Work space in your home can be used by many people in your family for a variety of tasks. Since back-to-school is upon us, now is a great time to revisit your at-home work space and prepare it for everyone to have a well organized space to work from. Below are 7 solid organizing tips for a winning (and efficient) at-home work space that lends itself well to being a homework station for the school year.

Dump it out – De-clutter, empty, shred, get rid of everything that you don’t need or want. Since this is a shared space through the school year be sure to get rid of all the bulky clutter like mail, magazines, or anything that takes up space and in not useful.

Sort and redistribute– Gather up every item that isn’t where it belongs and put it where it does.

Clear it up – Remove everything, clean it thoroughly and put back only those items that are essential for daily use.

The obvious – Now that you’ve streamlined you desktop, it’s a good idea to organize it. Use desktop organizers  or containers to organize the items on your desk. Use trays for papers, containers for smaller items.

Label it – Choose a label maker that’s simple to use. Take the time to label shelves, bins, baskets drawers. Not only will it remind you where things go, but it will also help the kids to find, use, or put away anything in the  shared work space.

Separate boxes – Every family member that uses the work space should have folder, tray, or inbox dedicated (and labeled) for only them.

Revise your filing system – The need to store paper files has decreased significantly. What can your store digitally? Are you duplicating files? You may be able to eliminate some of the files and folders you’ve used in the past. If you’re storing files on your computer, make sure you are doing regular back-ups. Going digital will make more room for everyone in the family to work without lots of clutter.

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