How to Clean Up Your Desk

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Professional organizer Alexis Lombardo shares tips for cleaning & organizing your desk

Co-authored by Alexis Lombardo and Mason Martinez, BA

Last Updated: November 30, 2025 Fact Checked

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Clearing & Cleaning

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Sorting Your Stuff

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Organizing Your Desk

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

ARTICLE

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For students and office professionals, a desk is where you spend nearly half of your waking hours. A messy desk can lead to decreased focus and less productivity. On the other hand, a clean desk will allow you to work more efficiently and feel more productive. We're here to explain the best way to clean your desk and organize everything so you can work to the best of your ability. Grab your cleaning gloves, a couple of trash bags, and this guide to start!

How to Keep Your Desk Clean

Professional organizer Alexis Lombardo says to sort and categorize any paperwork into piles and organize them in a file system. Then, place any office supplies, like pens and scissors, in a caddy organizer. Or, place supplies in the desk drawers or on shelves above the desk. Aim to tidy up your desk every day.

Section 1 of 3:

Clearing and Cleaning Your Desk

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Even if you know you'll put items back in the same place, take everything off. This includes pictures, plants, papers, diaries, your computer, etc. When it’s time to reorganize your desk, you’ll sort through this pile methodically.^{[1]
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Wipe down all surfaces with a duster and cleaning spray. Whether commuting to work or working from home, all the surfaces you touch have bacteria, which transfer to your coffee mug, phone, and computer.^{[2]
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Research source} Even if you think the things on your desk are pretty clean, giving everything a once-over doesn't hurt.
- Clean your computer screen using electronic wipes, dust all of the surfaces, dump out and wipe down desk drawers.^{[3]
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- Use compressed air to clean your keyboard or any other objects with difficult to reach areas.
- Create a water and white vinegar solution using 3 cups (710 mL) of water and 1 cup (240 mL) of vinegar to clean many surfaces or purchase a disinfectant spray of your choice.
- Surfaces include the top of your desk, the inside of your drawers, the tops of shelves, and any screens.

Section 2 of 3:

Sorting Your Stuff

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1
Go through your items one by one. Begin going through the pile from top to bottom. Don't skip over anything. Separate important things that will eventually go on shelves or in drawers.^{[4]
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- If a paper needs to be shredded or a knick-knack needs dusting, do it now. Don't wait until later.
- If it takes more than two minutes to deal with an object (for example, if the paper shredder is in another building or you'd need to buy a duster), place the object on your "to-do" list.
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Throw away trash and place recyclable items in suitable containers. Something becomes trash when you haven't used it in two years; you bought something new to replace it, or, as expert organizer Marie Kondo says, when it no longer brings you joy.^{[5]
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Research source} However, if you're unsure, place it into a designated area to revisit later.
- Shred any sensitive documents before disposing of them.
- Recycle paper, plastic, and anything else that is recyclable.
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Store objects you're unsure about. Put the pile of objects that don't belong on your desk in a box or a drawer. Store that container in a basement or closet.
- Go through that container after a month, six months, or a year. If you have yet to use something from it, throw it away. The chances that you'll ever use it are very slim.

Section 3 of 3:

