Can a Sticky Drawer Lead to Clutter?

Can a Sticky Drawer Lead to Clutter?

The short answer is Yes!

Here's the long answer, the explanation, a story, and a sticky drawer tip:

I bought an old dresser.  Does 1976 qualify as an antique?  I'm not sure, but I am sure that this dresser is a much better built one than a lot of furniture out there now.  It's a beautiful design, cherry wood with old brass pulls and it is made of real wood, not that nasty pressboard that is used so much today.  When I got it I was so excited.  I cleaned it out and loaded the drawers with clothes.  But I noticed that the drawers were really hard to pull out because of the wood rubbing on wood.  I was a bit disappointed.  Here was the only drawback to not having nice metal runners.

So I asked my grandmother if there was anything that I could do to the drawers to make them slide easier.  Without missing a beat, she replied, "Johnson's Paste Wax."  Huh?  I'd never heard of it.  She said it comes in a can and you just scoop some out with a rag and rub it on the parts of the drawer that rub against each other.  She had a can so she loaned it to me. (Grandmothers are so cool - they have all the answers!)

I had to pull the drawer out and empty it again so I could turn it upside down. I liberally applied the wax to all the edges of the drawer and the inside of the dresser where the drawer would sit. The unfinished wood really sucked up the wax, so I ended up putting on 2 or 3 coats.  Then I put the drawer back in.  Amazingly, it slid back and forth like a dream - that wax really works!

The only downside is that the wax smells really strong - like shoe polish, but about 5 times more potent. My cat was not pleased. I really recommend waxing the drawers when you can open the windows and ventilate the room, and take the drawers outside.  Then, let them sit for a while before you bring them back inside so the smell can dissipate. I only did one drawer because of this. I'm waiting until the weather warms up so I can do the rest.

Ok, so now you know how to wax a sticky drawer. And what does this have to do with being organized? Well, if you can't easily get into a drawer, cupboard, closet, or anywhere for that matter, to get to something, do you think you are going to keep using it?  No.  Once the sticky drawer is perceived as a hassle, you won't use it. Instead, you'll start dumping the stuff that was supposed to go into that drawer onto a table, a counter, or a different (easier to get to but not where it's supposed to be) drawer. Clutter ensues, chaos reigns supreme. 

So the moral of the story is:  Wax your sticky drawers - and you'll be sure to actually use them and keep clutter from creeping out of them!