Organizing Home Manuals Like a Boss!
When it comes to home organization, sometimes things can get too complicated.
I’ve developed a pretty simple method for organizing home manuals so I thought I would share that with you today in the event that you, like me, are hoping to stay organized in the new year.
One of the few areas that I seem to have figured out is our home file system, including our organization of important papers and documents.
As your family grows, so will your collection of appliances and products that have warranties, instruction manuals, etc. Hopefully this simple “how to” article will help you to find a simple way to keep all of your home manuals stored effectively and efficiently. So simple in fact, that it might seem too simple, but trust me.
Less is more when it comes to something like this and I have found that this system works really well for us.
What You’ll Need to Organize Home Manuals
How to Organize Home Manuals
- Start at the top of your pile and grab the first manual. Write down what it is for on the colored sheet of paper. Fold it over the top and attach with a binder clip.
Include any additional information you may know about this appliance or fixture. Such as, model and serial number, any improvements, or repairs that were done. Don’t forget the date.
2. Continue through the pile, one at a time and clip all of the manual items together including receipts and any repair receipts you may have.
3. Now you need to organize your manuals into piles so that you can put the piles into file folders.
Home Manual Categories
I used the following categories and cut small pieces of paper for my plastic holders:
Alarm System/Security Cameras
Basement Utilities
-this includes everything in the basement: sump pump, furnace, air conditioner, water softener, humidifier, water filtration system
Garage
-includes garage door manual, exterior light outside of garage door
Kitchen Appliances
-things like refrigerator, range, dish washer, microwave and garbage disposal manuals
-includes sample layouts of where things were planted and when, as well as how many bags of mulch were used and where, landscaping receipts.
-washer and dryer manual
-Plumbing repairs, toilet information, tub and faucets
-water tests, well and septic papers
Windows & Doors
-skylights and windows in home as well as doors
Interior Paint & Carpet
You may also want to organize by room, for example:
Driveway & Garage
My tips:
And probably my best tip: get into the habit of filing things immediately after your receive them. It really is the best way to clear the clutter and save yourself the stress of frantically looking for that receipt or warranty when you need it most. Happy organizing!
Emily says
Paper organizing is something I really need to get in order this year. We’ve got manuals all over the house – I love this idea to finally get them collected into one spot. Thanks for linking up with Merry Monday; I’ll be featuring your organizing idea at our upcoming party. I hope you’ll stop by and link up again!
Alicia says
This is a great idea! I have chosen to throw all of mine away because I hate paper. Most manuals can be found online.