Peter Walsh: Part 3

My husband has a hard time remembering where the keys are. I need to do better about getting a place for him to put them away. Here are some of Peter Walsh's tips to always being able to find your keys.

1. Pick one location near the door to hold your key ring while you’re at home. Practice putting keys in a basket, bowl or hook by the entry area as soon as you walk through the door so they’re easy to find. If you are having a hard time getting into the habit of using your new holding spot, write a reminder on a sticky note and keep it on the outside entry door until the habit becomes routine.
2. Slim down massive key rings. Keep only frequently used keys for entry locks, security doors and vehicles on your everyday key ring to keep it light.
3. Sort through all other keys, testing to see that they actually open something. Toss those that you can’t identify or that unlock things you no longer own.
4. Install a hook rack for keys in a handy location to hold the remaining keys, such as those for the mailbox, storage shed, bike lock, boat or neighbor’s home. Identify each key with a colored key jacket or key tag. If security is an issue, use a wall-mounted key safe.
5. Give an extra house key to a trusted neighbor for unexpected lockouts. If you have both upper and lower locks, identify which key opens which lock—or better yet, have both locks rekeyed to the same key.
6. Avoid stashing your keys in a coat pocket, as they’re easy to forget when temperatures warm up and the coat stays in the closet.
7. To avoid losing a safe deposit box key, tape it to the inside of a frequently used cabinet or drawer. Note the location within a contents file for the box, kept in your home filing system.
8. Keep an extra car key in your wallet as a backup in case of accidental lockouts.