Edit Article

How to Keep Your Binder Clean and Organized

Community Q&A

Starting school is tough enough without having to deal with a messy binder. Some of us have experienced our binders falling apart in the middle of the school and all of the papers flying out. In order to keep a well-kept binder, you must be organized. This will help you prepare for class and study better. Here's a quick guide to keeping your binder neat and organized.


  1. 1
    Decide how many binders you will have. Will you have one per subject? Or one for everything? You could have a few subjects per binder (e.g. French, Spanish and German in one, Biology, Physics and Chemistry in another etc).
  2. 2
    Choose a binder that is right for you. If you often rip paper out of your binder and do not bother to put hand-outs in their appropriate place, buy a binder that can zip up. This prevents the papers from falling out.
  3. 3
    Find a binder with pockets. Always try to choose a binder that has pockets on the back of the front cover, and the front of the back cover. Also label your binder with printable labels or the strips of paper included.This is good for emergencies or small papers that are not hole-punched. Just stick them in the pocket and organize them when you get home. If not, the papers may fall out and you forget where you put them, or they might get lost.
  4. 4
    Use dividers. Keep your binder organized by having dividers so that you know where everything is. If you have dividers, finding a specific sheet of paper will be much easier, and will save you time when you need it to study or lend out some lined paper to a friend. You should have dividers for:
    • Handouts
    • Notes
    • Different subjects
    • Blank paper
    • Lined paper
    • Essays or Projects
  5. 5
    Label your dividers. Try buying dividers with tabs that stick out of the sides. They may be numbered or have little blank labels. Write on the labels so you can easily figure out where something is.
  6. 6
    Hole-punch all of your papers. Always hole-punch sheets right away if they are not already hole-punched, and then put them in their proper place as soon as you get them. This will save you a lot of time, instead of stuffing the paper in and wasting time finding it later.
  7. 7
    Put everything away before class ends. Do not leave the class without putting all of your notes and handouts in their proper places.
  8. 8
    Have an organizational session every week. Once a week, sit on your bed, couch, or chair and flip through your binder. Take this time to organize anything that seems messy.
  9. 9
    Avoid ripping pages out of the binder. Do not rip paper out of your binder, because the paper will not be able to stay in the rings and may fall out. If you do find yourself ripping out paper very often, have lots of re-enforcements on hand so you can repair the paper.
  10. 10
    Get some plastic folders. It's great to have one plastic folder in every binder to put your homework in. That way, you can put your homework assignments from each class in there and know what you need to work on when you get home. You could also keep anything you have to study in a separate plastic folder.
  11. 11
    Use a title page to keep the binder neat.
  12. 12
    Do not write on your folder, because it will look dirty or tacky.
  13. 13
    Write the date on every page you get. Just in case the binders rings fall apart, write the date on every piece of paper you get to keep organized and know the order of everything you have studied. This will really help you when you need to study or review (or if your binder falls apart)
  14. 14
    Stay neat and follow these steps. A healthy binder leads to healthy studying!

Community Q&A

    Ask a Question
    200 characters left


    • You shouldn't have a binder that's bigger than you're willing to carry around everywhere. It's a pain to keep trying to put a huge binder in your backpack. Don't buy anything that's larger than you need it to be--binders come in all sizes, so take advantage of your options.
    • You can also get a fabric covered binder, as those are durable and long-lasting.
    • Avoid writing on notes, which might confuse or distract you.
    • Buy a good, 2 inch (5.1 cm) binder (or bigger if you need it) to begin with and buy dividers as soon as you get the binder
    • Use plastic sleeves to keep papers of the same topic together so it is easier to find what you need.


    • Don't throw out anything you'll need - teachers really won't be impressed.
    • Don't work on your binder once a week for the first month and then forget later in the year. Even cleaning out once a month helps!
    • Be careful when opening and closing the binder`s rings. Do not open and close while looking away; your finger might get stuck.
    • Do not rush things with papers, because paper cuts hurt!
    • Marker pens can be poisonous - if you draw on your folder, don't store your lunch with it.

    Article Info

    Categories: School Binders Books and Folders

    In other languages:

    Español: conservar tu carpeta limpia y organizada, Русский: содержать свою рабочую тетрадь в чистоте и порядке, Italiano: Tenere il Proprio Raccoglitore Pulito e Ordinato, Português: Manter Seu Fichário Limpo e Organizado

    Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 55,185 times.

    Did this article help you?