Proven Ways to Declutter your Workspace

Learn about 4 proven storage solutions to help you declutter your workspace!

Did you know that clutter can cause feelings of stress and fatigue? In fact, studies have shown that clutter can have a negative impact on a person’s ability to focus, making them less productive than they would be in a tidier environment. That means it’s time to clean up and clear out clutter in the workspace!

Below are some proven storage solutions to help you declutter and improve work productivity.

Designated Destinations

The best way to combat clutter is to give everything a designated storage space, right down to the last pen and paper clip. Some tried and true storage solutions include:

Labeled Bins and Shelves: Use storage bins or totes to store smaller, thematically similar items in one convenient place. Label totes with a list of items contained within, then store them vertically on racks or shelves. You can also label shelf slots to ensure that the right tote is always placed in the correct spot.

Peg Board and Container: The combination of pegboards and containers solves two problems. It gets small items like nails, paper clips, pens and sticky tabs off of your table or desk and also makes them more visible at a glance.

Removable Identification Labels are a good choice for peg board containers. Removable labels keep contents reliably listed, but can be removed without leaving residue should you opt to use the container for something else.

Desktop File Holders: desktop file holders control paper clutter while also keeping documents close at hand. Stock the holder with labelled file folders for frequently used documents, but also leave one folder empty. The empty folder makes a great place to deposit loose papers and mail until you have a chance to sort them.

Corral Charging Items

Charging and connection items can quickly get out of hand! Get control of cords for laptops, phones, and boardroom polys, or rechargeable batteries for cordless items like mice, power screwdrivers, glue guns and more with a colour coded storage system.

When implementing a colour-coded storage system, add like-coloured labels to the designated storage slot and to the charging item. This makes it easy for users to put things back where they belong. You can also apply an additional identification label to ensure that items belonging to different departments don’t “wander off”.

Concentrate on Cleaning

If your workplace is big on cleanliness but short on space, stocking concentrated versions of your favourite cleaning products may be the way to go. Instead of large jugs to store, you’ll have small containers or tabs that can be added to a small bottle and mixed with water as needed.

If you opt to mix your own cleaners, be sure to label them properly for the safety of your workers.

Prepare for Short-term Storage

Spring cleaning season at the office can mean a need for short-term storage solutions. This need arises if your office is being painted, when the breakroom or kitchen is being deep-cleaned, or if coworkers are changing desks. Usually, this means that things end up in lots of little boxes that can be misplaced or mixed up.

To prevent any confusion when things are being moved around, add large, clearly marked labels to all boxes. Information on your labels can include who the items belong to and where they belong. For instance, Jen’s Items/Finance Department, or Food Wraps and Disposable Containers/Breakroom.

PRO TIP: use Neon Labels for maximum visibility!

Browse avery.ca to learn more about the labels, cards, tags, and other items you can use to keep your space clutter-free, organized, and optimized to help you get through your day-to-day tasks.