10 tips for better organizing your kitchen – Home organization

Organizing the kitchen is not easy. Between utensils, dishes, appliances, your kitchen ends up being cluttered. However, with well-thought-out space optimization systems and home organization, you can have the organized kitchen you dream of.

Follow us, through this step-by-step guide to simple storage solutions and organization tips for any situation, so you can get your whole kitchen tidy again. Without further ado, here is our ultimate guide to organizing your kitchen.

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Tip #1: Start by thinking about how your family uses the kitchen

Today's kitchen is not just for storing food and cooking. It is often part of your living space and is a multifunctional space.

Think about all the functions of your space. You may have a sitting area next to the kitchen that is very convenient for entertaining. Is part of your kitchen used as a workspace? Write down how you use this space to make sure your kitchen organization meets your family's needs.

Here are some common kitchen uses you can think of:

• Create a place to store items used for entertaining. Whether it's a bottle opener, wine glasses, coasters, or serving trays, choose an accessible place for your things so it's easy to accommodate friends and family.

• If your dining room is combined with your kitchen, keep placemats and napkins somewhere easy to reach so little hands can help set the table while you cook.

• If your kitchen island is often turned into a playground or homework area, store your favorite games in a nearby cupboard or have a bin with easy-to-grab pencils, pens, and notebooks.

Tip #2: Adopt minimalist thinking

Make an objective assessment of the entire space. Forget the feelings attached to the objects you have kept for all these years and think seriously about what you use regularly.

Be inspired by minimalists, people who do their best not to acquire more than they need and to get rid of everything that has no reason to exist. Apply this logic to your kitchen:

• Set aside your most used tools and devices.

• Identify duplicates.

• Determine which single-function items can be replaced or discarded.

• Throw out old, broken, rusty, or hopelessly dirty items.

This will give you a starting point to develop a plan of attack to organize your kitchen space.

Tip #3: Declutter drawers

As you rearrange the items you use the most to keep the kitchen organized, you'll inevitably encounter drawer clutter, including the ubiquitous 'junk drawer'. Take this opportunity to rid the drawers of this mess as part of your overall cleaning strategy.

If you have to pop to the store for some cheap drawer organizers, do it. These simple plastic or wood inserts can turn even the messiest drawer into a tidy space. Grab one for silverware and another for everyday items like tape, ties, and rubber bands.

Some utensils take up too much space when stored in drawers. Large items like ladles and potato mashers are best kept on a wall rack or simple suction cup hooks stuck to the side of a cupboard.

Tip #4: Make the most of your storage space

If your kitchen has deep storage drawers, rolling shelves, or a swing-out pantry, organizing your kitchen will be a breeze. But don't panic if your kitchen doesn't have these storage tips. You can easily find perfect kitchen organization solutions that will make your life easier.

Shelves can be used to create additional storage space, kitchen utensil organizers make it easy to grab the pan you need, and a tiered organizer keeps things visible and organized.

Tip #5: Focus on ease of use

Every kitchen has a few key components that are used to prepare and eat meals regularly. Put the items you use the most in easy-to-reach places to avoid throwing everything away to reach the bowl you need. Remember the old rule: “Birds of a feather flock together”, an essential philosophy when it comes to storage solutions.

Make it as easy as possible to find your favorite items by storing dishes in one place and cups in another, and putting similar prep tools together. This not only speeds up meal prep and table setting but also improves the look of your kitchen.

Tip #6: Categorize cabinets for better kitchen organization

Following the “it goes together” rule, go from drawers to cabinets. Choose logical locations for plates, glasses, and cups, and place all similar items together. By organizing in this way, you will discover objects that you have not seen for years. If you find something you don't remember using, consider the following questions:

• Do you need or even want promotional items from companies you rarely do business with?

• Will you be using children's dishes and cups again?

• Is there a reason to keep lids without matching jars?

• What items can be donated or given away to free up cabinet space?

This allows you to stay in a minimalist mindset and get rid of items you have no reason to keep without having the nagging feeling that you might use them at some unpredictable time in the future.

Tip #7: Optimize the space of your shelves

Now that you've sorted through most of the huge amount of items in the kitchen, you should have a good idea of ​​which ones to keep. It's time to turn your attention to the shelves and see how best to organize this space in your kitchen.

Open shelving creates a feeling of light and space and gives you a place to showcase your daily dishes when not in use. Add decorative and functional items like cookbooks, gourmet olive oils, and flowers for an eye-catching display. Be sure to give these shelves a good wipe down at least once a month to remove any dust, grease, or dirt.

If you don't have room for an open shelf, make an effort to clear out the space on the shelves you have. Use potted plants or small appliances to separate large groups of items and improve appearance.

Tip #8: Think about countertops

Your countertop can make a big difference in how you feel in your kitchen. Tidy counters make it easier to prepare food and cook meals, and reduce the risk of accidents. They also enhance the visual appearance of the space.

These kitchen organization tips can help you tidy up your countertop:

• Clean the sink and counter as soon as possible after preparing meals.

• Store containers of flour, sugar, and other dry goods in cupboards or the pantry.

• Consider removing knives from large wooden blocks and putting them in drawers.

• Store small appliances, like the toaster, when not in use.

If you can't afford to put everything out of sight, consider fitting as much as possible on the counter. So the area looks less cluttered and you have more space to work on when cooking.

Tip #9: Review your food items

Food is essential, but storing it improperly or storing aging items can create clutter and make it harder to find what you need. Approach the refrigerator and pantry with the same mindset as cleaning cabinets and drawers. Make it a goal to create an uncluttered food storage space, containing only items that you will use.

Check the labels and expiration dates on all foods, and throw out anything that's expired, fuzzy, or smelly. Throw away products you've tried once and don't like or don't plan to cook again or give them to someone who can use them. Plan your meals to use up the small amounts of ingredients lying around in jars, bottles, and bags, and take the opportunity to replace processed foods with healthier ones.

Tip #10: Make organization part of your routine

Creating a daily routine for kitchen organization is essential. Letting small messes pile up only makes the situation worse and makes cleanup more difficult later on.

A few simple habit changes can make a big difference:

• Clean the sink before food debris settles in it.

• Empty the dishwasher as soon as the cycle is finished.

• Go through your mail immediately instead of throwing it on the kitchen counter.

• Combine duplicate ingredients in a single container.

• Wipe down all surfaces after preparing meals or snacks.

The fridge can be a particularly scary place to clean if you haven't given it the proper attention. You don't want your home fridge to turn into a mirror image of the shared fridge at the office, full of unidentifiable overflows and expired food.

Set aside time every two weeks to clean your refrigerator, including drawers and shelves. Throw out expired food, repackage anything that leaks, and make an effort to organize items as you put them back after cleaning.

Kitchen organization bonus tip: Break the project down into manageable steps.

Looking at the entire kitchen and all the accumulated clutter, you may feel like giving up and raiding the freezer for a pint of your favorite ice cream. While the mess built up over the years takes time to sort out, it doesn't have to be so overwhelming that you can't get on with it.

If organizing your kitchen seems like an insurmountable challenge, why not divide the task into short periods of activity? Choose one task or area to focus on each day, and set aside time to do it. Even if you empty only one cupboard or clean only part of the refrigerator, you will do more than before and you will noticeably improve the appearance of your kitchen.