Lost and misplaced keys are an irritating problem that nobody wants to deal with. So why don’t we do something about it?

You can start with a few Dos and Don’ts that can help you avoid the situation in the first place or at least make the key-searching process a little less stressful.

Use a key tray, key hanger, or a key bowl.

We usually have a designated space where we put our keys, but how many times do you just leave them in your pocket or your bag instead? Or maybe take them to the kitchen with your groceries…

A thing to place your keys in will make the designated place more prominent and you more likely to place your keys there.

Make copies

And then put one of those copies somewhere outside your home, just in case. Keep one at your neighbor’s or with your family, or even in your car. A quick trip there will be much cheaper than replacing the whole door lock!

Keep a second copy in your key tray (or key hanger or bowl) so you can grab it when you’re in a hurry and you don’t have time to look for your original set.

Use a Chipolo key finder

Trust us, we use it all the time! Cut your key-searching time down to a few seconds and make your misplaced keys ring from your phone.

The Chipolo key finder is a smaller key chain that will fit into any pocket. It’s round, so it won’t get caught in any hard-to-reach-corners of your bag, it’s colorful so you’ll have no trouble spotting it and best of all, it’s really loud, so you’ll have no trouble hearing it from another room!

Ask others

Do you share your car keys with your family? Then maybe you weren’t the one who misplaced them! Before you start searching in every corner of your home, ask your family if any of them used the missing car keys lately.

Don’t start searching right away

Take a moment to calm down and retrace your steps in your head. Sometimes it’s enough just to jog our memory a little bit for the answer to appear.

Don’t search haphazardly

Looking in the same place twice won’t make the keys magically appear. Think about when you last had your keys and then search slowly and methodically in that specific area. What were you wearing? Check all the pockets of your clothes and your bag or backpack too.

Don’t just go through the motions

Try to look at your surroundings from a different angle. And we mean that literally.

It’s easy to get bored just repeating the same motions you already did, in the same way. A shift in perspective will help you see things in your home in a different way and help you focus on what you are actually doing. Tilting your head or bending your knees should be enough and it will also make the key searching more fun.