How to Declutter Paper Piles – Simple System that Works!
Inside: Learn how to declutter paper piles, and set up an easy system to maintain the papers coming into your home.
In a busy home, I’m not sure if there is a type of clutter that gets out of control faster than piles of paper. I can have my kitchen counters clear, and in one instant three kids come home from school and empty their backpacks, my husband brings in the mail and all of a sudden the counters are covered again.
If those paper piles aren’t dealt with right away, they multiply just as fast. And soon we are drowning in stacks of papers.
The best way to deal with paper clutter is to have a system in place to deal with the paper as it enters your home daily. “File it, don’t pile it” is a great saying, but you have to have a place to “file it” for it to work.
We’re going to go through the steps of decluttering your paper piles, and then how you can maintain a system, so the paper piles don’t get out of control again.
The initial step of decluttering your paper might take a while if already have a big paper mountain, but try to set a timer to work on it for 15 minutes a day. It is a decluttering project that will be worth it!
Eventually, you will find the top of the dining room table or kitchen counter again. You might also surprise yourself and find it won’t really take long to get through.
I’ve been there and I know how overwhelming piles of papers can look, but I’ve also surprised myself at how quickly I can make it disappear!
Related: How to Reduce Clutter and Anxiety
How to Declutter Paper Piles
1) Sort your papers by starting with two piles: a keep pile and a trash pile.
Quickly determine what needs to be kept and what can be recycled or shredded. If you get the papers you don’t need to keep out of the way first, it will be easier to deal with the important papers you need to keep.
So go ahead and trash (recycle/shred):
- Junk Mail
- Outdated Papers (expired coupons, flyers or invitations for events that have already happened, etc)
- Bills that have already been paid (I don’t save these, you can look up all of your information online as a digital version)
- Old Bank Statements
- Any other non-paper trash that made it into your paper pile – I see you random plastic baggy!
- Old Magazines and catalogs
- Old Receipts
Remember to shred anything with personal information or sensitive information, but everything else can go in the recycling bin.
2) Next, take a look at your Keep Pile. Your Keep Pile can be sorted into three more categories:
- Do Now
- Pending
- Do Later
This will be the basis of your paper decluttering maintenance. Let’s take a look at what each category will be used for:
Do Now
Papers in the “Do Now” category are things that you need to take immediate action on. Things shouldn’t stay in your Do Now pile very long….Get it done today!
This can be a party invitation you need to RSVP to, or school permission slips you need to sign. Once it is signed, move it back to your child’s backpack so it makes it back to school the next day, and doesn’t hang out on your kitchen counter for a week.
I find these action items are often things that don’t take very long to do, but I put them off too long, and the piles form. Or worse, they get lost!
Pending
“Pending” papers are items you need to hold onto while you wait for some action to happen.
In our house, these are usually spelling lists for the week. My kids need to keep their spelling lists handy, but then we will recycle them at the end of the week.
It could also be information about an event coming up that you need to refer to, or utility bills that need to be paid. These are also things that might take a little longer to take action on than the things in the Do Now pile.
Once you’ve taken action on an item in the Pending pile, recycle the paper or file it if necessary.
Do Later
“Do Later” is for things that will take a little longer to file away.
These are things that are not urgent but need to get done eventually. In this initial sorting of papers, this might be a big pile. These can be important documents that need to be filed such as medical records, tax documents, sentimental papers, or photos.
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3) File Your “Do Later” Pile
When you have completed this second sweep of sorting types of papers, it’s time to tackle your “Do Later” Pile.
Everyone needs some kind of filing cabinet or file box. I prefer a fireproof box with file folders in it since this is where important documents will live.
These important documents include birth certificates, social security cards, insurance policies, tax returns, etc.
You can set up a filing system that makes sense for you and the documents you have.
What To Do With Sentimental Papers
I keep sentimental items out of our main file box. Instead, I have a plastic file box for each kid. I have a file folder for each school year in their boxes. This is where I store their precious art and other mementos from the school year.
I DO NOT save all of their school papers, and they know it. I have to get 13+ years (I started them in preschool) of stuff in each box.
When they graduate, they can take the boxes and do what they want with them. I honestly loved that my mom saved a lot of my schoolwork. I realize my kids may not appreciate it in the future, but it will just be one small box, and not overwhelming for them to go through when the time comes.
