Everyone has the drawer. The one with a tangle of loose batteries, a few dead ones you meant to throw out, and that nagging uncertainty about whether you actually own any working AAAs. The good news: getting it sorted takes about ten minutes, and keeping it sorted is even easier. Here’s how.
1. Tip everything out and start fresh
You can’t organise a drawer you can’t see. Empty it completely, then sort batteries into groups: AA, AAA, button cells, 9V and “other”. This alone tells you what you actually have — usually more dead batteries and fewer working AAAs than expected.
2. Test before you sort
Use a cheap battery tester (or a device you can quickly pop them into) to separate working from flat. Don’t mix them back together — a drawer where every battery works is the whole point.
3. Recycle the dead ones properly
In Australia, batteries shouldn’t go in the kerbside bin. Drop them at a B-cycle collection point — many supermarkets, Bunnings and council sites have them. Set the flat ones aside in a small bag so they’re ready to drop off next time you’re out.
4. Give each battery size its own home
This is the single biggest fix. When AAs and AAAs share a pile, you’re always digging. Dedicated holders keep each size upright, visible and grab-and-go. Our Vertical AA Battery Holder and Vertical AAA Battery Holder each stand up to save drawer space and click together as your collection grows.
5. Store them upright, not flat
Batteries rolling around flat is how they end up everywhere. Upright storage uses less space, stops the rolling, and lets you see your stock at a glance — so you know before you run out, not after.
6. Keep a “first in, first out” habit
When you buy new batteries, add them to the back and take from the front. It’s a tiny habit that means you’re always using the oldest stock first, so nothing slowly dies in the drawer unused.
7. Store them somewhere cool and dry
Batteries last longest at room temperature. Avoid the garage in summer or a sunny windowsill — heat shortens their life. A drawer inside the house is ideal. (The same goes for looking after PLA products: keep them out of hot cars.)
The easy way to keep it tidy for good
Organising the drawer once is easy. Keeping it that way comes down to having a dedicated, visible spot for each battery size — that’s exactly what our Australian-made battery holders are designed for. They’re 3D printed to order in Melbourne, come in 14 colours, and connect together so you can expand as you go.