Working in the kitchen might be stressful when navigating a sea of plastic containers or looking for a certain spice in the back of the cupboard. We fortunately have all the advice you require to organize your kitchen to its full potential.
Putting money into arranging your kitchen will improve your ability to cook and save time when preparing meals. With these 22 organizing kitchen techniques, you'll be organized in no time. Searching through cabinets might seem easier than setting aside days to clear your kitchen.
Determine Problem Areas
Consider which areas are operating effectively and which ones aren't while deciding how to organize your kitchen. Look for overstuffed cabinets, make a note of objects you frequently use but can't get out, and identify the areas you clean the most. The region underneath the sink, the utensil cabinets, and the pantry are some typical issue spots.
It's important to spend a whole day on this stage if you want to create a kitchen organizing system that works, so don't be afraid to do so.
Get Rid of Anything Not Necessary
Making a mess in order to clean it up may seem strange, but it's a necessary step in any organized process. Take everything out of your pantry, kitchen cabinets, and drawers, and throw away everything that is damaged, outdated, or superfluous.
You can reduce the amount of furniture and appliances you need to organize by taking this step. To extend the life of kitchen appliances like blenders and stand mixers, take the following actions.
Clean out the kitchen cabinets
Cleaning as you go is crucial to the kitchen organization process. Spend some time cleaning the cabinets in your kitchen and wiping everything down to make it look new.
Take advantage of the fact that your kitchen cupboards are frequently not empty enough to thoroughly clean every crevice. Additionally, by taking this precaution, you can prevent any domestic pests from invading your kitchen's storage spaces.
Pare Down Your Clutter
Now for the challenging part. Dig deeper after you've removed everything and finished the initial purge. A general rule of thumb is that if you haven't used a product or equipment in a year, it probably isn't worth keeping. Although it may be difficult, getting rid of your belongings will make your kitchen appear and feel lighter.
Consider reducing the following kitchen supplies:
The majority of people own more mugs than they really use. Throw away any mugs that are cracked or damaged, and discard the ones tucked away in the kitchen cabinet.
Pans: Do you still have the horribly burned pan you've had since college? Ignore it. Determine which pans you use frequently and find new homes for the rest.
Cups: Glass and plastic cups are simple to unintentionally accumulate over time. Get rid of them if they are difficult to stack, stained and discolored, or if they have cracks.
Kitchen appliances: If you haven't opened an appliance more than once, consider giving it to a nearby charity.
Establish Zones
Finding the proper places for specific items is an important step in the organization process. You are more likely to maintain organization if it is simple to put things back where it belongs.
Using zones is a well-liked method of partitioning a kitchen. With zones, you can group like products in the kitchen's regions where it makes the most sense to do so. For instance, keeping bowls and glassware close to the dishwasher will make it simpler to empty it after a cycle is finished.
When it comes to zone-based kitchen organization, there is no right or wrong method. For an example breakdown, see our infographic below.
Reconsider Using Your Kitchen Island
Make sure you are making the most of your kitchen island if you have one. Use portions of it as permanent storage or exhibition space rather than only using it to cook and serve meals. Keep your attractive mixing bowls out (they serve as storage and decor), stack your cookbook collection, or store your dish cloths in chic baskets. Most importantly, don't overlook washing the island while making your list of everyday kitchen cleaning chores.
Put trash bags in your trash can's bottom compartment.
Place a couple additional bags in the bottom of the trash can the next time it is empty. In that case, you can just grab and go when you need a new bag rather than looking for a new one. This advice is especially useful if your kitchen lacks space for trash bag storage but you still don't want to have to leave it every time you need to replenish the trash can.
Make Usual Items the Center of Attention
Do not be hesitant to leave these ingredients out for convenient access if you are a frequent baker or use particular spices frequently. Find a solution that makes it possible for these goods to remain accessible without getting in the way to save yourself the trouble of having to look for them. For instance, storing spices in a magnetic system can make them easily accessible at all times.
Make use of turntables
Turntables are being used to store spices, oils, and other kitchen supplies in addition to playing music. A turntable makes it simpler to reach objects that are frequently pushed to the rear of a cabinet. To easily rotate the gadget to browse your options, attach a turntable to a kitchen cabinet. For the most organization possible within your refrigerator, you may also add a turntable of a similar design.
Utilize wire or clear organizers
Bins made of clear plastic or wire are extremely popular kitchen organization tools, and for good reason. It is simpler to maintain control of your stockpile without adding duplicates or adding more clutter when you can see the things or snacks you currently have.
