How to Destroy Important Documents without a Paper Shredder

If you don't have a paper shredder then you've probably accumulated a pile of documents that you don't want to throw away because they contain your personal information.

This is smart; you shouldn't just throw away anything with your social security number, your credit card information, your bank statements, or anything else someone can use to steal your identity or your property. But then again, you don't necessarily want a pile of important documents piled up in the corner of your house either.

The easiest thing you can do to destroy your documents is to purchase a paper shredder. But this can be expensive, especially if you decide to get a good one. If you purchase a cheap paper shredder it might not even make it through your first pile of junk mail before it overheats.

Luckily, there are other ways to destroy your important documents without having to shell out a couple hundred bucks for your own paper shredder, and most of the other ways are free too!

Instructions

1. Soak It

   If you soak your documents in water then you'll render it impossible for someone to shuffle though your papers. You can rip them up a little bit, through them in a bucket or a trash bag, and just set the hose on them. By getting them good and wet they will become so soggy that they'll stick together and fall apart if you pick them up. Even when they dry they'll still be worthless to anybody trying to snoop around because they'll be looking at an illegible mess.

2. Burn it

   Fire can destroy anything, including your documents. But with fire you've got to be careful because you don't want to burn down anything you didn't intend to. The best thing you can do with your junk mail is to use it as kindling. For instance, if you've got a barbeque that burns charcoal you can twist up your old documents, place them under the charcoal, douse your coals in lighter fluid, and set to fire with a match. The twisted paper will actually help keep the charcoal from burning out. It's a win-win situation. If you want to burn your documents on a larger scale you can use them as kindling for a bon-fire. They'll be gone in no time.

3. Wood Chipper

   This might be a little far fetched but that doesn't mean it wouldn't work. If you've got a wood chipper handy you can through your documents in there with some yard waste and the next thing you know you'll have some mulch for your garden, and your documents will be gone.

4. Take it to the office

   If you work for a company that shreds a lot of their own documents then they've probably got a paper shredding service that comes by your office, or an industrial strength paper shredder on site. All you've got to do is locate your office shredder and go to town. If your office works with a paper shredding company then you'll have to locate the giant, locked-up bins that get picked up every week. Just dump all of your documents in there and they'll be as good as gone.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful with your information. It's easy for someone to steal your identity and once that's done it's difficult for you to get things back to normal.