Organizing Your Desk

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1
Organize things in a way that works for you. Everyone has a different way of organizing their desk and tools. Yours will depend on the kind of work you do at your desk. Whatever you do, keep the space usable and clear of distractions. A cluttered desk will negatively impact the way you work and focus.^{[6]
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Harvard Business Review
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- Ask other people who work in your field how they organize their desks. They might have valuable insights for you!
- Try different kinds of containers for different items or file folders or bulletin boards to keep yourself organized.
- If your old system wasn't working and you've kept everything in drawers, switch to shelves or hooks. If you have difficulty focusing on your computer screen, try placing everything else out of sight.
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Replace objects on your desk. Return each object from the first pile one at a time. Follow the organization labels you've created or another organization system of your choice.^{[7]
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- Try to avoid having a lot of visual distractions at your desk. Limit the amount of decorations you have so you can still focus.
- Books are best kept off your desk if possible. Have an accessible shelf where you can keep the books you need regularly.
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Keep only relevant tools nearby. If you mostly use your desk for office work, don't keep your craft supplies there. Choose a different place in your room or office to keep those things.
- If you notice certain items rarely or never get used, don't keep them at your desk.
- If there's a tool or resource you use a lot but have been keeping elsewhere, create a space for it at your desk.
- If you have a lot of tools, hang them on your wall.
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Make important tools and items accessible. You know the things that you use at your desk the most often. Keep those things close by and easy to get to. For example, an architect may want extra rulers, sketching tools, and X-acto knives easily accessible in a top drawer.
- You can choose a few important things that sit on your desk. These can include current projects or repeatedly used tools, such as a ruler or calculator.
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Use shelves. You may want to build shelves into the wall, buy them, or use shelves you already have. Place shelves above your desk or on the other side of the room if you put up shelves.
- If your desk is in a cubicle at work, you may need to set up a tabletop desk organizer.
- If your desk is in a home office or bedroom, you may want your shelves out of sight so they don't pose a visual distraction.
- Think about what will go on the shelves before you install them. Make sure they're the right size for the books or tools you plan to put on them.
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Label drawers and shelves without damaging them. By labeling shelves and drawers, you're telling yourself what goes in each place. You can make your own labels with masking tape or stickers, or you can buy more decorative labels if you prefer.
- Make sure each label is clear and specific. That way, no drawer will become a "junk drawer."
- You can use a color-coding system instead of writing words on each drawer.
- Be careful with labels. Refrain from generalizing too much; you may end up with messy drawers full of miscellaneous items.
Place a trashcan within reach to avoid throwing trash on your desk. Ideally, you want it close enough that you don't have to leave your desk. That way, there's no danger of junk creating clutter.^{[8]
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Clean your desk regularly. The more frequently you clean your desk, the easier it will be each time. Look at your desk and tidy it up at the end of each day. Throw away any trash and file away stray papers or pieces of a project.^{[9]
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- By cleaning your desk off at the end of each workday, you create a clean and usable work environment for the next day.
- Designate one day per week or month to deep clean your desk, depending on how quickly it gets messy or disorganized.

Community Q&A

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How can I decorate my shelf?

KyeKye4

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You can buy some fairy lights, paint, paper flowers, and other things to personalize the shelf just for you.

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How can I make my desk more interesting?

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You can add some decorations or put some items on it that you like: books, a plant, candles, figurines, a vase, a clock, a globe, a little bowl to keep small items in, a nice lamp - those are just some ideas. If your desk is very basic and you have a lot of plain wall space above it, you can hang a poster, a tapestry, some pictures, a cork board or dry-erase board, and/or a calendar. Just be sure whatever you put there will not distract you from your work or take up too much space.

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I have too many things on my desk. I can't get another shelf as I already have two very large ones filled. How do I organize my desk?

KyeKye4

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Try getting some storage bins or drawers to store extra desk items until you have to use them.

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The goal of a clean desk is to be a productive and healthy place for you to work. Do what feels good for you. If you need decorations and inspirational images around you to feel good, that's okay. Just make sure that you can still focus.

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Make sure you only have five erasers maximum, one pot of writing pens and pencils, and one pot of coloring pens and pencils.

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Use mason jars for storing pens, pencils, and other stationery items that will fit.

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Instead of replacing items back onto your desk, consider an alternative approach. The "As You Work" approach consists of having a bin of unsorted items next to you when you start work the following day. Retrieve items as needed from the unsorted bin and place them in empty desk spaces. Proceed with the remaining items, sorting them "as you go" until all that's left are items you don't use. From there, you can decide you want to keep these items in storage or throw them out.
If you have too many notebooks, pens, pencils, etc., use a pen holder or pencil box. This way you can also stack items on top of them.
Create a separate pile for used and unused paper to limit any confusion.

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