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No matter what type of office you work in, staying organized is crucial to productivity and to your own personal satisfaction at work. Whether you’re the president of a major corporation or a freelance editor working from your bedroom, take these tips for keeping your corner office, cubicle or home office organized.

 

Kiss Your Paperwork Goodbye

Despite rapidly evolving technology, paper clutter is still the number one cause of office disorganization. Take control of your workspace by purging any paperwork you don’t absolutely need. You can take things a step further by taking the paperwork you do need and scanning it so that it can live on your computer and not on top of your desk.

 

File in Style

Of course, you won’t be able to get rid of everything, and that’s okay. Just be sure to keep all of those important papers and documents neatly tucked away in a nearby filing cabinet. We recommend color coding what you keep to ensure everything can be easily located when needed.

 

Keep Important Papers and Materials at the Ready

Speaking of easy to locate, make sure you put your most important paperwork and reading materials somewhere you know you’ll be able to find them. Whether that’s at the front of your filing cabinet or in your nearby bookcase is up to you, but just make sure it’s somewhere you can get to easily without having to do a lot of digging around.

 

Contain Those Odds and Ends

When it comes to organizing your office, the little things can really pile up. We’re talking about binder clips, thumb tacks, Post-It notes and any other little office supplies you have floating around. Contain that mess by filling your utility drawers with containers that will keep everything in its rightful place. You may also want to add a desktop organizer to your workspace to keep pens, paper clips and other frequently used items organized but easy to access.

 

Categorize Like Items

The easiest way to maintain an organized home office or cubicle is to group like items together. Put all of your writing utensils in the same container, your tools (stapler, scissors, hole puncher) in the same drawer and mail (envelopes, stamps, address labels) in the same space. Grouping similar items with each other will make it easy for you to find anything you need at any given moment.

 

Use That Wall Space

Often times our desktops become cluttered because we simply don’t have any better space to keep all of that stuff. But what about your office walls? Whether you’re in a fabric paneled cubicle or a private office, there are plenty of options. Mount a shelf to the wall to keep books on, add a mail organizer to the wall, or simply stick up frequently used papers to a bulletin board.

 

Have your own ideas for keeping the office organized? Share your tips in the comments below!

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More From NBF

Tips for Keeping Your Office Furniture Looking Good & Working Smoothly

Office furniture is an investment. It’s important to protect this asset by performing routine maintenance. Let’s look at ways to keep your office furniture looking good and working smoothly.

Tips for Maintaining Office Chairs

Tighten screws and bolts on your office chairs every 6 months. A little maintenance goes a long way, and it’s easy to remember if you tie office upkeep to another event, like changing the clocks for the start and end of daylight saving time.

Many chairs have armrests that can break if you lean on them to lever yourself into or out of your chair. They are designed as a place to rest your arms, not to withstand a lot of pressure or weight. 

It’s also important to ensure the arms are adjusted to the right height. If you have armrests that are not movable, don’t get too close to your desk—bumping into a wood desk can create unsightly damage to both the desk and the chair.

Tips for Maintaining Desks

Whether your desk surface is wood veneer, laminate, or metal, you’ll have to clean and dust it to keep it looking good. For all desks, regardless of surface, use a dry cloth for dusting and a damp cloth for cleaning.

Mild soap is typically OK on all finishes. Be sure to check with the manufacturer before using any harsh chemicals. The wrong cleaner can ruin stains and finishes in seconds, which can be difficult or impossible to repair.

 

In addition to the basics, wood veneer desks can handle mild cleaners, like wood oil soap. Spray dusting and cleaning products can leave streaks or damage the finish.

 

Laminate finishes vary in how they are manufactured and how they are applied to the desk surfaces. Some can tolerate an ammonia-based spray window or multi-surface cleaner. Still, others cannot, so it’s important to read the care instructions included with your desk, ask the manufacturer, or stick with a cloth dampened with water only.

 

Steel or painted metal finishes are best-cared for with simple dusting and mild soap.

RTA Furniture Assembly Tips

Buying ready-to-assemble (RTA) business furniture is a great way to save some money, provided you don’t mind putting in a little elbow grease to assemble the furniture yourself. If you like the cost-effective price tag of RTA but aren’t exactly eager for the assembly process, consider these tips before you start putting your new furniture together.

Keep Your Tools Handy 

Most RTA furniture includes any special tools needed for assembly, but it’s good to keep certain tools handy if you plan to put together multiple pieces at once. Every office should have these tools:

  • Allen wrenches/hex wrenches in various sizes

  • Screwdrivers in various sizes

  • Hammer

If your RTA furniture came with an Allen wrench, save it. RTA furniture tends to settle over time, so you may need to retighten those bolts every so often—especially if the item is used daily. We recommend tightening chair screws every 6 months. Tape the wrench underneath a chair or desk or keep it in a nearby drawer so it doesn’t get lost. 

 

Do not use power tools of any sort when assembling RTA furniture. Using too much force is likely to damage the material.

Read the Instructions Carefully 

Before you assemble anything, read all the instructions all the way through to ensure you have all the parts and tools you’ll need. 

Once you’ve taken inventory, follow the instructions in the exact order they are given. Do not complete step 2 before step 1, whether you think you can get away with it or not. RTA furniture is very difficult to take apart once assembled, so it is essential to get assembly right the first time to avoid damaging the product.

Tighten Bolts at the Same Time 

Tightening each bolt as you go can pull the piece in different directions and make it difficult to insert the remaining bolts. Instead, put all the bolts in loosely first, then tighten once they’re all in place.

Call NBF for Replacement Parts 

If a part of your furniture is missing or needs to be replaced, call NBF. Though you may be tempted to call the manufacturer, you will only receive the NBF Lifetime Guarantee if you call us for your replacement pieces.

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Nicole Groshek

Nicole Groshek is the social media and content coordinator for National Business Furniture. She helps employees discover the true joy in loving what they do, from working in an inspiring office to having a little fun on the job.