How to quickly find something you lost: 10 clever and practical techniques

Finding missing items isn't a matter of "looking harder." There's an art and a science to it.

Malaka Gharib is the digital editor of the NPR podcast Life Kit. Previously, she was the deputy editor and digital strategist on NPR's global health and development team, where she covered topics such as the refugee crisis, gender equality and women's health. Her work as part of NPR's reporting teams has been recognized with two Gracie Awards: in 2019 for How To Raise A Human, a series on global parenting, and in 2015 for #15Girls, a series that profiled teen girls around the world.

January 07, 2025

When I published my episode on how to find lost objects in November, people messaged me with all kinds of useful techniques to hunt down missing items.

So many of you told me to pray to St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost objects — a tip that my grandma has sworn by since I was a kid. Others had some very practical advice: Look in coat pockets, lay a flashlight on the floor (if you’ve lost a tiny object, the beam may cast a large shadow) and — here’s a good one — make sure you know what it looks like!

Here’s a roundup of advice from our audience on how to look for stuff — plus a few bonus tips from our experts. We hope this helps you quickly find whatever you’re searching for. These responses have been edited for length and clarity.

For science-backed and expert-recommended techniques to find missing objects, listen to the podcast episode above, or read the original story here.

What to do if you’ve lost a wallet

Look up your last credit card transaction, and then go to the place where you last spent the money and look around there. —Darryl Ellis, a private investigator and the head of A-1 Detective Agency in Illinois

Watch things fall as you drop them

I have trained myself to watch things fall when I drop them. If you watch a small screw fall and see where it lands and bounces, you will have no trouble finding it. If you just look at the place where the screw was supposed to go and growl and curse, expect to have trouble finding it. —Gregory Vogt

Don’t ever put it in a “special place”

The worst possible thing to do is to place something of value in a “special place” that is “easy to remember” for “safekeeping.” Ha! Definitely not recommended. —Shan Crockett

Use a flashlight

I find a flashlight to be a useful search aid, day or night. The beam forces me to focus on a limited area. It helps me see, instead of just looking. Held near the floor, it makes things shine.

A girlfriend once lost her contact outdoors, in a driveway, with snow on the ground. I waited until after dark and then quickly found the contact in a snow pile at the edge of the street. —Art Clack

Start cleaning

My mother taught me this tip: When you cannot find something, clean up and you will find it. I often find the item when I’m picking up something to put it back in its proper place. —Anne Chevalier

Check favorite hangout spots

Go to the places you hang out most and look there first. Do you have a favorite place you sit on the sofa? Look through the cushions and under and behind the sofa. Do you hang out on the patio? Look in between seats and chairs or on tables outdoors.

My youngest son is autistic and nonverbal. He wears glasses and sometimes comes up to me without them on his face. To look for them, I always go to his favorite places around my home. They might be in his bed, his sensory swing or the closet. I always end up finding them. —Naeemah Ford Goldson, executive director and founder, National Association of Black Professional Organizers

Make a mental note of something you’re likely to lose

I make a mental note when I put something down — like my keys, glasses or phone — in a place I do not usually put it. It is akin to underlining or highlighting something in writing to help make it easier to remember. —Marc R. Inver

Come back to it

Take a break from looking for your missing object and relax or do something else. Without worrying and fussing, your brain will quietly surprise you with a stored memory that will suddenly pop into your consciousness and lead you to the missing object. —Gregory Vogt

Look carefully in the most obvious place

Look in the most likely place it should be. Most of the time, it’s there. You just overlooked it. —Kelly Connolly

Make sure you know what it looks like

Numerous times, my wife has sent me to get something in the basement, and I can’t find it at first because she told me the wrong color, container or location. Make sure you know the correct characteristics, or you may easily overlook what you are looking for. —John Heinen

The digital story was edited by Meghan Keane. The visual editor is Beck Harlan. We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at LifeKit@npr.org.

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