Guides / Records
Manuals: keep the useful part, ditch the paper
How to go digital with appliance manuals without losing what you need.
A drawer of manuals is hard to search. Most are available as PDFs on the manufacturer's website, so you can keep a digital copy and recycle the paper.
Steps
- Photograph each product's model and serial label.
- Search the manufacturer's site for the manual using the model number and save the PDF.
- Name files the same way: "Kitchen - Dishwasher - Brand Model.pdf".
- Keep the paper manual only if it includes something the PDF doesn't, like a wiring diagram.
Worth keeping on paper
- Instructions for safety equipment like generators and fire extinguishers
- Anything you need when the power or internet is out
General household organization information, not legal, tax or financial advice.