Living in a home for a while—be it a house or a rental apartment—is all about settling in and making it your own. But what happens when you get a little too comfortable with the mess?

Ah, the good old junk drawer. Even the tidiest of people are afflicted by that one drawer—that one spot—where odds and ends go to never be seen again. Though your home might be dazzlingly organized, you might be continuing to pay these spots no mind. This is called junk blindness—and here's how to get rid of it.

What is junk blindness?

Have you ever heard of being nose blind? It's when you become so desensitized to a scent that you stop noticing it. Junk blindness is very similar, except rather than not being aware of a smell, you stop noticing clutter and disorganization around your home.

If you have a kitchen junk drawer or a random chair that gets the brunt of your dirty laundry, you’ve probably experienced junk blindness. Luckily, with patience and some reorganization, this problem is easy to solve.

Common junk and how to declutter it

Kitchen drawer

We all know that one drawer that almost always lives in the kitchen. Stuffed to the brim with random mail, elastics, and pens, the junk drawer often becomes a home for random odds and ends that might not be quite ready for the trash.

Instead of immediately shoving items into the drawer, really think about why you’re putting them in there. Is it a bill that needs to be paid soon? Bring it to your home office. Chopsticks from your last takeout dinner? Put them with your other utensils, or consider asking the restaurant to omit them next time. Keeping in mind the purpose of the item will help you redirect it to where it really belongs.

Closets

Do you always make sure you shut your closet doors when guests come over? Whether it’s your bedroom, linen, or front hall closet, out-of-sight, out-of-mind is a tricky game to play here. We suggest spending an afternoon clearing out these overflowing spots. Get rid of stained and tired towels (or reserve them for cleaning), move out-of-season jackets and shoes to a different storage space, and donate the pieces you don’t use.

Bonus tip: Adding proper lighting to your closet not only helps you find what you’re looking for more easily, but it also illuminates any mess. This will help keep your space tidy long after your initial clear-out.

Bedroom chair or bench

We’ve all been there. You’re tired at the end of the day and toss your clothes onto your bedroom chair (or bench or floor) rather than putting them in the hamper or in the closet. On the other end of the spectrum, you may be partial to dumping out your clean laundry to fold at a later date, then end up leaving it there for days.

Our advice is simple: Just get it done. Put dirty items in the hamper, hang up clean blazers, and organize your laundry as soon as you can. Getting rid of the mess will make your sleep space feel that much cozier. 

Appliances on the counter

Beyond your toaster and coffee machine, how often do you really use your other kitchen appliances? Your blender and food processor don’t need to live on the counter if they aren’t getting daily use. They’re clunky and take up unnecessary counter space. 

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