How to Organize Your Tech and Purge That Random Box of Cables

Sadly, if you didn’t wipe it properly before you stowed it, you must run through this process before giving it away, or you may put your privacy at risk. We have guides on how to factory reset your phone and how to reset your computer. The saving grace is that it can be a lot of fun to find old, forgotten photos or those weird short stories you forgot you wrote.

Organize Your Storage

There’s some work in setting this up, but you need to do it only once, and it will be far easier and faster to stow and find things later. Your chances of finding specific devices again when you want them drop dramatically if your old gadgets go into a disorganized pile. Categorize your gadgetry and sort it into rough zones in your loft or wherever you’re keeping it.

Grouping similar gadgets will save time later, and if you can pair gadgets with original boxes, accessories, and manuals, even better. You can arrange small devices like phones into boxes together. Sealable plastic tubs work best to protect the contents and are usually stackable. For PC components, snag some anti-static bags before you put them into boxes.

I know you don’t want to take the time to write a master inventory, but future you will benefit. An itemized spreadsheet is the organized approach, with a separate line for each device, but it could be a simple text doc on your phone (I recommend backing up a copy to the cloud), with the location and some details. For example: Loft, blue box, gaming gear.

If you’re sorting stuff into tubs or boxes, an inventory taped to the side or top, so it’s visible wherever you store it, can be a real time-saver when you come to look for stuff. Even if you simply write it on the box lid with a Sharpie, it will make it much easier to find again. The alternative is emptying that storage bin on the garage floor again, only to realize what you’re looking for is in the office cupboard.

Consider Storage Furniture

Photograph: Simon Hill

Folks with a lot of gear need to consider furniture, like shelving or storage units with drawers. My favorite relatively cheap and versatile option is this Ikea Kallax unit ($100), because it can accommodate all sorts of handy inserts. Mine has shelving, drawers, trays, and a mix of black canvas and bamboo bins that contain a surprisingly large and varied store of tech in my office.