Bring Order to Kitchen Chaos in Four Simple Steps
Because your kitchen gets daily (and sometimes all-day) use, it should be streamlined, practical, and functioning to its utmost potential. Yet, like the attic, garage, or dark hall closet, it’s also an easy spot to avoid organizing. Fear not! Getting started is easier than you think.
TAKE INVENTORY
Remove everything from your cabinets to see what you have. Do the same with your pantry, fridge, and even cabinet tops that might house figurines and other decor.
Tip: For many, this step is the stumbling block. Tackling the entire kitchen seems overwhelming. If that’s true for you, make a goal to clean out one drawer, cabinet, or refrigerator shelf per day.
DIVIDE AND CONQUER
For every item in your kitchen, take one of four actions: keep, keep but store elsewhere, donate/sell, or trash. Ask yourself tough questions and be realistic about your kitchen abilities. How many sets of dishes do you need? Do you use that gadget enough to justify keeping it? Maybe you bought the expensive mixer and twelve-piece cake-pan set because you wanted to become an expert baker. If reality hasn’t matched your aspirations, it may be time to donate or sell expensive or oversize items. If you’re unsure about what to do with an item, determine the last time you used it and how happy you were with the result.
Tip: If you’re still having a tough time deciding what to do with an odd gadget or extra dishware, try this: Put everything in one box and write the date on it. Move the box to the attic or garage and check in after six to twelve months. Have you missed anything in the box? Did you retrieve anything during that time frame? Anything you haven’t missed or used should be sold or donated.
STEP BACK AND RETHINK
When you moved into your home, you unpacked and stocked your kitchen in the way that seemed best at the time. With more experience behind you, it’s time to rethink how it’s organized. Are the interior shelves of your cabinets adjustable? Arrange them to accommodate items of similar size. Put your most-used items on the most-accessible shelves. Use this rule in your refrigerator and pantry, too. Store rarely used or seasonal items in hard-to-reach cabinets, like those above the fridge.
Tip: Now is also a good time to assess your recipe and cookbook collection. Toss recipes that you’ve never tried or that you tried but didn’t like. Keep only the cookbooks you use often (or have sentimental value) and donate the rest. Organize recipes into a three-ring binder or scan and store them on your tablet instead.
LAY GROUND RULES TO KEEP ORGANIZED
Though rewarding, the process of decluttering and organizing can be a chore. Now that you’ve done the hard work, prevent clutter creep with a few ground rules. Do not add a new gadget, dish, pan, or serving tray unless one is taken away. Go minimalist when you can. Can you get by with four place settings? Would one pot, pan, and serving tray be enough? Figure out the least you need, and stick to that number. And finally, the old adage still rings true: Make a place for everything and keep everything in its place.
Ten Creative Ways to Tame Clutter
- Store cookie cutters on a freestanding paper-towel holder.
- Lay magazine holders flat in your freezer to create more shelves.
- Stand magazine holders on end for items such as plastic wrap, foil, and snack bags.
- Add adhesive hooks to the side of an island to hang measuring cups, dish towels, or oven mitts.
- Apply chalkboard paint to the back of a cabinet or pantry door to maintain a running shopping list.
- Adhere a sheet of corkboard inside a cabinet door and hang measuring cups and spoons with hooks or tacks.
- Add a tin sheet inside a cabinet door and use magnetic jars to store spices. These jars can also work on the side of a refrigerator.
- Replace a section of tile backsplash with pegboard and use it to hang kitchen accessories.
- Buy a file rack from an office supply store and place it vertically inside a cabinet to store baking sheets and cooling racks.
- Add a magnetic strip over your stove for streamlined knife storage.
Written by Ronda Swaney. Photography provided by chestra/iStock/Thinkstock.com, Jupiterimages/Creatas/Thinkstock.com