Doom boxes are a relatable part of life for anyone trying to manage clutter in their home. These boxes or baskets often become catch-alls for everything from essential papers to random knickknacks, meant to clear space quickly. But oftentimes, chaos reigns supreme when you try to organize with doom boxes.
While they seem helpful at the time, doom boxes can quickly grow into overwhelming piles of unsorted belongings, leaving you with more chaos than order. The good news? With a few simple strategies, you can turn doom boxes from clutter creators into tools that help keep your home tidy and functional.
What are doom boxes?
Some people say the doom in doom boxes stands for “didn’t organize, only moved” but for most people, it simply means a quick easy way to remove clutter from an area. Say the kitchen is a mess and you don’t have room to make dinner, you can easily put all the dishes in the sink or dishwasher and likely that clears up enough space to work on dinner, the sink is your temporary doom box.
Other people call them doom boxes and they’re referring to the idea that this is the box where things go to live and die because it’s just clutter. The doom comes from the fact that these boxes often remain unsorted for weeks — or even months — becoming black holes of forgotten items.
While they’re meant to be temporary storage solutions, they frequently become permanent clutter, filled with items you meant to put away but never did. And what’s worse is that they turn into the clutter we’re so desperately trying to avoid.
How do people typically use doom boxes?
People often use doom boxes as a fast way to clean up a space, particularly when expecting guests or tidying in a hurry. Items without a clear home — loose papers, random tools, craft supplies or misplaced belongings — get tossed in.
The intention is to sort the items later, but life often gets in the way before the time comes to sort. Over time, these boxes pile up, leaving people with a new layer of clutter to tackle. And the cycle repeats itself unless you step in and make a concerted effort to make doom boxes work for you.
Make doom boxes work for you
You can make these boxes work for you though, all is not lost. Follow these tips to put these junk boxes for you and you’ll be organizing and getting your space back in no time at all.
Gather items into a box or basket
Use a box or basket to collect items cluttering a space, such as your kitchen counter or entryway. This provides a quick, focused way to clear the area, and that simple feeling of accomplishment can propel you forward, so be sure to ride that wave into the next steps.
Decide on a sorting approach
You have two choices here, sort it immediately or sort it later with a deadline. To sort now, move the box to its appropriate location and place items away. This ensures the items don’t languish in the box for too long.
If immediate sorting isn’t feasible, set a time limit — like within 24 hours — to revisit and organize the contents. And then follow through on this commitment, you’re building habits so don’t let yourself down.
Two more tips to make them work for you
Use a basket without a lid or top, don’t use a box you can shut and stack. If you stack doom boxes or shove them into a closet, you may never return to them. This can lead to forgotten items or realizing that you didn’t need what was inside.
If you consistently box up the same things, ask whether they belong in your home. Clutter often comes from items you don’t truly need or use. Make it a habit to evaluate and donate or recycle the things you don’t need or keep putting in doom boxes.
In fact, if you take the box or basket you sorted into, take out all the things you want to keep and leave the ones you don’t. Then walk around your home, gathering things you don’t need and make the former doom box or basket your donate box. And then be sure to drop it off and don’t let it linger in the house or in the trunk of your car.
Think outside the mudroom, craft room or living room. You can use them to clean the fridge or make room for biscuit making in the kitchen. Intentional storage in your home means things have a place to live. And your budget gets a break from buying and throwing out things you don’t need.
Doom boxes do work
Doom boxes don’t have to spell disaster for your home if you make them part of your home organization process. They can be practical tools for managing clutter and keeping your space tidy when used intentionally and with a clear process and follow-through.
You can prevent these boxes from becoming permanent fixtures in your home by sorting items promptly and reevaluating what you hold onto. Turning chaos into order doesn’t have to be overwhelming; with a few mindful changes, you can tackle clutter one box at a time.
Laura Sampson of Little House Big Alaska is on a mission to teach modern family-oriented home cooks how to make old-fashioned foods new again. She shares her passion for home cooking, backyard gardening and homesteading on her website and blog.