Some years ago, I attended a women’s meeting where the speaker addressed the complaints of we women. She didn’t have any extra drawer space in her bathrooms and was nagging her husband for more cabinets.
“Why don’t you clean out the junk you have in the drawers (some of it was HIS) and see if you don’t find room you didn’t have,” he cautiously advised.
I remembered this sage nugget of advice a few days ago, and courageously attacked our large bathroom. Actually, I had originally planned to only mop the floors and clean the basins and toilet.
But then, I thought, why not organize a few drawers?
I stooped under one of the sinks to get the bowl cleaner.
While removing every article I found six old toothbrushes for scrubbing corners, four large bottles of shampoo, three rolls of paper towels, two bottles of vinegar, three bars of soap, two bottles of baby lotion, a full container of baby wash (and we have no babies in the house anymore). four spoons, and the parts of a power toothbrush, just to name a few.
I culled the pile, and left the extras on the floor. I found the bowl cleaner!
Next, I attacked a drawer that Fred and I share. No wonder there is no room for necessities.
The top drawer was full. Fred is a little “pack rat.” He brings home hotel supplies. I counted 12 little bottles of mouthwash, 17 bars of soap, and seven mini-shampoos. I dumped all that on the floor. Then I proceeded to the next drawer.
My make-up drawer was a mess. By the time I had emptied it of all the expired make-up, four eyebrow pencils, tubes of depleted lipsticks, empty lip balm, stray cough drops, six packages of dental floss, and three bottles of eye drops, I found that I had room again. Nail clippers and tweezers definitely didn’t belong in that drawer. The three bottles of nail polish and two bottles of polish remover definitely had to go — somewhere.
By now, I had a sizeable pile on the floor and I was becoming more confused with those totally usable items. What should I do with them?
I was tempted to dump them all back in the drawers. But NO! I was on a mission.
I had reached some sort of stalemate in this battle with the drawers!
My goal was a clean counter surface as well. I gave Fred the EMPTY top middle drawer for his items that were strewn about his side of the counter. There. All clear. Nice.
I found a large 13-gallon plastic bag for throwaways.
Where did all this junk come from? The drawers looked better, but still were full!    
The discard pile was growing with used, brittle sponges, almost empty bottles of this and that, and mostly empty boxes of hygiene products!
The deep bottom drawer where I keep my curling irons, styling tools, and granddaughter’s pony tail elastics was replete with things that didn’t belong there. I found Sunscreen lotion, several packets of Alka Seltzer, a roll-on of BioFreeze, and a tube of Preparation H! So that’s where that stuff was hiding!
It’s embarrassing to tell you these things.
Once I had reshuffled the four bottles of Ibuprofen, two bottles of Tylenol, two bottles of acid reducer pills, and the empty plastic containers to the proper locations, I now could enjoy a beautiful, well organized drawer with just hair items!
I stood back and admired it.
But, the pile on the floor needed to be reckoned with.
Throw away or keep? Re-locate or put it back.
I was tempted to just walk out of the room.    
But, in the end, the spirit moved me, and most of the stuff in the pile on the floor went into the large plastic bag. I didn’t think about it! It was over half full!
I dragged the bag to the trash barrel outside and I didn’t look back.
The drawers are now magnificent, if one can describe “drawers” that way
Hand towels and wash cloths have a drawer, first aid products, another proper location, and no clutter is under the sinks. You should see the clear counter surface!
Now I ask, “How long do you think it will take before everything is a mess again?”
Time will tell.

“A Woman’s View” is Judi Tabler’s reflection of her experiences and events. She is a wife, mother, writer, teacher, grandmother, and even a great grandmother.