I have almost a fetish about keeping the bench neat and clean. There are only four items that have a permanent spot on my bench top: keyboard, monitor/PC, jar for pens,pencils etc., and a jar used as a small wastebasket. Everything else sits up on a shelf. Usually only one project is worked on at a time, and every project has a box that it and all its parts are stored in. Inactive project boxes are stored out of the way in a drawer or in a closet.