The package arrived, and now you're sitting on the living-room floor amid a pile of paperwork and Styrofoam peanuts. Here's what you should keep.

Original Packaging

Located: In the garbage. Fish it back out.
Why You Need It: "If something turns out to be wrong with the item, this will make it easier to return," says home and office organizing expert Debbie Williams, founder of OrganizedTimes.com, in Houston. Keep it, if only for a week.

Sales Receipt

Located: If you ordered online, the sales slip should be attached to the outside of the box, or the invoice will be placed inside.
Why You Need It: "Most warranties begin from the date of purchase, so in addition to serving as proof of ownership, the receipt indicates how much time you have left on the warranty," says Brett Oleson, sales education manager for Maytag Corporation. The receipt also identifies the dealer who sold you the product, in case you forget.

Owner's Manual

Located: In a factory-sealed plastic pouch.
Why You Need It: The manual gives instructions on how the appliance works, and it usually lists the customer-service phone numbers.

Warranty Information

Located: Inside the owner's manual.
Why You Need It: If there's a warranty card attached, you may need to fill in the details, then mail it in to activate the warranty. The card also spells out your guarantee for repairs. Without it, you may need to fork over money for maintenance. Most warranties cover parts and labor for a year. If you've bought an extended warranty from the dealer, which will lengthen the original product guarantee for a period of years, keep that information too.

Model and Serial Numbers

Located: On the small white, silver, or black service label affixed to the appliance, usually in an obvious place. "Manufacturers have made a move to put labels in front, where it's easier to get to the information," says Jodi Hubbard, marketing and communications director for Electrolux Appliances, the parent company of Frigidaire. (To find out where you'll most likely find service labels, see Where to Find Appliance Model and Serial Numbers.) Usually the model number comes first, followed by the serial number. Both are typically a series of letters and numbers, 7 to 16 characters long.
Why You Need Them: A model number identifies by brand the kind of appliance you have, like an Amana Radarange. The serial number is the individual fingerprint of the appliance. It tells the manufacturer things like the day the product was built, when it left the factory, and the kind of replacement parts needed. "I'd say only about 40 percent of customers have this information when they call, and this inevitably slows down the repair process," says Manny Ortega Jr., owner of Ortega's Appliance Service Today, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Tip: Put written records of any quirks or problems as they arise in your owner’s manual. "These records are helpful," says Ortega. "I like to know if there is a history of a problem."