20 Home Office Organizing Tricks - RealSimple.com
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20 Home Office Organizing Tricks
Clever products and space-saving strategies to help you declutter your space.
Binder Clips, Keyboards, Wire Organizers,
Rolodexes
1. If you tend to make piles of papers, use
PileSmart binder clips (right)―equipped with
erasable labels―to fasten papers together by
category and quickly find what you need.
To buy: $4 for a pack of 6, amazon.com.
2. The top of the myKeyO keyboard lifts up
to reveal storage for desk doodads, like
pushpins.
To buy: $30, keyboardorganizer.com.
3. Conceal excess wires by coiling them
inside the cute and discreet rubberized Cable
Turtle.
To buy: $7 to $14, containerstore.com.
Manfred Koh for the Time Inc. Digital Studio
4. Rolodexes aren’t just for business
contacts. Use them for recipes, website log-ons, and passwords.
Desk Organizers, Labels
5. An adjustable desk organizer lets you sort
mail by category (bills to pay, bills to file).
6. Magnetic Erasable Labels attach easily to
metal shelving, boxes, and bins.
To buy: $11 for five, containerstore.com.
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7. Create a hierarchy system for e-mail
folders by using an A in front of each label for
most-used folders and a Z for those used
least.
8. Designate one day of each year to buy
birthday cards for friends and family so you’ll
never have to do a last-minute drugstore run.
Manfred Koh for the Time Inc. Digital Studio
Files, Trays, Wrap Organizers
9. Stash files in the pretty patterned
Scandinavian Modern file tote (right) with
handles for easy access.
To buy: For similar styles, go to galison.com.
10. Repurpose ice-cube trays as desk-drawer
organizers.
11. Arrange desk essentials, like a stapler,
Post-it Notes, and scissors, on a vintage tray
and they’ll look orderly and a lot prettier.
12. Mount the Wrap ‘n Bag Organizer on a
cabinet door to hold aluminum foil and plastic
wrap.
To buy: $9, containerstore.com.
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Manfred Koh for the Time Inc. Digital Studio
Bulletin Boards, Grocery Bags, Accordion
Files, Velcro Strips
13. Screw the Mini Magnetic Strip Bulletin
Board by Three by Three (right) into your wall
and post reminders in style.
To buy: $6 each, velocityartanddesign.com.
14. Stuff plastic grocery bags inside an
empty tissue box for compact storage and
easy retrieval.
15. Organize bills in an accordion file with 12
pockets and designate one pocket for every
month.
16. Use adhesive Velcro strips to secure
surge protectors and dangling cords to the
Manfred Koh for the Time Inc. Digital Studio
underside of a desk.
Charging Stations, Binders
17. The faux-leather 2-Pod Charging Station
holds two gadgets, has a slot for mail, and
takes up little space on a desktop.
To buy: $20, kangaroomstorage.com.
18. Put “expiration dates” on labels for files
that store credit-card and bank statements so
you’ll know when to shred them (after one
year).
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19. The next time you get unsolicited
address labels in the mail, save them for
filling out forms.
20. The Life.doc binder keeps critical info,
such as legal and health-care documents, in
one place.
To buy: $30, getbuttonedup.com.
Manfred Koh for the Time Inc. Digital Studio
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