Are Labels Really Necessary?
Some people joke about labels. Some just think they aren’t necessary. But I am here to advocate for them!
Labels can lighten your mental load. Instead of trying to remember every few months which shelf in the linen closet holds the full vs. twin sheets for the guest rooms, you can just keep thinking about the fun adventures you have planned. Instead of digging through three drawers to find the pumpkin carving kit, you can look in the drawer designated for “seasonal utensils”. Often it seems it will be easy to remember that a particular box holds vacation memorabilia, but two years later when that box is stacked with others, you may have to pull out more than one box to find the Alaska brochures.
Labels are silent delegators. If you are the only one who knows where things go in your home, you will either be overworked or frustrated. You can wait for someone to ask you where the such-and-such goes, have it left for you to put away, or add labels so they can figure it out themselves. For example, when your partner is putting away the dishes and has no idea which drawer the cherry pitter lives in, they’ll see the label “handy gadgets used semi-annually” and figure out the right answer. This is especially helpful for things that are either not used frequently or not often managed by others. It doesn’t matter who is helping or why, labels give them autonomy.
Labels hold you accountable. When you want to just drop something on a chair “for now” or throw it on any shelf where there is room, seeing that label nudges you to go ahead and put it in the proper bin. For example, leave the gloves next to you on the mudroom bench? Or go ahead and make the extra effort to put them in the labeled “gloves” bin?
Labels help you learn new patterns. When you first move or reorganize, it’s good to label your drawers and shelves with sticky notes. You have so much new input when in a new space, that having to open three drawers before you remember where to find your socks is stress you don’t need. And, you will eventually learn which switch activates which light. This usually happens through trial and error, and eventually you will start to remember which switch activates the under cabinet light vs. the overhead light. But why not speed up the acquisition of muscle memory by only practicing correctly? Go ahead and label those switches until you don’t have to think about them any more. And if you forget to take the labels off once you know which switch is which? Your guests will thank you.
Labels are critical in shared spaces. For shared spaces from church hospitality closets to short term rentals, labels make life easier for everyone. Whenever multiple people need to find things, or multiple people need to know where things go, labels are the answer.
If I have convinced you of the benefit of labeling, here are some tips:
The Brother P-Touch label makers are the best all around. Also, their tape brand both sticks better and removes better than generic brand label tape.
You can purchase pre-made labels by category. Packages of labels are usually sold by categories such as “Bathroom”, “Closet”, “Kitchen”, or “Garage”.
Labels don’t have to be fancy—a sticky note or piece of masking tape will do.
Many labels are removable.
There are hundreds of label making templates for your computer.
There are stick-on label pockets that you can slide a plain piece of paper into.
Dry erase markers work on most glass and plastics (just be careful not to erase when handling the item).
And, if you don’t have time or just don’t want to deal with the hassle of labeling you can alway just hire me to label things for you!