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Photo: Richard Drury/Getty ImagesAh, the home office: the spot where every piece of paper in your home seems to disappear (and perhaps your desk as well, buried under heaps of mail and documents). However, by decluttering your home office, you can conquer the paper chaos—and finally restore your work-from-home area to order.
Explore the key areas you should address—but remember, maintaining a tidy office requires consistent effort to avoid another paper overload. For example, ensure incoming mail doesn’t pile up. "Handle it once and dispose of unnecessary items immediately," advises Jamie Hord, a professional organizer and founder of Horderly. "Designate a space for actionable items and set aside time each week to address them."
To succeed in decluttering your office, you can focus on one area at a time (like your desk or filing cabinet) or concentrate on a specific category of items. Below are the nine most frequent sources of office clutter, along with tips for addressing them efficiently.
1. Outdated Receipts
Most receipts are unnecessary after a few weeks—once you confirm the clothing fits or the gift was appreciated, shred them and move on. However, certain receipts are worth holding onto longer:
- Items that could be tax-deductible (e.g., medical expenses or business-related costs for self-employed individuals)
- Receipts for home renovations or improvements, which can lower capital gains taxes when selling your home
- Major purchases like appliances, which often have extended warranties and may need proof of purchase for service claims
Remember, many of these receipts might also be available digitally in your email or online accounts, allowing you to discard the physical copy. Consider saving a PDF version of the digital receipt both in your email and on your computer for easy access.
2. Mail
Mail is a major contributor to desk clutter, with new piles arriving daily. Adopt the habit of recycling junk mail immediately—ideally before it even enters your home—and set aside time weekly to sort through the rest, ensuring it’s addressed before being shredded or discarded.
If your mail has piled up, this is an excellent starting point for decluttering, as you’ll notice significant improvements almost immediately.
3. Owner's Manuals
Chances are, you rarely refer to owner's manuals after setting up a new item—and most are available online if needed. To ease your concerns, create a spreadsheet listing product names, model numbers, and links to their online manuals for quick access.
4. Pens and Pencils
Pens and pencils seem to multiply endlessly in home offices. Discard worn-out pencils (missing erasers or too short to use), dried-out or uncapped pens and highlighters, and any promotional pens you no longer need.
If you have surplus writing tools in good condition, consider donating them to a local school or teacher to ensure they always have supplies available.
5. Craft Supplies
You once envisioned diving into scrapbooking, watercolors, or knitting. However, if your home office is overflowing with untouched paints, yarn, and other art materials, it’s time to assess what you truly need. "Focus on simplifying your projects and limit yourself to a few at a time to ensure you complete them rather than feeling overwhelmed by unfinished ideas," suggests Hord.
Even if you’re a passionate crafter, you might be holding onto items that are no longer useful, such as worn-out paintbrushes or tiny fabric remnants. "Keep only the highest quality items," advises Hord. "Avoid hoarding every small piece thinking it might come in handy someday."
6. Kids' Artwork and Schoolwork
Managing kids' artwork and schoolwork might be the most challenging category of home office clutter, as children are incredibly creative—and it’s hard to part with their charming drawings or funny writings.
There are numerous ways to handle kids' artwork without losing it entirely. You can photograph pieces you’re letting go of and create a digital album, share them with grandparents or family members, or display your favorites on a gallery wall. Remember, not every scribble needs to be kept, so focus on preserving only the very best.
When sorting through your kids' artwork, try to do it when they’re not present—to spare both you and them from any emotional distress.
7. Photos
Similar to kids' artwork, we’re not suggesting you discard cherished memories like wedding photos or family vacation pictures. However, if you grew up before the digital age, you likely have duplicates or less-than-perfect shots (think red-eye, awkward expressions, or accidental finger coverage).
You can also digitize your old family photos, either by using a photo scanning app yourself or sending them to a service like ScanMyPhotos.com for professional scanning. Just ensure your digital collection is securely backed up—preferably on a local hard drive and at least one cloud storage platform—to safeguard your cherished memories.
8. Books
Fellow book lovers, this one’s for you! Unless you own a sprawling, Instagram-worthy library complete with towering shelves and rolling ladders, your book collection is likely overflowing. While parting with books can be tough, it might be time to pass some along to make space for new reads.
Keep the books you revisit often, but consider letting go of those lackluster book club selections. Donate them to friends, local Little Free Libraries, book sales, shelters, or senior centers. You can even leave a box labeled "Free" outside for others to enjoy.
9. Office Supplies
While we love a beautifully styled office, it’s easy to go overboard with decorative sticky notes, stylish folders, and vibrant clips to spruce up our workspaces. Now’s the time to assess what you truly need. "Holding onto 1,000 pens, pencils, tape rolls, or Post-its would take forever to use up," Hord advises.
