Organizing manuals

[niccig]

Tonight I purged all our manuals. I had them in TWO large accordion files. I was thinking of using binders, which is what I've seen people do on pinterest, and I can store on a shelf, giving me room in the filing cabinet. This will work for the paper manual, but what do you do with the extra bits from bikes, furniture etc. Eg. DS's bed is a bunk bed and we have the wooden plugs to fill in the holes when we take the top bunk off. I can label a ziplock bag and then put all this in a container in the garage. Just wondering if separating the instruction from the extra parts is the way to go.

[Nechums]

Funny, because I prefer them in one big file drawer divided up by category. Makes me more likely to return a manual after I use. I so exactly what you mentioned regarding the extra pieces. I label ziplock bags and throw them into a container. I'm sure there are better methods but this seems to work for us. I was always able to find what I needed. Maybe one extra step would be to write on the manual "additional pieces in container" or something like that. Just to remind you that extra pieces exist.


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[jgenie]

I keep extra pieces with the manuals - zip loc labeled with item in case they get separated.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I use binders and page protectors.

Lately I've been chucking most all manuals bc I'm more inclined to just pull them up online.

[KrisM]

I find we so rarely use manuals, that I don't care how easy it is to find them. I want it to be easy to add more though and a binder is not easy enough. I use boxes - something like these: http://www.amazon.com/Whitmor-6754-491-5-Plastic-Document-Assorted/dp/B004S6QSB2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1405605078&sr=8-4&keywords=document+box and a different color for a different category and I toss them in. Parts go in a Ziploc and labeled and in the box.

[erosenst]

It took me a while to totally adapt to this - but I now throw them away as they are all available online.

[niccig]

Thanks everyone. I went through and purged. There were many old manuals for items we don't have anymore. I also don't need to keep the manual to the waffle maker, toast maker or iron - I know how to use all of those!

I tried to put things in a binder and it's just not going to work for me. I do want to keep the extra parts with the manual (that has come in handy before) and I need to easily add new manuals or it will just pile up. The accordion file in the filing cabinet has worked, so I may try that or just use hanging files (have plenty so no need to buy more). I'm cleaning out the filing cabinet, so I'll keep the manuals in a pile until that is done and see if there's space as there's a few other things I want to put in the filing cabinet too.

[Globetrotter]

I keep instructions and parts together in ziplocs and store them in a drawer together randomly.

[legaleagle]

I use container store multipurpose bins

[okinawama]

It took me a while to totally adapt to this - but I now throw them away as they are all available online.
Yup, this is me too. The make and model of the item is usually printed somewhere on the item, and it's so easy to just look up the manual online.