We all have it. That disorganized drawer stuffed full of user manuals and instruction booklets.
You buy a new toaster oven, glance through the user manual, then tug open that heavy drawer and squeeeeze it into the bulging pile and hope the drawer closes… just one more time. Yup. I know exactly where that drawer is in my parents’ house, where it was in our previous home, and where it was in this house. Because I avoided that drawer. Is this pot dishwasher-safe? Hmm… probably says so in the manual, but…. eh. I don’t want to look for it. Or maybe you just broke your very expensive blender and are desperate to know how long the warranty is. Already flustered and very nervous (hubby will NOT be pleased to know you broke the machine after 7 years and 1 month, especially if the warranty was for 7 years (which it was… go figure)), you sift through piles and piles of manuals only to realize it’s. not. there. BUT WAIT maybe you missed it, let’s try again! Your frustration increases as your pile somehow looks twice as big as it started. Where is that thing?!
Wouldn’t it be nice if you had your manuals, instruction booklets, random back-of-the-packaging-with-important-instructions, DVDs and other relevant items all lumped in one place, ready to turn to whenever you need?
I especially loathe those small accordian-style manuals that I don’t feel ready to toss, but also don’t want to put in the drawer. Those, and random back-of-packaging instructions… or loose CDs that I will probably never watch but don’t want to dump just yet…! The whole thing: annoying! It didn’t occur to me that there was any other place for user manuals until I went to my friend’s bridal shower a few years ago. One gift was from her grandpa. It was a binder for user manuals filled with empty sheet protectors, pre-labeled for future use. BRILLIANT. I got on that, stat.
Sure, it won’t be needed every day, but when you do need it, it’s really nice to have it organized and ready to go. Plus, it’s very satisfying to clear out a drawer and have the stack all lined up in a bookshelf instead! Here’s how I made mine. I thought a lot about my categories before committing them to paper, but not everybody has the same hobbies (e.g. baking) as I do, so be sure to adjust category names according to your needs.
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How to Organize User Manuals
Materials
- 3 Durable 3″ View Binders
- 1 set of 8 Plastic Dividers with Slash Pockets
- 100+ Sheet Protectors
- 4 sheets of paper (preferably card stock)
Instructions
1. Write the main category in capital letters at the top of a sheet of paper. Underline it, then list subcategories in a smaller font underneath. Slide them into the front cover of the binders.
2. Using the last sheet of paper, cut 2″ strips lengthwise. Label them the same way you did the front. Slide them into the corresponding spines.
3. Label your dividers using the subcategories below, then place into the corresponding binders. I like to use dividers with pockets because when you’re feeling extra lazy, you can just stuff the manual into the pocket for safekeeping until you find the time later to put it in a proper sheet protector.
- KITCHEN
- Large/permanent (refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, countertop care, etc.)
- Appliances/electronics (toaster oven, blender, food processor, etc.)
- Small appliances/pans (coffee bean grinder, digital food scale, pan care guide, etc.)
- BABY & CHILDREN/OUTDOOR
- Baby Stuff (no tab for this one– see note below)
- Outdoor (bbq, gardening stuff, etc.)
- OTHER
- Home appliances (washer/dryer, heater, etc.)
- Small stuff (special wall hooks, misc. items)
- Furniture
- Electronics
Note: For baby/outdoor, I just have baby stuff starting in the front and one tab to indicate where “Outdoor” stuff begins. This eliminates the need to buy more dividers, since they usually come in a pack of 8.
4. Fill each section with roughly as many sheet protectors as you think you’ll need. It’s a lot easier to slip the manuals into the already-placed sheet protectors. Better to have more sheet protectors than less in each section– they will be conveniently ready to go for future manuals. Keep in mind that each sheet protector will house two manuals back-to-back, so you only need half as many sheet protectors as you have manuals. However, when I have an exceptionally bulky booklet, I let him have a whole sheet protector all to himself. Generous, I know.
5. Slide the mess of manuals neatly into place, two per sheet protector, with the manuals placed back-to-back. If one appliances has a lot of items (recipe book + CD + user manual + warranty information), it can have a sheet protector all to itself, or you can just pair it with a something thin and simple on the other side.
Voila! Organized, de-cluttered satisfaction!
So how about it? Do YOU have a user manual drawer that could use some organizing? Do you use a different system? Curious to know. Comments welcome :].
(Just in case you were sad for me, turns out the blender (VitaMix) just overheated and all I had to do was let it cool down for about 45 minutes. Yay for user manuals and awesome blenders! True, I could have learned this on the Internet, but still. Clearing out a drawer. Organizing. It just feels good.)
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