I have a whole stack of instruction manuals and warranties that have accumulated from purchasing appliances, power tools, and other miscellany over the years. Some are recipe books (from my well-used dehydrator) and some are completely obsolete (like that old VCR I threw out ages ago). I know throwing them out is totally the option others have gone with, but I’m always reluctant to do so. I mean, what if I threw out that camera manual before I fell in love with photography? I’d be having a really tough time searching out that manual online! And call me old-fashioned, I rather like flipping through pages of a manual rather than scroll through several screens before I get to the information I need to check why the dryer won’t start.
I’ve gone through different organizing methods to keep these instruction manuals. I tried putting them in page protectors and corralling them all in a loose-leaf binder, but those thick manuals kept slipping out of the slick plastics. I even kept them near or attached to their appliances, but how do you keep a manual attached to your George Foreman grill? Furthermore, those manuals got brown and dusty really fast.
BUT NOW!
After so many years, I finally have the perfect instruction manuals organizing system!! It’s super easy to put together and maintain. Read on for details.
First and foremost: go through all your manuals and warranties and throw out all the ones you don’t need anymore.
Then get some hanging file folders and a portable file box or a file drawer.
Simply hang one manual on each side of the hanging file folder! You’ll be able to skim through all the inconsistently sized manuals with ease. Isn’t this system genius???
You can even file receipts and warranties in the pockets of the folders. Having the receipts nearby when you need to call the repair company (or to check if your appliance is still under warranty) is so handy.
Just to further organize things, I separated my manuals by category:
• Large appliances
• Small appliances
• Tools
• Pots & Pans
• Linens & Furniture
• Computers & Cameras
• Garden
I have a designated file box for my instruction manuals. It lives near the kitchen, which is a good home for when I need a dehydrating recipe or to consult Bamix for how to make mayonnaise.
If you’re efficient and don’t get distracted with all the millions of things going on in your life, this project should take no longer than 30 minutes - including making the labels! I love label makers.
What do you think of my instruction manuals organizing system? What system do you use for organizing your manuals? Share them with me in the comments below!
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