A filing cabinet is not a strange item to those who work as a white-collar at all. It is also a familiar piece of furniture in many households. What it offers as either a piece of furniture or an office item would be revealed in the upcoming sections.
In this article, you are going to go through what benefits a filing cabinet has, as well as the shortcomings, and how to preserve it for the longest lifespan.
1. What Is A Filing Cabinet?
A filing cabinet is sometimes mistaken with the term "filing cabinet". It is common for anyone to get confused by these two-word phrases. A filing cabinet is an item for paper storage in the office. You can easily catch sight of such items in any office because they are regarded as one of the most crucial supporters.
The major function of filing cabinets as aforementioned is to store documents in the form of hard copies. However, we believe that there are more uses of filing cabinets you can take advantage of. In the following section, we would go further into the benefits of filing cabinets.
2. What Are The Benefits Of A Filing Cabinet?
Here comes the major part of the whole article - the benefits of a filing cabinet. Also, since we would discuss the advantages of this item, the drawbacks of it will be revealed in the next part as a fair reminder for our audience.
Space-efficiency
This is definitely the first and foremost benefit of a filing cabinet. As we all know, cabinets are usually designed as multi-level items, which allows them to store more and take less space. As a result, it leads to excellent space efficiency. Filing cabinets are highly recommended for space-limited apartments or offices. Thus, if this is your case, purchasing a filing cabinet is not a bad option at all.
Various Storage Capabilities For Users
If your usage demands for a filing cabinet are not too massive, you can easily search and find a compatible item, and the case is vice versa. There are two major types of filing cabinets on the market currently, including drawers and double swing doors. Each type will be appropriate for certain storage capabilities. For the two groups, there are smaller divisions, which refers to sizes. That is why you would benefit from the excellent flexibility of this product.
Prolonged Lifespan
Most of the filing cabinets available now for shoppers are made of steel, wood, or other metal types. It is the explanation for why they are so durable, and as you purchase a filing cabinet, it is likely to serve you a lifelong. This is another benefit of filing cabinets when consumers shop for them. The durability brings one more advantage with it is that the money spent on the filing cabinet is absolutely worthwhile, or we call it of incredible monetary value.
Piece Of Furniture
We have mentioned that filing cabinets are widely used among offices because of their function of storing documents in the form of hard copies. But apart from this basic function, filing cabinets are usable as a piece of furniture.
This is explained through their modern designs. Most cabinets of this type follow the rules of minimalism and modernization, adding a vibe of up-to-date to your living space. They can also be used as a stand for other ornaments around the house and still do their primary role of storage items.
Capability to Handle Heavy-duty Tasks
Since most filing cabinets are from durable and solid materials, which include wood and several metal types, they have the ability to handle the most heavy-duty tasks. Some of them can store up to hundreds of kilos, depending on the size. But even the smallest filing cabinet can have an impressive capacity.
Personal Customization
Strange as it may seem, filing cabinet personal customization is feasible. It would be great news for people who are looking for a cabinet for individual usage. The personal customization feature is favored by many shoppers for its sense of individuality. They can use a personalized filing cabinet either at work or at home.
Fire Resistance
Another benefit of the filing cabinet is fire resistance. For this one, the safety level for your document has been going up. Although the fire does not always occur in office buildings, it is still a must-have feature of the filing cabinets, in general. This is explained through the safety guarantee for the unexpected dilemmas of a fire breakout.
Excellent Security For Lockable Filing Cabinets
The last benefit of filing cabinets for shoppers is an outstanding security level but this only applies for lockable filing cabinet users. For lockable users, this is such great news to hear. As you have a lockable filing cabinet, security issues would no longer be yours.
The cabinet itself has provided a pretty comparative security level, even though it is not the highest rate to satisfy us, but it is quite adequate. The lockable filing cabinets, on the other hand, are wonderful items for the aspect of security for users.
3. Drawbacks Of Filing Cabinets
Every item has its benefits and shortcomings, and we believe the filing cabinets are no exception in this situation. But in the case of filing cabinets, we think the shortcomings cannot overcome the values they offer you as a supporter whether at home or workplace.
Not So Great Security For Non-Lockable Filing Cabinets
As we have brought up, the security level of non-lockable filing cabinets reaches a certain milestone, but it is not satisfying enough for most users. As they are always in the state of being unlocked, essential documents can be taken out and put back on without any hardship. Nonetheless, it is not difficult at all to find a lockable filing cabinet these days. Consequently, this should not be a huge concern to anyone.
They Might Be Hard To Move Around
One more drawback of the filing cabinets is that they can be hard to transport due to their sizes and material used to manufacture. The more capacity is likely to equal heavier weight. Hence, you should consider this factor when choosing a filing cabinet for individual use.
4. Tips For Filing Cabinet Users
Finally, we would love to share some tips to maintain your filing cabinet. Better maintenance will come with greater longevity. Therefore, here are three simple ways to keep your filing cabinet in ideal conditions.
Frequent Cleaning Is Advisable
First and foremost, do not forget to clean your filing cabinet. The suitable cleaning time should be once every week to keep your cabinet in the best condition. A clean filing cabinet would make the whole storage thing more pleasant for users, and maintain the hard copies in a better storage environment.
Prevent Your Cabinet From Direct Exposure To Harsh Weather Conditions
The second thing you should pay attention to is not to leave your filing cabinet to have any direct contact with harsh weather conditions like rain or extreme sun. Constant exposure to harsh weather can be detrimental to your filing cabinet.
Keep Them High And Dry
Last but not least, the final rule of these basic methods to maintain your filing cabinet's longevity is to keep it in a high and dry place. You may want to place it in the corner of the room or against the wall. These are common but effective places to locate your filing cabinet.
Conclusion
To sum up, the benefits of filing cabinets are undeniable. They are, in our point of view, must-have items for office and home. When using a filing cabinet, remember to clean it frequently, keep them off harsh weather conditions, as well as locate them in high and dry places.
