First, create an index that includes each appliance's model and serial numbers, along with the manufacturer’s phone number (see Home Appliance Information You Need to Keep). Next, staple the receipt and warranty information to the cover of each product's manual. Store all the information using one of the following methods, with the index as the first page.

Three-Ring Binder

Buy one with pocketed dividers (for receipts and manuals), and label each divider by room, says Donna Smallin, author of The One-Minute Organizer Plain & Simple (Storey Publishing, $10, www.amazon.com).

File Drawer

Sort the information by product inside individual manila folders. Then "file all the paperwork in hanging file folders, organized by room," says Smallin. In the section labeled kitchen, store all the paperwork for the refrigerator, stove, etc.

Resealable Plastic Bags

Label each bag by appliance. "You don't have to open them up to see what's inside, so you can sort through the information quickly," says organization expert Debbie Williams. Store them in a plastic snap-top tub, and place it under the bed or on a closet shelf.

Envelopes

Store paperwork by product inside sturdy 8 1/2-by-11-inch envelopes. Organize them — in a drawer or a wall pocket — in order of what may require frequent servicing (perhaps the computer), followed by appliances less likely to break down.

Tip: When you toss out an old appliance, toss out its paperwork at the same time.