Great Kitchen Organization Ideas
The kitchen is the busiest room in the house and yet even with all that traffic it’s supposed to be a functional workspace in which important stuff must get done: making your family’s meals. Ensuring that all that works efficiently is no given; rather, it requires some sound organization. We hope these great kitchen organization ideas will help you with deciding how to organize your kitchen. Organizing the kitchen can be fun and functional.
Great Kitchen Organization Ideas
1. Sort through your kitchen stuff
If you’re like most households, the cabinets of your kitchen are likely packed with assorted appliances and gizmos that you haven’t used in ages. If you really want an organized kitchen, the first step is going to be exercising a little merciless triage, here. Sometimes we talk ourselves out of tossing something we really never use by reasoning that maybe we use it more than we think or at least we really will use it, sometime soon. If you’re having those kinds of thoughts, here’s a tip: put a post-it note on the item before putting it back into the cabinet, with the understanding that you’ll remote the note the next time you use the item. Mark on a calendar the six month anniversary of your big clear out. When that date comes, go back through the cupboard and no more kidding yourself. Anything that still have the post-it note on it from last time goes.
2. What about space?
Consider how much space you have and how well you’re using it. If you may have a cupboard stacked full of carefully arranged food storage containers, that’s fine, but if half a dozen of them come tumbling out onto the floor every time you reach in for something, you need a bigger space for these items.
3. Cooking requires a dedicated area
The main job usually going on in the kitchen is cooking, but a surprising number of households don’t give this essential activity the privileged space it requires. For one thing, while you’re in the midst of preparing a meal, are all the items you need within easy reach? If not, that doesn’t really make sense; it only creates additional work and inconvenience. Perhaps you’re short on counter space near the stove. That’s no need to compromise on convenience or functionality: a rack for hanging pots and pans, either on a nearby wall or even suspended over the stove can be a real boon to your culinary efforts. Dried herbs and spices should be close at hand, but not right over the stove as heat can damage them. Instead, use metal canisters placed on a magnetic board kept inside a handy cabinet. It keeps them away from heat, but easy to access, while keeping your counter clear for work.
4. De-Clutter the counters
And, speaking of keeping the counter clear, one of the keys to an organized kitchen is clutter free counters. Only store those appliances that you do in fact use daily on the counter. For many people, the toaster and a coffee maker might fall into this category. If you don’t use it daily, store it away out of sight. Some items that you do use daily, need not take up counter space: telephones and calendars, for instance, can be mounted on the wall.
5. Leftover storage made easy
Lots of kitchens have that long skinny cupboard just by the fridge. If yours does, it is a great place to store plastic bags and wraps. Quickly wrap things up and store them in the refrigerator. Containers are another matter. There are two ideal locations: first is in a cabinet near the refrigerator. You might prefer, though, a cabinet near where dishes typically end up being place after a meal. A little discerning observation of where the dishes wind up after the table is cleared can make your use of such containers far more efficient. A good tip is to use containers that are designed to stack neatly into each other so that they fit on one shelf in a cabinet. Place a tub inside the cabinet that you can to toss contaner lids into.
6. And don’t forget that space under the sink
Just because it’s out of sight, it shouldn’t be out of mind. The space under the sink, in many kitchens, just becomes a collection bin for all kinds of junk. Not only does such clutter undermine your efforts at having a beautiful functional kitchen, but if, like many people, you store potentially toxic cleaning products there, inattention to good storage practices can even be hazardous. Check into the great storage device options available for under sink shelves and drawers. They can add more functional space to an otherwise cramped cabinet and provide better access to items that you regularly use.
Organizing the kitchen takes a little thought and planning, but provides great benefits. Hopefully these great kitchen organization ideas help you decide how to organize your kitchen for the best results.