3 Ways to Shred Documents Without a Shredder

It seems like every day there is a new form of fraud making headlines in the news. In an age of innovative technology, you would think that there would be ways to prevent hackers from stealing credit card numbers, personal information and even your identity. Unfortunately, there are only a small handful of programs out there that can protect your information. And even with the help of those programs, your personal information and documents are never safe in the hands of anyone but yourself.

The best way to combat the potential of the wrong person getting a hold of your information is to shred paper documents and destroy any trace of your confidential data. You can purchase a paper shredder at any office supply store, and many communities hold shredding services and events that are safe methods to dispose of your information.

Shred Documents Yourself with These 3 Methods

Burn Your Documents

If you have a safe place to burn a fire, then adding your personal and confidential documents that need to be destroyed to the flames can only make your house warmer. It’s important that if you burn your information, you allow it to fizzle out into debris, that cannot be revived or put back together. Burning is an age-old method in destroying personal information, and when done safely can be a great way to get rid of your shred pile.

Cut Your Documents

A less-safe way to destroy your confidential documents is by cutting them by hand the way that a shredder would. This method is not nearly as safe as using a shredder, shred company or a fire, but allows you to cut through information you wouldn’t want people to find in the trash. Cutting documents correctly means cutting through or ripping in a cross-cut pattern that dismantles the writing and information on your documents.

Bleach Your Documents

Another time-sensitive method to destroying your confidential information is by combining bleach and water in a bucket, and leaving your bills and documents to sit while the bleach eats away at both the ink and the paper. It’s important that you don’t do this shredding alternative around children, as the bucket may need to sit for many days, and small hands have no business getting into personal information or bleach.

The provided information is not intended for financial, tax, or legal advice. We cannot guarantee that this material is accurate, up to date, or appropriate for your personal circumstance. Consult your financial specialist, or bank associates for more information.