It’s not hard to let those bulky user guides, receipts and warranty papers get out of control. You purchase a new item and stash that manual in a drawer and forget about it. Before you know it, you have piles of these (likely ones from products you no longer own) everywhere! We’re breaking down which ones you should keep and why, and how to organize them into one, neat little binder.
Sort
Do you actually still own the product that you have the manual for? If not, time to toss! With so much information available online, you likely don’t need half of the guides you’ve been storing. Often times products also come with a CD version of a user guide…you likely don’t need these either as most software is available on the manufacturers website.
Be sure to always keep the paper copy of manuals, receipts and warranties for any appliance or product that would stay with your home if you were to move. Washer, dryer, furnace, water softener, stove, etc. Keep these together to leave with the home. The new owners will really appreciate knowing when items were purchased and exact model numbers if they ever need to be repaired.
Divide
Separate your items into several categories. The categories I find most useful are:
- Furniture (Mattresses, sofas, bed frames, etc)
- Electronics (TV’s, stereos, computers, phones)
- Small Appliances (small kitchen appliances, vacuums, etc)
- Large Appliances (Stove, oven, washer/dryer, furnace, etc)
- Kid’s Items (Car seats, high chairs, etc)
- Outdoor (playsets, lawn mowers, bikes)
- Warranties
- Miscellaneous
Using a large 3 ring binder, plastic sheet protectors and dividers, start putting your binder together. Stapling receipts inside the guides keeps all the important details together. A couplet times a year, go through your binder and toss out anything you no longer need.
Happy Organizing!
