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How To Organize a Filing Cabinet

Reading Time: 5 Minutes

Let me guess you want to stay organized, it simply makes thing easier right? Well if you have a Filing Cabinet you already have the upper hand.

You have the tool to get more organized but sometimes you need to know what the best way to use a tool is, so that you get the most out of it.

It can be tough no matter if it’s your personal cabinet you keep in your home as a way of organizing your bills, tax info or personal documents such as social security cards, birth certificates and all the other important documents.

No matter if it’s business related documents in your home office or at the office in at your other workplace, but it’s not that hard if you know how to go about it. Which is exactly what I’ll show you right now.

First things first, in order to organize your filing cabinet you need to have one, if you don’t which one suits you the best check out this post.

Next up, create a filing system (shocker right). Anything that is is not important, anything that you don’t need...set that aside. This includes:

-Old mail

-Bills you don’t need anymore.

-Old receipts 

-Anything else you don’t find important anymore.

If you’re like I used to be: finding old paperwork you forgot you had that you keep just in case even though it’s not important, set that aside in it’s own pile or throw it away don’t be afraid to get rid of things.

However, if you organize things at your work place, be sure to consult with your supervisor to know if it’s needed or not as some things may be more important than you’d think.

The whole point of a filing system is to simplify things for yourself, to find what you need when you need it. There is a number of ways to do this. Either organize files by name, by company name, by projects, alphabetically, numerically, due dates or your own custom way, remember you want to simplify things for yourself so do what’s best for you.

TIP: Usually bills or client names are best to organize alphabetically.

Keep it simple!

And by this I don’t mean put everything into one folder, but almost. More files equal a lot more clutter so instead,  have main folders that you keep a bit more generic and then keep the files within the folders organized.

So instead of opening up your file cabinet drawer and seeing 50 different files at once, you’ll (for example) see 10 different folders with 5 files in each and suddenly it becomes much easier to find what you need.

So it organized folders sound good right? But what good does it make if you still don’t know in which of the 10 folders the document you need is in? Then it would be the same as looking through 50 files you would have done in the first place.

But there is a simple fix: Label them all. Make sure you make the label large, bold and the text understandable.

If you want to be even more organized, consider using colored folders. It’s easy to memorize what color belongs to what folder and it’ll make you find what you need much faster.

So now you have a organized file cabinet, you know exactly where everything is and that’s awesome. But what do you do if you’re in a hurry and just put your file in one of the folders, not thinking of which one and just ‘’take care of it later’’? And then you don’t have time to take care of it and just keep going?

We’ve all been there but the problem is, now it’s unorganized and you’re back to square one.

Here is how you can avoid that:

Keep a box or basket close to your filing cabinet and use it to temporarily put files that you then move to it’s right folder in the cabinet when you can. Since it’s easier to a whole batch in at once than paper by paper.

So there you go my friend, good luck with your files and keep in mind that every minute spent organizing, 10 minutes are earned.

Filing Cabinets - The Ultimate Guide

Reading Time: 7 Minutes

Paperwork can easily get overwhelming and become a real headache, am I right? Well, it’s honestly not that hard to get rid of that issue and upon that, save some time.

The simple way of putting all your paperwork and files into an organized Filing Cabinet will definitely make you find what you need, when you need it.

Although it’s a simple fix it’s not always easy to know what the Best Filing Cabinet is for you. Do you need a Lateral, Vertical, Flat etc.

Don’t worry, I’ll explain more in detail below.

Lateral Filing Cabinet

If you have a lot of paperwork or if you simply would like your File Cabinets wider and shorter because of convenience, space or looks I would advise for a Lateral Filing Cabinet.

Lateral File Cabinets would be ideal for areas in your home, office or home-office that require a lot of filing but that is limited in space like for example a walkway.

They can easily be arranged to fit your needs. We carry Lateral File Cabinets that can range from 32’’-36’’ in width, which means that they’re able to hold both letter size and legal size documents.

They range from 2 all the way up to 7 drawers tall so if you want your Lateral File Cabinet to fit under your desk you sure can, most 2 drawer units will do the job.

Vertical Filing Cabinet

If your files consist mostly of paperwork you need often, like on a day to day basis the most convenient unit for you would be a vertical File Cabinet.

Measuring in width between the range of 15’’-20’’ the Vertical File Cabinet has narrow but deep drawers.

They don’t take up a lot of wall space which is great, just make sure you have enough clearance to be able to open up the drawers fully.

Rolling Filing Cabinet

If you want to be able to conveniently transport your files, redecorate and change place on where the file cabinet is stationed your best bet would be a Mobile File Cabinet, but I am pretty sure you could have guess that.

Majority of the time these units are vertical and are made with only one or two drawers to make them low enough to fit under your desk.

‘’Rolling cabinet? Convenient, but wont it start rolling when it shouldn’t?’’ Well I am glad you asked.

No, you don’t need to worry about it rolling away, most mobile file cabinets are lockable to keep them in place when needed.

Flat Filing Cabinet

If you want to keep your large work such as blueprints or artwork somewhere safe and keep them laying flat so they don’t get ruined you’d be best off with a Flat File Cabinet. A flat unit has short and wide drawers specifically designed for large sheets.

So you’ve figured out what kind you need, now it’s time to choose what it should look like from the outside.

Of course a lot has to do with personal preference, maybe metal goes better with your other furniture, or maybe wood makes your office feel more ‘’homey’ but they all have their functions as well. 

Metal Filing Cabinets

All filing cabinets we carry are durable , but since most industrial metal File Cabinets are made from galvanized steel they would be the most durable option.

These units are most often used in parts of the office where large amount of files and paperwork are kept for longer periods of time.

Fireproof Fiiling Cabinets

To stop worrying about something is one less headache, especially if that something is as fragile (and flammable) like for example: a piece of paper. Keeping your sensitive, highly important documents in a fireproof file cabinet sounds like a no brainer right?

Add the fact that they are theft proof and designed to prevent damage made by the water from your office sprinklers and they might just be the right choice for you.

These units are made with insulation that has been developed to withstand the temperature and damage from a fire.

‘’So where are they used most often?’’- Well I’m glad you asked!

They’re mostly used by big businesses whose assets need to be extra protected. However, they’re also used by people that want to keep their important personal documents safe.

Wood Veneer Fiiling Cabinets

If you like the natural, modern and more subtle look of a Filing Cabinet but are on a limited budget I would suggest a wood veneer file.

What exactly does ‘’Wood Veneer’’ mean? I’ll explain it to you.

Wood Veneer is a layer of genuine wood that is discretely put over a thick layer of press-board which gives it an exclusive look with a lower cost than solid wood filing cabinets.

Solid Wood Filing Cabinets

If you want a more homey look to your office or just want to change it up a bit, solid wood file cabinets would be what I’d go for.

It has the same functions as our other filing cabinets so it mostly comes down to your personal preference.