The Saga of an I Need to See It Drawer

Last week, I opened my perfectly arranged I need to see it bathroom drawer and realized it was no longer so perfect. The addition, subtraction and replacement of necessary items had, over time, begun to erode my I need to see it organizational system.

Fortunately, the drawer was designed for Easy Upkeep, and so I had it back in shape in fifteen minutes, using just a few simple strategies:

• Remove layers. Layers are the enemy of I need to see it organizing for one simple reason: the top layers obscure everything below. So much for seeing it. Excavating and getting things back down to a single layer restores visibility. Most of the upper layers were new additions to the drawer, and could be managed using one of the strategies below.

• Consolidate duplicates. I didn't need a nearly full bottle of nail polish remover and one that had just a tiny bit left. After first checking the ingredients to ensure I wouldn't trigger an unpleasant chemical reaction, I combined the two and recycled the empty bottle.

• Store extras elsewhere. I also had more of some things than I needed and new items waiting to take the place of old ones that weren't yet empty. I had homes for all of these; I just needed to put them there -- and out of prime real estate -- until I needed them.

• Unpack/re-store/label. It can be a little challenging to store things in their original containers due to anything from the configuration of the packaging to the configuration of the drawer divider to the amount and shape of the space available. If the packaging works, great. If not, take it apart and store it in a more convenient fashion, then label the new container (if it's not see-through) so you remember what's inside.

In the end, the differences were subtle, and, truth be told, I ended up with top and bottom layers on the left. But, since the bottom container (where the unpackaged/repackaged razors are hiding) is visible, labeled, and less frequently accessed than the upper items, I'm living with it for now, as I consider where else that top layer can go. 

The bottom line? I consider my fifteen minutes well spent. Every time I open the drawer, I can see everything in it and access exactly the item I need in mere seconds. For an I need to see it organizer, that's as close to organizational perfection as it gets.