Sort phase · 5S Method
Home Office Declutter Checklist
The Sort phase is the first — and most important — step of the 5S method. Remove everything that doesn't belong before you organise anything. This checklist walks you through the home office Sort systematically.
The Sort rule
For every item: Is this item necessary in this room? If yes, it stays. If no, it leaves — to another room, to donation, or to the bin. If you're unsure: red-tag it (or use a box). If you haven't retrieved it in 30 days, it goes.
Do the sort in a single session. Stopping halfway leaves the room in worse shape than before you started.
Your Home Office Sort checklist
SORT · 整理 💻 Home Office
- ○ Shred or recycle papers older than 1 year (keep tax, legal, and financial records)
- ○ Remove dead pens, broken stationery, and dried-out markers
- ○ Clear the desk of everything not related to current active work
- ○ Sort through any "inbox" piles — file, action, or recycle each item
- ○ Toss outdated tech, cables without a device, old peripherals
- ○ Remove personal items that belong in other rooms
- ○ Donate or recycle books and manuals no longer referenced
Open interactive checklist + print →
The interactive version lets you select multiple rooms, add your name, and print a formatted card.
What Sort is — and isn't
Sort is
- Removing items that don't belong in the room
- Tossing expired, broken, and worn-out items
- Consolidating duplicates
- Returning items to their correct room
- Deciding — not rearranging
Sort is not
- Organising — that's Set in Order (phase 2)
- Cleaning — that's Shine (phase 3)
- Moving items around within the room
- Buying storage
- Making the room look tidy temporarily