Additionally, by using wire or clear organizers, you may lessen the amount of clutter in high-traffic areas like your pantry and improve your ability to locate items quickly.
Make Your Storage Vertical
Having trouble finding room in your kitchen? Look upward. By constructing an assistance shelf inside your kitchen cabinets or purchasing a vertical cart, you can double the amount of space that is usable.
Additionally, think about keeping less-used equipment on top of your kitchen cupboards, where you can access them with a step stool if necessary. By doing this, you can make some room in your storage for furniture and appliances that you use frequently.
Use Drawer Dividers to Organize
In the kitchen, drawers are incredibly helpful, but without dividers, finding what you need becomes more difficult than helpful.
To create compartments for goods like utensils, cutlery, pot holders, and more, use tension rods, baskets, or drawer dividers. This advice will assist you in keeping everything in its proper location and keep your drawers from turning into a jumbled mess.
Install wire racks
It can be challenging to keep your kitchen cabinets organized, especially if you have open shelving that makes your stacks visible. Fortunately, there are many different kinds of wire racks that can help you organize your kitchen cabinets.
Use wire racks to add an additional row of spices to your cupboard, hold your Tupperware lids, stack glasses and plates, and more. Pot and pan lids stored in lower cabinets can be organized using these items in particular. If you're on a tight budget and looking for inexpensive solutions, check out your neighborhood thrift shop.
Increase Hanging Group
To attractively display pots and pans and keep them always accessible, if there is space in your kitchen, buy heavy-duty hooks and screw them into the walls or under cupboards.
Additionally, this technique frees up a few shelves, which might be valuable space in a tiny kitchen. If you want to create a storage solution that feels and looks like a professional kitchen, think about adding an overhead hanging pot rack.
Take into account adding a pegboard
Install pegboard on one of your kitchen walls or within kitchen cabinets to give kitchen staples a dedicated location, taking a cue from Julia Child's kitchen design. By doing this, you'll be able to quickly locate any missing tools or appliances and replace them. The pegboard can be painted to match the style of your kitchen, if you like.
Keep the fridge open
It's simple to overlook the refrigerator, but a well-organized refrigerator is essential to a successful kitchen. So that everyone in your home is aware of where each type of perishable food should go, you can create zones in your refrigerator, such as compartments for leftovers, sauces, fruits, and vegetables. For conveniently keeping like things and for making cleaning easier, refrigerator organizers can be very useful.
Use Your Freezer Ridges, please
Did you know that organizing your frozen goods can benefit from the ridges at the bottom of your freezer? It's true; you can use the ridges as a file system to slide thinner goods like meat trays or frozen entrees between them. When you go for your favorite pint of ice cream, these ridges can help keep things from sliding around.
Be Considerate With Counterspace
Because counter space is limited, it is important to choose carefully what goes there. By limiting the countertop in a tiny kitchen to the necessities, such as compact, everyday gadgets, you may reclaim some of the space. Cookbooks and knife blocks can take up a lot of room. Instead, think about moving these items to different parts of your kitchen, such the island or a magnetic knife strip.
Make a Cabinet That Is Kid-Friendly
Create a room just for your kids if they tend to ignore your kitchen organization plan.Designate a kid-friendly spot in a bottom cabinet for snacks, cups, lunchboxes, and storage items that can become messy without destroying other areas of your kitchen. This strategy could also give your small child a sense of independence and provide you with a little more assistance with organizing and cleaning.
Establish a Drop Zone
Even if you adhere to the greatest organizing advice for the kitchen, it is possible that this space will end up being the focal point for all excess items in the house. Embrace it rather than fight it.
Create a drop zone area in your kitchen that functions as a junk drawer for all the miscellaneous items that inevitably find their way into that space. When anything goes missing, having a catch-all area can assist keep the rest of the kitchen tidy and save you from having to search through every cupboard.
Organize Every Day
The process of organizing is ongoing. It's time to live in an orderly space, even though some of these duties require significant effort. Once your daily routine is established, you'll probably find ways to improve the effectiveness of your organization plans. You might discover, for instance, that the appliances you once believed would fit best in a drawer adjacent to the oven actually function better in a flatware holder.
The good news is that modifications may be made when you begin to prepare meals in your kitchen. Maintaining and making progress is the greatest approach to organize your kitchen for optimal efficiency.
Work with a qualified organizer
Especially in a large kitchen, organization can be a time-consuming problem. Consider hiring a local professional organizer to complete the task if you need help creating a kitchen storage design that works for your home.
The hourly rate for a professional organizer ranges from $55 to $85 on average. It will take less time to hire a professional to merely organize your kitchen than it will to have your complete home redone.
