Conquer paper clutter in just 5 minutes a day with this easy strategy.

When considering the most challenging organizing tasks at home, the messy kitchen counter, the crammed bedroom closet, and the ever-growing pile of papers often top the list. The idea of tackling this paper clutter can feel overwhelming, causing many to delay addressing it as long as possible.

Eager to tackle your paper mess? Begin by setting up a dedicated sorting station as described below, and say goodbye to the clutter once and for all.

How Often Should You Tackle Paper Clutter?

Make paper organizing a breeze by setting aside a few minutes each day to sort through your papers. Instead of letting the pile grow into a mountain, dedicate just five minutes a day to decluttering. Use this time to separate papers into three categories: shred, file, or recycle.

Once a week, spend about 30 minutes filing the papers in your 'file' pile and shredding those in the 'shred' pile. The recycling pile can be handled during your daily sorting. Once a month—though you might do it less frequently—check your filing drawers to see if any papers can be moved to storage bins.

What You'll Need:

• Paper sorter
• Recycling bin
• File folders
• Magazine holders
• Filing cabinets
• Paper shredder

How to Organize Papers Like a Pro

Tackling paper clutter is simple when you follow a few easy steps. Here's how to sort your papers quickly, efficiently, and without stress.

Step 1: Create a Paper-Sorting Station

The key to staying on top of paper clutter is catching it before it becomes a mountain. Set up a paper sorter near your entrance or in the mudroom (or even on the wall by the door) with just two or three categories to manage the incoming papers:

• Long-term storage
• Immediate action required
• Important papers for the kids (like field trip details)

When you walk through the door, take a minute to quickly open each piece of mail and decide if it should be stored long-term, require action (like a bill to pay), or tossed right away.

Step 2: Keep a Recycling Bin Handy

Place a recycling bin just below your sorting station so you can easily toss unwanted flyers and catalogs. You’ll be amazed at how much paper can go straight to recycling.

Step 3: Go Digital—And Paperless—Where Possible

For one week, track what you recycle immediately. If certain mailings always get tossed, unsubscribe from them to save time and paper. Consider switching to digital bills and bank statements, which may help you remember to pay them on time. You can also stop junk mail. For a small fee of $2, DMAchoice.org allows you to opt out of specific mail categories like catalogs for the next decade.

For your existing paper files, divide the documents into two categories: those you need to keep as originals and those you can scan and store digitally. For those that don't require a physical copy, scan them and save them on your computer, an external hard drive, or the cloud—ideally all three if the documents are particularly important. Be sure to label each scanned document clearly and organize them into folders for easy access later.

To speed up the process, consider separating sorting and scanning into two distinct tasks—sort everything first, then do the scanning. If there are any documents you're uncertain about or want to keep and scan, create separate piles for them during the sorting stage. After scanning the documents you no longer need in hard copy, put them in a pile for shredding and handle it all at once.

Step 4: Shred the Unnecessary Documents

While some papers, like junk mail, can be recycled, many documents require shredding. If you're unsure about what should be shredded, here are some key guidelines. Always shred the following:

• Documents with financial information, such as bank and credit card statements, credit card applications, or pre-approved offers
• Cancelled checks
• Utility bills
• Tax forms
• ATM receipts and sales receipts
• Unsolicited offers, including credit card and insurance promotions
• Expired warranties
• Old IDs and driver's licenses
• Expired credit cards
• Any document containing your signature

The documents listed above are just suggestions. The general rule is: When in doubt, shred it! If you have space under a desk where you work, place a shredder there so you can easily shred papers as they arrive instead of letting them pile up.

When the shredder is full, gather the shredded paper and either dispose of it or recycle it. Some cities accept shredded paper, while others may not or have designated drop-off locations for recycling. Be sure to check with your local waste collection service to confirm their guidelines.

Step 5: Set Up Long-term Storage

After using the sorting system for about a week, start paying attention to the types of papers that end up in your 'long-term storage' pile. This will vary depending on your personal needs and household. You may find that you need to keep very little, or you might have a large stack of papers to organize—like your child's artwork, which can be difficult to part with.

Once you decide what to keep, set up an organizational system that suits your needs. Keep the categories minimal to avoid holding onto things you'll likely never use. Depending on how much you have, you can choose from a variety of storage solutions.

• File folders. If you don't have a lot of paperwork to organize and have transitioned to digital bills and bank statements, a few file folders might be all you need. Use one for tax forms and another for important documents, helping you avoid keeping unnecessary paperwork that doesn't fit into these categories.
• Magazine holders. If you have more paperwork to organize or need to keep things for multiple family members, consider investing in a set of colorful magazine holders. Assign a different color to each category—yellow for taxes, green for medical records—and one for each family member. A rainbow of magazine holders will add some fun to your office space!
• Filing cabinets. For those with years of important documents to store, it's time to invest in a filing cabinet. Just like with folders and magazine holders, this system works best when you create meaningful categories. After you've cleared out expired coupons and shredded outdated forms, organize the remaining papers into categories that make sense for your needs.