If your kitchen is like mine, it is Grand Central Station for your home. I know when my kitchen is organized, it is easier to find what I need, and to work more efficiently. Here are 10 simple ways to organize your kitchen.
Purge Your Cabinets
Take everything out of your cabinets and drawer. Think carefully, do you really need it all? I am almost sure you will find, there are many things you need to get rid of or donate. Put back only what you need. Place the items that you want to donate in a box and put the box by your door. On your next trip out to your vehicle, carry the box to your car, so it is ready to be dropped off.
Group Similar Items
With your cabinets empty, start to really think about the best way to group items in them. Look at the things you are keeping and arrange baking things together, serving pieces together and so on.
Think About Your Space
Next, think about the best cabinet or drawers to put those things. Drinking glasses are probably best by the sink and dishwasher. Remember, you want things to run as smooth as possible, so have your coffee maker near your mugs and your pot holders near your oven. Be mindful of this as you decide where everything you are keeping goes.
Use Clear Plastic Bins
Use clear bins and containers to organize things inside your cabinets. Small bins are perfect for containing hot cocoa packets, oatmeal packets and more. Food in tiny boxes like pudding, can be stored in clear containers, so it does not get lost among larger items.
Another food or pantry storage idea, is to use clear mason jars. You can even vacuum seal them if you have a Food Saver with a jar device.
Go Through Your Food Storage Containers
Go through your food storage containers and get rid of anything you don’t have a lid for. Organize what you have left by placing the lids in a clear plastic bin, so they can be stored vertically. If all you have is just a bunch of tired Chinese food containers with no lids, think about throwing it all out and starting with a set of quality food storage containers.
Utilize Space Effectively,
That cabinet above your refrigerator, microwave or oven can be fitted with vertical rack dividers that allow you to store cookie sheets, trays, platters and more. In my new kitchen, I chose to have these dividers built in. I can tell you, it is much easier to store cutting boards, baking pans, large platters, trays etc. I did this to the cabinet above my oven and the one over my refrigerator.
Organize Your Drawers
Pick up some bamboo drawer dividers to organize your utensils and cutlery. You can find ones that expand to fit a variety of drawer sizes. Smaller plastic bins can help you contain pens, pencils, tape scissors etc. Allow yourself only one junk drawer if possible.
Tackle Your Refrigerator
Clean out your refrigerator. Wipe down all the surfaces inside and out. Go through all your food and condiments, and get rid of anything that is old, expired, or you don’t use. Grab some plastic bins and use them to organize your food especially smaller items like juice boxes, food pouches and smaller condiments.
Another idea that can save you time is to organize items that you use to pack lunches for yourself or your kids. That way you can quickly grab things like yogurt, cheese sticks, juice boxes, fruit etc.
Finally, if you like to keep a lot of cold drinks on hand for yourself or the kids, you may want to consider getting a dedicated refrigerator for these items. The best beverage refrigerator by Danby can hold up to 120 cans and is quite compact so it won’t take up much space in your kitchen.
Get Under the Sink
Maximize your space under the sink with a 2 Tier Expandable Adjustable Under Sink Storage Shelves. This will maximize your space to store your cleaning products, soaps, sponges and more.
Hang It Up
Organize your mop, broom, dustpan and more with a hanging storage rack that you can mount to the inside of a closet or pantry door.
It is easy to organize your kitchen when you have the right tools. Weeding out the excess and organizing what you have will maximum your kitchen’s efficiency. With a streamlined and more organized kitchen you might find you like cooking and entertaining even more.
