3 Tips to Organize the Desk Drawers in Your Home Office

The drawers of your office desk can quickly become disorganized, and while that might not seem to matter at first, it can soon become a headache. Rather than taking a few seconds to reach for a pen and an important document, you now must spend precious time combing through a slew of things in drawers to locate them. That can slow down the workday and add stress to it too. To help you organize the desk drawers of your home office, try these efficient tips.

1.      Set Functions for Drawers

Begin by assigning a function to each drawer. Doing so will help you immensely with getting the desk organized and keeping it that way.

Some categories that often make sense for the home offices of people we work with are pens/pencils/highlighters, work papers, and cables/chargers. Depending on the size of the drawer, you can add sticky notes, paper clips, and rubber bands to the pen drawer.

Keeping like items together makes it much easier to know where things are so you can quickly access them. Typically, our organizers suggest that the top drawer holds the supplies that you access the most often, as this location puts them quickly within reach when sitting at the desk.

2.      Decide What to Keep or Toss

Now that you know which drawer will hold which items, it’s time to decide what to keep or throw away. The toss pile includes broken and items no longer useful for other reasons, such as pens that are out of ink.

You may also find old papers no longer needed, which you can then shred or recycle. Also, items that are not meant for the home office can sometimes creep into the room so that you can move these to a better-suited spot elsewhere.

Often, it is best to remove everything from the drawers and then make the “keep or toss” decision. Doing so helps you get a good look at the length and depth of the drawer so that you can best decide how to arrange the needed supplies, and it ensures nothing gets missed. It also is an excellent opportunity to wipe down dusty and dirty drawers with the appropriate cleaning solution.

3.      Add Storage Solutions

If the drawers do not have built-in dividers, consider adding some yourself. Containers and sections help keep items from rolling around and getting intermingled when you open or close drawers.

There are several options here, depending on drawer dimensions and functions. Office supply trays are readily available at local office supply stores, or you can DIY them if you do not have the budget for it.

Wood, cardboard, and plastic are all great materials for drawer dividers. You can even make them out of cereal boxes!

Home Office Upkeep

We encourage you to go through the desk drawers to tidy up routinely. Otherwise, the risk is that it will quickly become disorganized again.

This activity doesn’t have to take long. It can be as quick as five minutes a week to return items to their correct location and toss what is damaged or no longer needed.

Our professional organizers have many more tips to help you in the home office, from organizing the desk surface to creating a filing system and arranging computer files. Reach out today to talk with a team member!