Household Management Tip

For those of you out there who are desperately searching for the instruction manual when your furnace doesn't seem to be working or can't find the cleaning instructions for your carpet or sofa when you spill something, I have just the thing for you.  Since I was tired of having those same problems, I decided to take a clue from my interior design project binders and create a master folder for all my household appliances, furniture, paint samples & formulas, home insurance, and home association details.  Any information pertinent to the the care of my home is stored in this three-ring binder.  So, if I need to find my paint samples to bring to the store with me, I know exactly where they are.

I chose a typical three-ring binder to store all the info.

I labeled the binder Household Manual with my label maker:

 

I used clear plastic sleeves to slide all instruction manuals, floor plan, paint samples, etc into:

I labeled each section according to use and location. Ex: Kitchen appliances, Furniture, Paint, Garage, Insurance, etc.

 

 

So there you go!  It's a super easy solution.   Now, I have one place to go to look for anything household related that can help me out quickly when a problem or need arises.   This manual has come in handy on more than one occasion and has saved us a lot of time since we are no longer running around the house trying to figure out where that certain instruction manual we're looking for is lying around.  This will also be something that will come in handy when we decide to sell our house.  Potential home buyers will be happy to see that all the information they need about the stove, furnace, AC, dishwasher, etc will all be in one place for them to reference.

So the next time you find yourself searching for that elusive paint sample or instruction manual, I suggest you take a few minutes and create one of these household manuals.  You'll be glad you did!

Do you have any other ways to easily organize household information?  I'd love to hear all about your tips in the comment section!