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7 Best Manageable Ways To Get Rid Of Paper Clutter Right Now

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Get Rid Of Paper Clutter For Good

Paper overwhelm is real.  Over the years of running my home and my business I have found that the best way to eliminate and stop being overwhelmed by paper clutter is to stop it before it starts.  Here are the best tips I can give you on how to get rid of paper clutter before it even starts.

Here are 12 FREE motivation tips just for you…so you can start cleaning TODAY!

Related Post:  How To Declutter Paper Piles 

pin how to get rid of paper clutter right now and keep it that way

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As a mom, I have to keep up with a lot of paper. From school work and forms that are coming in with my kids, to the normal everyday things I need to remember to do.

My desk became a landing site for every note, phone number, message, thought, or idea I ever wrote down (mostly on sticky notes and scrap pieces of paper).  Needless to say, my desk became a chaotic mess of random little pieces of paper.

And even though I knew how to go throught the piles on my desk and counter tops to declutter them, the piles and pieces of scrap paper just seemed to keep coming back.

So I started researching how to stop the paper mess before it even started and realized I needed to start in the most logical spot… the beginning.  So here is what I learned and I hope you can find some paper clutter peace by using these tips as well.

Best Items To Help You Get Rid Of Paper Clutter For Good

  1. This Inexpensive Shredder
  2. A Printer with a Scanner like this one
  3. Garbage Bags 
  4. Recycle Bin near your paper piles
  5. File Box like this for sorting
  6. Reusable Notebook (this is my favorite and also listed as #1 below!)

How To Get Rid Of Paper Clutter

blue rocketbook digital notebook and 3 pens in red blue and black

1. Reusable Notepad

A reusable notebook is my #1 solution to paper clutter now. Remember those sticky notes I mentioned above and how my desk was literally a sea of sticky notes?  Well this reusable notebook solved that problem completely. 

Not only did it solve my sticky note problem, but it also solved my spiral notebook problem (yeah, I also had a ton of half used spiral notebooks too) and my random pieces of paper with ideas and notes jotted on them problem. 

By switching over to a Rocketbook, I now know exactly where all my ideas and notes are because I can write them all in one place. And then I just send them directly to my Google docs and put them into a designated folder using the digital feature that comes with the notebook.

I do a complete review on the Rocketbook I have if you are interested in learning more about my experience with it and why it totally changed my life!  (no exaggeration)

2. Scan Important Papers

Scanning things into your computer can help you stop the clutter before it even begins.  Instead of laying that important document in a stack of other documents (important or not) and then possibly losing it, scan it into your computer and file it in a designated folder.  Then you will always know where it is.

3. Sign Up for Electronic Items

Instead of opting for the printed receipt at the store, the paper bill from the electric company or the paper statement from your bank or credit card company, opt for the electronic version.  And then set up electronic bill pay with your bank to save even more paper clutter.

different colored trash bins

4. Sort Right Away

Make it easy to sort your paper as soon as it enters your home.  Place a recycling bin, shredder, or file box where you normally place your mail or important documents.  Then go through things immediately.  This will help you cut down on your daily paper clutter and stop the piles from well…piling up.

Related post:  How To Declutter Paper Piles

5. File It Right Away

If the document is important, then it is important that you file it right away so you do not lose it.  I like to keep a quick file box right under my cabinet in the kitchen so I have a place to put things immediately that I don’t want to lose.  When that file box gets full, I will move the files to a larger file cabinet in my basement.  But I only do that about 1 time per year.

Related Post:  How To Declutter Your Office

giant red "x" through the picture of a pile of papers

6. Stop Junk Mail

Figure out where your junk mail is coming from and stop it.  If it is a circular that you no longer want, then call them and tell them to remove you from their mailing list.  You can do this for anything you no longer want to receive in the mail including magazines and catalogs.  And if you still want to see it, you can always find it online.

7. Go Digital

One of the best ways to keep clutter out of your home, off your counter tops, and off your desk is to go completely digital. That means that instead of writing down notes on a scrap of paper, you write in an online document.

Google Docs is great for large documents that you need to write, a To-Do app like like Apple Reminders is great for creating quick lists on your phone, and an online calendar like Cozi can help you with scheduling important reminders and appointments.

Other Questions About How To Get Rid Of Paper Clutter:

How do you get rid of paper clutter fast?

In my experience, the best way to get rid of paper clutter fast is to find a garbage bag, recycling bin, and shredder to use.  Then take those three items into the room with the paper clutter and start sorting quickly.  Whatever is left when you are finished gets sorted and filed.

How do I get rid of paper clutter once and for all?

To get rid of paper clutter once and for all, you need to tackle it before it begins.  Using a reusable notebook like this one can really help reduce paper clutter.  Always keeping a file box close by can help you manage and sort papers as they come into your home.  Having a printer with a scanner like this one will keep you from creating piles of papers because you can scan them onto your computer instead.

How do you organize paper clutter at home?

Paper clutter at home can be organized in many ways.  I cover this and more in the post How To Declutter An Office In 4 Easy Steps.

Get That Paper Out Of Your Home For Good


I hope these tips can help you get that paper clutter out of your home for good!  Check out some of my other post about decluttering, organizing, and home management here.

Happy Decluttering!

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