The Problem with Allen Wrenches (and Other Ikea Parts)
How many allen wrenches does a person need?
I SO want to yell “none!” Ikea parts do not spark joy for me.
But that is probably not the right answer.
If you are like most people, you have a box, drawer or cabinet that is devoted to random spare parts from furniture assembly. And like most people, this might feel like a no-man's land when it comes to decluttering thanks to that all to familiar fear: “B-b-but I might need that someday!” Next time, try this instead:
Put furniture together. Nice work!
Now, put all of the papers (instructions, etc), leftover parts and tools in a pile. Look at them. Tell yourself that today is the day that they will not be thrown in a drawer.
Recycle the instructions. Throw the manual away too while you are at it. It’s all online now, and you will locate it there so much faster than the time it will take you to find those papers.
Everyone seems to have so many spare anchoring/safety supplies. I say use them (especially, if like me, you live on a fault line.) This is very important if you have kids or if kids ever come to your home. And do it correctly, even if that means hiring someone who knows what they are doing. Once everything is secure, throw the leftovers away.
Be realistic with those tiny parts. If you need another washer, are you really going to go digging around for it? And how exactly did you lose that washer anyway? And why do they call it a washer? In the unlikely event that you need another one, you can get more at a hardware store for a couple of bucks.
And finally, for that allen wrench. You have a few options. You can get an allen wrench set, which will keep them all in one handy place (but then promise that you will toss all of those loose wrenches). Or another idea is to tape the individual wrench to an inconspicuous place on the furniture in case you need it someday. Then one day if you rehome that piece, the wrench will leave too.
Bonus Tip: Have you ever ordered a piece of furniture, put it together, realized that you were missing a part, got annoyed but then promptly forgot to deal with it, and now it is sitting there missing a panel/joint/door or whatever? Try looking it up on Ebay. I searched “Ikea Malm Dresser, Front Panel” for my client and it brought up dozens of options, including the exact white, 18” panel she was missing. Yes, it is super annoying but it was well worth the few bucks to her to order it rather than try and sort it out with Ikea.
Do you have a stash that is annoying you? Or stacks of manuals for things you haven’t owned in decades? Get in touch for more tips about how to tame that clutter.
