Home
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What is a Key Organizer?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Lost keys are irritating and take up time as people try to find them. This can be costly if the keys needed are those to gain access to certain rooms in a business. One solution is the key organizer, which can come in several different forms and sizes. These are a great way to keep any unused keys stored in a known location so they are ready for use as needed, and the different sizes available make these great choices for homes and businesses.

A common key organizer type for home use is a simple rack, made of various materials like wood or plastic. It can be mounted on a wall near a door entrance and it features several pegs. This allows people to immediately hang their keys for the home or for cars when they come in the door. The pegs may be large enough to accommodate things like dog leashes too, or some people have a mounted coat rack on which they’ll hang their keys. The only trouble with using a coat rack instead of a key organizer of this type is that keys may be lost under lots of heavy coats, and obviously the coat rack takes up more space.

A skeleton key.
A skeleton key.

Another type of organizer that can be used to hold keys is a charging valet. This is usually an open box that can sit on a shelf or desk and has sectioned areas to store keys and common handheld electronic devices. The advantage is that many people come into a house with things like keys and cellphones or PDAs, and need a place to put them where they won’t get lost. Moreover, with organizers like the charging valet, people can set down their electronic devices and charge them as needed so they’re ready to go for the next use. If charging isn't needed, people may simply choose wall mounted boxes with a few small shelves or holding devices where keys can be placed in between uses.

Combinaiton locks can be used to secure a key organizer.
Combinaiton locks can be used to secure a key organizer.

When people must keep a lot of keys in a designated area they may choose a wall mounted key organizer that looks like a cabinet, and may be made of materials like metal, plastic or wood. The inside of the cabinet has numerous pegs upon which to hang keys. This can be a great choice for businesses where there are many key entry doors and where employees share keys, and then must return them.

Mounted wall racks are among methods used to keep keys in one place to prevent losing them.
Mounted wall racks are among methods used to keep keys in one place to prevent losing them.

Number of pegs varies and those shopping for a key organizer should determine how many hanging spaces are needed to store all keys. Length of the pegs may be a consideration too, as sometimes people need to store duplicate keys on the same pegs. Another to thing to think about is space in between the pegs for labels. These can help truly organize the keys since people will know exactly which peg each key should occupy. Some key cabinets also need a key to open or have combination locks so that access to the cabinet is limited to certain employees.

Key organizers can be found at some office supply stores, at a few home improvement shops, at shops that make keys, and online. It can be a little frustrating to search for them online because there is also key organizer software, which can be used in very large businesses to map key systems and determine who currently possess keys, and who has access to them. Furthermore a key organizer can also mean the chief organizer of an event. This can make online searching for a home or business physical key organizer difficult since all definitions of the term will show up quickly in search results.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • A skeleton key.
      A skeleton key.
    • Combinaiton locks can be used to secure a key organizer.
      By: Mark Aplet
      Combinaiton locks can be used to secure a key organizer.
    • Mounted wall racks are among methods used to keep keys in one place to prevent losing them.
      By: Andy Dean
      Mounted wall racks are among methods used to keep keys in one place to prevent losing them.