5 Tips for Cleaning Up Old Office Files

We have a guest post by a friend of mine, James Adams. He must have ESP as this is just what my office needs help with right now! We hope you enjoy his tips too!

5 Tips for Cleaning Up Old Office Files

"How did it get like this?" you wonder, as you look around your home or business office at the stacks of papers and messy old manila file folders. Your desk is so buried in stuff that you're not even sure you need any more that you have no room to work, and the thought of figuring out a way to organize it all overwhelms you before you even begin. It's dusty, it's dirty, and you're starting to be afraid of the mold and mildew that might be lurking in those old files. Fear not. Here are some tips to get your office looking like it was organized by a professional.

1. Start Small

Set yourself a goal of one area or stack of papers per day. Make an area for sorting the papers and files into "critical", "important", "file", and "dump". Old utility bills can be thrown away. Receipts that you may need for your taxes should be filed.

2. Buy Inexpensive Organizational Supplies

Stickers for color coding your critical, important, and file items make it easy to see at a glance what you're dealing with. Plastic bins with tight-fitting lids keep out bugs and moisture that causes mold and mildew. You can even use your color-coding stickers on the bins themselves, or buy bins with different colored lids so it's easier to find what you're looking for.

3. Dispose Of Files Immediately

Throw away what needs to be thrown away immediately so that it's out of your way. Depending on the type of paperwork you are dealing with, you may need to invest in an inexpensive shredder. You can find a good brand-name shredder online for as little as forty dollars.

4. Try Digitizing Your Files

Consider scanning as a means of preserving important documents instead of saving every piece of paper. If you are interested in "going green", this may be the method for you. Keeping your documents on a computer, external hard drive or CDs or DVDs reduces paper waste and eliminates to need to purchase more paper and plastic to keep it all organized. But just like your paper archives can be damaged by water, insects, or fire, your digital archives can become inaccessible too. If you choose to go the digital route, buy an external hard drive and have at least one backup. Digital hard drives are getting cheaper and can store massive amounts of information, and they have the advantage of been transportable so that all your precious information isn't in one place. There are also online storage services available so that you can access your documents from any computer yet still keep them safe from prying eyes with encryption technology.

5. Stay Organized

Once you have your office organized, make a promise to yourself to stay on top of it. Sort documents as they come in and file as you go whenever possible. Set a schedule to sort, file and toss or shred at least once a week. Keeping things neat and organized helps you be more efficient and keeps you healthier physically and mentally because you aren't surrounded by dust and mildew and you aren't being stressed out by clutter.

Tasked with writing about injet cartridges on the internet , James has learned more and more about   inkjet cartridges and Canon cartridges. and other accessories as he can usually be found reviewing them.