Justine Harrington on July 13, 2017 0 Comments If you’re anything like most homeowners, you probably use your kitchen more than any other room in the house. Whether you’re simmering a soup on the stove for dinner, your spouse is whipping up breakfast in the morning, or the kiddos are grabbing a snack after school, it’s safe to say that the kitchen is one area of your home that sees a lot of foot traffic. Which is why keeping things organized in this room is so important! In fact, you may not even realize how stressed the clutter in the kitchen is making you… until it’s gone. By following these tips, you’ll be on the road to an organized kitchen in no time: 1) Get Rid of Excess Gadgets First thing’s first: to whip your kitchen into shape, it’s time to toss anything you don’t use. This will make it all the easier to start getting organized. One of the biggest deterrents to a clean, well-organized kitchen is the plethora of gadgets, cookware, and appliances you have, yet you never seem to use. Take the time to rifle through your drawers, and get rid of that egg slicer and the four vegetable peelers you own; go through your kitchen gadgets and don’t hesitate to immediately purge what you don’t use. In fact, here’s a helpful rule of thumb for getting rid of excess kitchen gadgets: If you haven’t used it in the last few months, it’s time to bag it up and take it to Goodwill – because you don’t need it! 2) Empty & Organize Your Cabinets Now’s the time to empty and organize all your kitchen cabinets. Begin by pulling everything out of your cabinets and pantry. Then, carefully sift through it all (but don’t put anything away just yet!) Grab a box for donations, and toss in anything you don’t want or use. Anything you forgot you had should get thrown in the box as well – you’re clearly not using it. Try to be as discerning as possible, and spend ample time going through the contents of every drawer and cabinet. Kitchens tend to be short on storage space, so you can’t afford to keep anything that you don’t truly use. Then, once you’ve completely emptied your cabinets and tossed out items you don’t need, it’s organization time! Since you should still have everything laid out on your floor or counter, this will make it easy to get organized. Before you put everything back, try to keep like-minded items together, and put everything in a place that makes the most sense – glassware above the sink, coffee or tea near your water source, etc. And, above all, keep in mind to… 3) Get Creative With Cabinet Space If you don’t have a ton of space in your cabinets, now’s the time to get creative with where/how you place things – in addition to purging and grouping similar items together. There are a few simple tricks that’ll get your far. For example, items can be placed inside casserole dishes and larger bowls, to save space. You could also turn every glass upside down, to better store stemware glasses. Try to rearrange things in a creative and useful fashion, to save as much room as possible – and make things easier on yourself. 4) Use Clear Containers Clear containers or bins are great tools for creating streamlined cabinets and pantries, or for storing items on your counters. We’re betting this tip will instantly make you feel more organized! Say goodbye to all those random tea bags and sleeves of crackers laying around – keeping everything together, in a container, will make your life 10x easier. And, by using clear containers, you can effectively cut down on the time you waste searching for items. Bonus Tip: to make things even easier on yourself, you could clearly label each container, as well. This way, you can always easily find what you’re looking for. 5) Hang Items If you don’t already, you should start hanging items in your kitchen. This tip will come in handy particularly if you live in a small space. By hanging your aprons and pot holders (or your most-used pans), you can free up space in your cabinets and drawers, and keep your countertops clutter-free. You could even hang a pegboard for utensils, or a basket for fruit. 6) Clean the Fridge We know, we know. Cleaning out the fridge isn’t exactly the most fun task. But, it’s also one of the best tasks that’s guaranteed to help you feel more organized. Start by getting out a trash bag, and toss anything that’s old or expired (no judgment; just get rid of it!) Donate any items that you don’t use. Then, why not commit to giving your fridge a deep-clean at least once per week? Trust us, this will be worth it – you’ll feel more organized, it’ll be easier to locate everything, and your fridge won’t smell like rotting food. 7) Use Drawer Dividers Drawer dividers are one of those items that every kitchen needs. If your drawers are full of haphazard utensils and junk, then it’s time to get some of these handy-dandy dividers. It’s the little things that count! An Organized Kitchen is a Happy Kitchen You may not be an organized person by nature, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t organize your kitchen. Keeping our space as organized as possible helps us to become happier, healthier individuals. And, this is especially important in a room that’s used as often as the kitchen. As you’re organizing, just keep in mind that less is always more, and efficiency is crucial. Everything you need should be within easy access, and all your tools and utensils should be within reach. The goal is to create a space that, rather than being crowded with clutter, exudes cleanliness and organization. Remember: An organized kitchen is a happy kitchen!
