Secrets To An Organized Kitchen – 5 Organizing Hot Spots

The kitchen is the most used room in any household.  It is the kitchen where we make three squares a day, congregate to eat and have conversation with family and friends.  All the activity here can create an area of panic and disorganization if you are not prepared.  Here are a few tips to keep your kitchen organized.

 

Horizontal surfaces

I am a freak about keeping horizontal surfaces clear, especially in the kitchen.  There are too many small appliances available to us that compete for counter space – coffee makers, toasters, can openers, storage jars, bread baskets, etc.  Keep only those on the counter that are essential to you on a daily basis and put the rest away – especially if they are seldom used.
Too many items on your counter not only reduces the amount of preparation space you have but also makes the kitchen look and feel cluttered which can cause tension when you walk into that space.

Try this rule:  only one small appliance per kitchen counter, with a maximum of 3 in total.

Cupboards

I recently rearranged my kitchen cupboards when I realized I was crossing the kitchen too many times (and running into my husband) to get spices that were in a cupboard over the sink when they should have been closer to the stove and the area where food preparation is done.

It makes a lot of sense, quickens the access to what I need for cooking and makes it so much easier to put things away when not in use, (cleaning as you go), keeping the kitchen looking more neat and organized and operating on a more functional and efficient level.

Under the sink

Next to the junk drawer (we will get to that in a moment!) the area under the sink can be a real problem.  How many of you need to pull a few things out to get what you need, whether it is dish soap or a number of other cleansers? 

Once taken out we just open the door and push it back in!  There are a large number of methods to keep this area organized – pull out racks, shelving, bins, boxes and door mounted racks.  Most of these are affordable and easy to install yourself.

 

Junk drawers

My philosophy is not to even entertain the idea of a junk drawer.   I will acknowledge that most people feel the need for one, so if you do have one in your kitchen do not treat it as a drop off site.  Tools belong in a tool box, dead batteries need to be recycled, utensils belong in a utensil drawer and just how many pens does one need in a kitchen?

Set aside some time every couple of months and go through your junk drawer so it does not get out of hand to the point where you cannot even open it.  And you know what else?  A “junk drawer” can in fact  be an organized space if you take the time to categorize and contain items.

Utensil drawers

There are so many new utensil trays out there that keeping your utensils organized should not be an issue.  Extendable trays will fit almost any drawer and some even have two levels for paring knives and smaller tools.

I also challenge you to pare down on those cooking utensils…do you really need 5 spatulas, 4 cooking spoons, and all those fancy things you have in there that you never use? Take a good hard look at the essentials and then remove the rest.

These organizing tips are a good start to getting your kitchen organized.  If you feel overwhelmed or just don’t have the time to ability to do the project on your own, contact us here to arrange for a free telephone consultation.