If you have other sentimental or valuable papers not related to kids’ schoolwork, save these for last. You can see how much space you have left for these items to help you determine what is worth keeping.
A great option for sentimental papers is to take a photo of the paper or scan it. Depending what the paper is, you can store it digitally or create a keepsake out of it.
4) Create a System to Prevent Paper Clutter
Once the initial mountain of paper is cleared, you need a system to maintain your progress and keep the paper stacks from piling up again.
How to Prevent Paper Clutter
1) When new pieces of paper enter your home, deal with them right away.
Use the same sorting system you used initially. Recycle things you don’t need. It’s helpful to keep a recycling bin or paper shredder near the place you deal with your daily mail.
Sort the rest into your “Do Now,” “Pending,” and “Do Later” categories. I recommend a small file holder with three folders in it like the image below.
It is small enough to either be tucked away in a cabinet or stored neatly in the kitchen where it can be accessed easily. You can also find some that hang on a wall.
Make sure to come back to your “Do Later” papers.
It’s a good idea to schedule a regular time to go over your “Do Later” file, such as once a week.
Remember: “File it, don’t pile it.” Deal with the incoming mail and school papers as they come in instead of letting them sit.
2) Take a picture or scan papers of things you may need to reference in the future
If the paper is something you need to remember, such as a party invitation or sports schedule, snap a picture of the information you need and/or enter the information into your calendar as soon as you get it.
3) Use a Notes app on your phone to replace countless notepads, scraps of paper, and sticky notes you have laying around.
I know this one can be hard habit to change, but there are some great digital options. You can use the basic Notes app on your phone, but there are other options like Trello, Google Keep, or Todoist that will really amp up your notes with reminders and organization.
Another option is getting a Rocketbook. If you really love pen and paper, this might be for you! It is a reusable notebook that you can scan and automatically send your notes to the cloud.
A Rocketbook is a great replacement for sticky notes because you can jot down what you need to remember, and then as soon as you don’t need that note anymore, you just wipe it away and have a fresh sheet of paper.
4) Reduce the amount of paper coming into your home.
If you don’t have as much incoming paper, you won’t have as much paper clutter. Keep reading for tips on how to reduce paper clutter.
How to Reduce Paper Coming Into Your Home
1) Opt-out of paper bills and statements.
Many utility companies, credit cards, and businesses have an online bill pay option, along with digital statements. Often the paper copy they send you in the mail will tell you how to opt out of the paper copies.
2) Request to be taken off mailing lists.
If you get a lot of catalogs and offers, you can sometimes find a number on the back to call and unsubscribe. You can also consult the Federal Trade Commission site for how to stop junk mail.
3) If you are a magazine reader, consider an option for digital versions instead of paper copies.
4) Look for digital coupons instead of holding onto paper coupons.
5) Use online versions of instruction manuals for appliances or electronics.
In most cases when you buy a new appliance or electronics, you don’t need to hold onto the paper instructions because it is pretty easy to find an online version for most things. So toss those as you get them (or at least until you figure out how to use the item).
6) Don’t collect paper take-out menus.
Almost all restaurants have a menu online these days.
What Documents Should You Keep?
We can’t get rid of all of the paper in our lives. There are some important documents that you should hold onto including:
- Birth certificates and Social Security cards
- Adoption Papers
- Marriage Licenses
- Passports
- Wills and Life Insurance Policies
There are also some papers to keep for several years, but you don’t need to store them forever. These include:
- Tax information and documents (7 Years)
- Insurance Policies
- Car titles and registration (as long as you own the vehicle)
- Home mortgage documents and deeds
- Medical records (hold onto medical bills for a year, because mistakes happen)
- Warranty information for large purchases (I have had success getting a warranty claim with just having a photo of the receipt and warranty, but I know some people are more comfortable holding the paper copy).
Remember to make sure you shred sensitive documents to keep your identity safe.
Conquer Paper Clutter
Paper clutter is not an easy task to tackle, so give yourself grace and time. Commit to sticking with it, and you will see the top of the kitchen table or counters again.
More Articles with Decluttering Tips:
- How to Declutter Your Life
- Where to Start Decluttering When You’re Stressed Out
- How to Declutter Clothes
