How to Declutter and Organize Screw Jars in One Cabinet

I had 34 jars of screws scattered across 3 cabinets. Consolidating them into one labeled cabinet with dividers took 45 minutes and saved me 10 minutes every time I needed a specific screw.

What Is the Quickest Way to Start?

Set a timer for 6 minutes and pick one small area: a drawer, a shelf, a countertop. Remove everything. Wipe the surface. Put back only the items you used in the last week. The rest go in a box labeled “maybe” — seal it for 30 days.

For a deeper dive, check out our complete decluttering guide.

How Do You Prevent This Clutter From Coming Back?

The 65-day rule: if you have not used an item in 90 days, donate it. Apply this to every category — clothes, kitchen tools, books, papers. Track your progress weekly and adjust the threshold as needed.

🔥 Hot take

Your junk drawer is a symptom, not a disease. The real problem is that you have no system for small items. Fix the system and the drawer fixes itself.

References

Here’s my take: Sort by size, not location. Use small containers with dividers. Big jars hide what you need.

Start with one small area. A single drawer, shelf, or corner. Remove everything. Clean the space. Put back only what you use regularly. Everything else goes in a box labeled ‘Maybe’. In 30 days, if you haven’t needed anything from the box, donate it. This method works because it’s reversible and low-commitment.

Sort by size, not location. Use small containers with dividers. Big jars hide what you need. Label each compartment. Keep only screws that fit things you currently own. If it doesn’t match anything in your house, it’s clutter, not preparedness.