January 12, 2026

Declutter the Office: Top 12 Secure Decluttering Tips and Tricks

Start the year off with a clean slate. Now is a good time to declutter your office space and set yourself up for success. A cluttered workspace isn’t just unsightly – it can negatively impact your productivity and wellbeing. There are many benefits to having a clean workspace, including:

• Enhanced concentration
• Reduced sick days
• Better performance
• Improved morale

Beyond these benefits, there's another critical aspect that's often overlooked: data security. Leaving documents that contain confidential information such as reports, hiring information, or even sticky notes out in the open can put your business at risk of a physical data breach.

Below are practical tips to help you declutter your office space while also safeguarding confidential information.

Essential Office Decluttering Tips

1. Only keep the essentials out. Place only the items that are needed for daily work within arm’s reach (phone, keyboard and monitor, lamp, and other essential work supplies).
2. Pick up every item in the work area and evaluate its purpose. Anything that doesn’t have a specific function should be tossed, taken home, or securely disposed of.
3. Keep office organization simple. Organize desk drawers by importance – items used the most should go into the closest drawers.
4. Create an efficient workflow for paperwork. Process incoming paper from left to right, then file or dispose securely.
5. Cut down on paper use. Think before you print and make sure to pick up any documents from the printing station.
6. Avoid using sticky notes. Use calendar reminders and password managers for a cleaner, secure workspace.
7. Digitize paper documents if possible. After digitization, and based on your company’s document retention policy, place documents that are no longer needed in a secure container for destruction.
8. Embed processes that prioritize physical data security. This includes using a document destruction service that provides secure locked containers that store unwanted papers until they can be destroyed.
9. Enforce a clean desk policy.  A clean desk policy directs all employees to keep their workspaces free from clutter and exposed confidential information. Desks must be cleared at the end of every workday. When leaving the desk for a short time, employees should make sure confidential information is not visible and computer screens are locked.
10. Adopt a shred-it-all policy. A shred-it-all policy encourages employees to consider if there are any requirements to retain the document (in accordance with internal policy) and, if retention is not required, immediate and secure disposal should follow.
11. Implement a data retention policy. Such a policy gives permission to dispose of paper records when appropriate. Any records containing confidential, personal, or financial information should be securely shredded when they are no longer needed or when the retention period ends.
12. Securely destroy old, end-of-life IT equipment and hard drives. One of the most effective methods for disposing of old hard drives is to have them physically destroyed using a professional media and hard drive destruction service.

Start Protecting Your Business with Secure Office Decluttering Solutions

Learn more about how Shred-it’s professional secure shredding servicescan help declutter your office space – keeping it organized while protecting your confidential data.

^{This article is for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any specific facts or circumstances.}