I have had key issues for many years. This past year or so has been the worst though! (mostly because I've been overwhelmed by my toddler)At one point I had to call my DH and ask him to leave work to give me the spare key to my car from his keyring. So embarrassing!

I put a spring clip on my keys and clip it to my purse on the outside. Not the most fashionable look, but I know they're there. My purse goes on a hook by the door - which oddly enough was meant to hold my keys. But I always just tossed my keys somewhere instead. Now I hook my keys to my purse before I get my DD out of the car.

My main keys stay in the door on the inside; I lock the door this way.

All the other keys are divided into 3 categories:
1) Related house keys (patio doors, fence lock, spare house keys), which are each on those plastic keyrings that let you write what they're for.
2) Friends' and neighbors' house or mailbox keys (they each came with a keyring, and by now I know which neighbor's key it is--one who goes on a lot of cruises, say, put her key on a travel-oriented key ring).
3) A lanyard that has one house key, which I'll sometimes throw on if I'm walking the dog (otherwise I'll take my regular house keys, but that also has the car keys, so it can be bulky).

I use 2 carabiner clips (cheap, from Home Depot) to hold each category of keys, and I've hung the carabiners and the lanyard on 3M Command hooks inside a closet, out of sight of visitors or handymen.

I really enjoy this forum! I've been lurking here for awhile gaining inspiration from all you wonderful organizers. As for keys, I suggest either a wall-mounted key box or simpler plastic version which has a holder for a row of colored key tags. The key box is usually sold through places like Staples or Office Max and the plastic version which I have came from the Container Store. I have two rows of these holders mounted just beside our back door. I use this system for rarely used keys or for extras. It comes in so handy when I don't have to search for something that's not often used. Took awhile to identify all of those keys and label them, but now that it's done, it's a great timesaver.

I keep my car keys (four cars) and house keys (three doors plus deadbolts) on separate keyrings. I store them on a hook in my kitchen. When I leave the house, they go in my purse. When I return, back on the hook. I've lost my housekeys twice. Once I was in a fender-bender accident and got so rattled I dropped my keys on the road. Another time I lost them at a friend's house sitting on their couch. Lucky for me, I got them back both times!

We own rental property which means we have additional keys thrown into the otherwise confusing key mess. Many years ago, I began taking the mystery keys putting them in an envelope or ziploc bag, marking the current date on the outside and labeling them as "MYSTERY KEYS". I put them in one specific out of the way place (that I can remember). When I finally do run across them again, enough time has generally passed (years)that I feel confident in tossing/recycling them. At least with this method I don't have to keep looking through keys and feeling frustrated about not knowing if I should or shouldn't keep them. Out of sight, out of mind.

The secret to keeping track of anything--keys included is to put them away in the same place. Mine are kept in my purse. I always buy purses with a small zippered compartment on the front, because that's where I like to keep my keys. I have my house keys on one ring and two separate ones for DH's car and mine. I also have a rings with duplicate car keys in an inside pocket--handy if you happen to lock the keys in the car.

My son and wife keep theirs in a basket on the entryway table.

I don't have a great collection of keys as some are describing, but I'll chime in anyway.

I used to be the worst with keys...the type to set them down anywhere and walk away without even noticing I set them down. I could always stumble across them at home. My trouble happened when I'd set them down at work (the office), or...even worse...at construction job sites where I'm going in 4 different directions at once.

One day I decided I'd had enough.

My everyday keys (car, house, office, and temporary work-issued) are on the same lanyard all the time. If they are not around my neck, they are in my purse. No exceptions.

I had to work hard at forcing myself to put them on my neck at first, but after a couple months it became a habit, and now it's like signature jewelery with me...just like the pen stuck behind my ear all the time. Haven't misplaced my keys in over a decade now. Even have a couple co-workers who picked up the lanyard habit on a seasonal work-purpose basis. We laugh at ourselves, but we all agree we can't imagine life before the lanyard.

All my spare keys are kept together on 1 ring in an undisclosed location. They are not labeled because I only have 4 keys & they are quite obvious to me and the burglar who finds them. Nothing I can do or care to do about that.

IF I had extra non-everyday keys, I absolutely would label every single one. I personally would keep them all in 1 key place...all together...in that same undisclosed location.

My dad keeps his incidental keys in the rooms/functional spaces where the keys are used. Such as: boat & misc garage keys are kept in the garage. He keeps household keys (lockboxes, file cabs, spare house, etc) in the house in obvious rooms to him. I could not do that. It's easier for my brain to go to the 1 key spot, get what I need, and go from there. I refuse to go through a flowchart in my head as to what key I need = what purpose does it serve = what room do I go to.

Keep it simple.
Gayle