Professional Organizers Say It’s Time to Toss These Desk Items

If you have three staplers and multiple cups overflowing with pens, Cawley says it's too much. "Choose your favorite stapler since you can only use one at a time, reduce to one cup with pens you love, and store the extras elsewhere,” the organizer says.

Arkwright adds that office supplies like paper clips and rubber bands also have a way of multiplying in drawers and across desktops. "Store these items in small containers and keep them inside drawers," she says. If you don't have desk drawers, use stackable bins, an under-desk utility cart, or a small rolling filing cabinet for extra storage.

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Every piece of technology comes with a cord or a charger, which we tend to hold onto "just in case" long after we've replaced the device. “They tangle up drawers and create clutter without actually being useful," Cawley says.

Arkwright's approach is to match the electronics with their cords and discard anything frayed or damaged. "For any cords you keep, wrap each individually with a velcro tie to prevent tangling," she says, adding that labeling cords makes it easier to find the one you need. To prevent a cluttered desk, the organizer stores all cords together in a bin or bag inside a drawer.

As for the mystery cords, Arkwright suggests placing them in a bag labeled with a future date. "If you haven’t used them by the date, let them go," she says.

“A favorite photo or two is fine, but when knick-knacks and sentimental items overflow into your workspace, it can overwhelm and distract you," Cawley says. Her tip is to limit yourself to a small tray of these items or to replace them altogether with a plant that provides fresh air.

Bright colored sticky notes may be great visual reminders, but Arkwright says when one note turns into many scattered across your desk, monitor, and keyboard, the helpful reminders become visual clutter. "A few well-placed notes are a great productivity tool, but too many means information isn’t centralized," the organizer says.

Instead, she recommends creating and maintaining one either paper or digital reminder list and only writing high-priority tasks on sticky notes. Once the task is completed, toss the note. Keep sticky note pads within reach but neatly organized. "To prevent them from getting lost under papers or buried in drawers, keep them contained in a desktop holder or pop-up dispenser," Arkwright says.

A mid-afternoon snack may be a good pick-me-up, but Arkwright says snack remnants tend to linger on the desk long after the snack is eaten. "Beyond visual clutter, crumbs, spills, and odors can attract pests, especially in a home office," she says.

The organizer recommends disposing of empty food containers and wrappers, and storing snacks in lidded containers in a drawer to keep them easily accessible but out of sight. "If you prefer keeping some snacks visible, opt for a small container that doesn’t take up much space,” Arkwright adds.

“Drinkware accumulates quickly— a coffee mug, a canned beverage, a refillable bottle... By the end of the day, the desk is littered with them," Arkwright says. Her rule of thumb is to have no more than two beverages on your desk at a time.

If you commute to work, make sure to bring reusable tumblers and water bottles home daily to wash them. "Keeping one spare mug or bottle in a drawer guarantees you’re covered if you forget yours," Arkwright says. And if you work from home, the organizer says there's no excuse for letting dirty bottles remain dirty!

Even though we live in a largely cashless world, Arkwright shares that loose change somehow still finds its way into desk drawers. “Without a designated home, the change tends to scatter and make noise when the drawer opens and closes," she says. Avoid this by containing loose change and bills in a small container, jar, or a resealable bag that prevents it from rolling around.

“While random takeout utensils, straws, and napkins don’t typically encroach on desk space, drawers often become their resting place," Arkwright says. What starts as keeping a couple of extra napkins in a desk drawer "just in case" can quickly turn into a cluttered mess. "Keeping a single resealable bag limits the number of utensils to a manageable amount,” Arkwright says.