works better for you. Below, we’ve scouted out a variety of clever drawer organisers for each space in your home.
Drawer organisers for every room in your home
Kitchen drawer organisers for easier mealtimes
Kitchen drawers need planning, as there are many items that need storing in these hardworking areas and you’ll want access to different things in different places. For example, you might want your cutlery drawer near your kettle for easy access to teaspoons, or near your dinnerware for mealtimes.
Many people use cutlery trays for silverware and expandable options are especially worth considering – they fit compactly inside most drawers and make full use of the space. Tiered organisers are also an option, allowing you to store knives and forks in half the space of a traditional tray.
If you have room for a dedicated spice drawer, tiered racks can house jars neatly so you can easily see what you have, while tea towels and linens can be kept neatly in place with a drawer divider or two.
Whitefurze Adjustable Drawer Organiser
Harts of Stur Rubber Wood Expanding Cutlery Tray
Clothes storage to make finding outfits effortless
An orderly clothes drawer is more important than you’d think. A disorganised space can see you wasting precious time trying to find the perfect outfit and inevitably make your morning that little bit more stressful. Not to mention that clothes will become easily crumpled, leading to more ironing in the long run.
For your dresser, invest in some dividers to stop piles of T-shirts toppling or to separate skirts from shorts in the same drawer. Storing bras, pants and socks in fabric organisers will keep things neat and allow you to see what you need straight away.
It isn’t just clothes that need storing — your linens need a place to live, too. Bulky bedding sets and towels can take up lots of drawer space, so put them in storage baskets at the bottom of your wardrobe or airing cupboard. There are lots of coordinating options if you prefer a cohesive scheme, or you could mix and match.
DIMJ Dresser Drawer Organisers, 7 Pack
La Jolíe Muse Storage Baskets
La Redoute Odani Storage Boxes
Onerbuy DIY Honeycomb Organiser, 8 Pack
EASEVE Wardrobe Closet Organiser and Storage for Clothes
Stationery and makeup organisers for easy access to essentials
Stationery and makeup drawers can get messy easily — smaller items such as pens and lipsticks tend to roll around and could end up lost under other items.
There are lots of makeup organisers with dedicated sections for lipsticks, palettes and makeup brushes, including extendable options that will fit to the exact size of your drawer.
For desks, use organisers with compartments to sort pens and pencils, and keep your most-used items in the top drawer for easy access. Using stickers or a label maker is an easy way to keep folders and files organised and help you remember what goes where.
Stocomodi Store Foldable Drawer Organisers
Dunelm Drawer Organisers, 4 Pack
YiMiLiu Desk Drawer Organisers
