Week 9: Office & Papers

Alright, y’all. Let’s just do a collective sigh here because you know none of us want to be cleaning and organizing the home office and household papers this week, BUT… it’s got to be done. If you don’t have an office space, tidy a craft or hobby space instead! If you already did those spaces, choose a space we haven’t done instead.

It's week 9 of the Less Mess Challenge and we're working on decluttering and organizing the home office and papers! Let's go! — *This post may contain affiliate links.*

Some of us have dedicated offices, some have combination rooms and some have a corner of a bedroom they stuck a folding table in. Whatever your space looks like and however you use it, let’s get it decluttered and organized this week!

Offices see a lot of action and, therefore, get messy quickly. Whether you use your office space for working, paying bills, crafting, or gaming, let’s get your space decluttered and organized this week!

Home offices often double as craft spaces and tend to get messy quickly. — I run an organizing blog and an Etsy shop out of my office!

We have an office/craft space/guest room — it’s a hardworking space but since we have minimal papers, it’s pretty easy to keep neat. This week I’m going to focus on updating my kids’ memory boxes and shredding as much paperwork as I can. I’ll also give the rest of the room a good cleaning.

You Only Have 30 Minutes: Quick Declutter

What’s causing your desk clutter? Put items with homes away. Assign homes to every single item without a home. Create solutions for items that are consistently messing your space.
Find your desk. Handle any papers, dirty dishes, or wrappers.
If you have a bulletin board or vertical file holder on your desk, go through and remove anything that’s no longer relevant.
Shred or file other papers.
Clear any piles on the floor.
If you’ve got drawers, do a quick reset of the items.

Clear desk, clear mind. Focus on work, not on clutter! — Planner: Limelife Planners

If You Have an Hour: Declutter & Surface Clean

All tasks above, plus…
Dust the surface of your desk and your computer.
Add drawer dividers if you don’t already have them in place.
Evaluate, declutter, and tidy any office supplies. Get rid of anything you have an excessive amount of.
Consider adding shelves or a bulletin board for papers you need handy, but don’t want cluttering up your desk.
Unsubscribe from 10 emails.
Vacuum your office floor.

Drawer dividers are essential for keeping office drawers organized. — Drawer dividers are great for organizing office supplies.

If You Have a Few Hours: Declutter, Deep Clean & Organize

All tasks above, plus…
Empty all desk drawers, bins, shelves, etc. Go through office supplies and papers, grouping like items. Contain them and label them. Donate what you no longer need.
Wipe down all surfaces.
Clean all windows, baseboards, light switches.
Check your filing system—remove old files, shred anything no longer needed, recycle the rest. Consider transitioning to a digital file system. Update any files you no longer need/use. Create a file for 2024 taxes if you haven’t done so yet. Here’s a guide on how long you should keep papers.
Jazz up your space with wallpaper, some cute pictures, or a plant you like.

Get your office space tidied and decluttered during the Less Mess Challenge!

Maintaining Home Office Organization

After you’ve got your office tidied and have implemented systems to help you maintain order, you’ve got to maintain your space. Remember — it’s normal for your spaces to get messy. Just make sure you reset them when needed.

Here are a few ways you can maintain your home office organization:

File, don't pile! Vertical paper storage is the way to go!

File, don’t pile. Keep papers vertical as much as possible. A vertical divider is a helpful way to break the piling habit.
Clear your desk at the end of every day. Put away papers you don’t need, clear wrappers, put cups in the dishwasher.
Make it easy to throw things away. Grab a recycling or trash bin. This garbage can is my favorite.
Invest in a shredder and shred papers right away.
If you’re a note-taker, consider a notebook or bullet journal to keep all your notes in one place rather than scattered.
Investing in your space may motivate you to take better care of it. Make it a place you enjoy spending time in and spend a few dollars on systems that work for you.

Decluttering and Organizing the Home Office

Getting your home office tidied and clutter-free may seem like an insurmountable task, but it’s so necessary for keeping this space functional and efficient. Don’t let that mountain of papers get you down.

Spend a few hours decluttering and tidying your home office and you’ll be so glad you did!

Last Week: Bathrooms

Next Week: Kids’ Bedrooms

Back to the Full Less Mess Challenge List