“The more you know, the more you can create. There’s no end to imagination in the kitchen” – Julia Child
Over the years, the definition of a kitchen has changed. Today, it is no longer a place where meals are cooked, or the food is stored. It has come a long way, and now, the kitchen has become a part of the house where all the family members sit together and spend time having meals, discussing ideas and life. It has become a part of the living room. Your kitchen might also have a sitting area for entertainment, or it could have a workspace near it.
A kitchen is the most active area of the house. It sees the sudden cooking sprees, heartfelt conversations between family members, unplanned house parties, and much more.
It is essential to keep the most active space of the home clutter-free, and that should not take much effort.
Organizing kitchen space is easy and a fun activity. Let us see how you can declutter your kitchen space.
- How Do You Utilize Your Kitchen?
The kitchen is much more than a cooking or food storage space. It’s a multi-functional place that’s usually found in your living room.
To organize your kitchen, start with taking into account all of the roles that your area serves. For example, a sitting room off the kitchen area would be ideal for entertaining. Is there a part of your kitchen that you use as a workstation? To ensure that your kitchen organization matches your family’s needs, note how you use the space.
Here’s how you can revamp your kitchen space:
Make a storage space for products that are utilized for entertaining. Get a convenient place for your belongings, such as a bottle opener and liquor bottles, coasters, and serving trays, so that you can welcome your guests in no time.
Keep tablecloths and napkins in an easy-to-reach spot; if your dining room and kitchen are connected, you can easily use them to set up the dining table.
Have popular games in a nearby cabinet, or keep a basket with pencils, pens, and notebooks handy if your kitchen sink is frequently used as a game or homework area.
- Have a Logical Approach to Organize Your Kitchen
Before you start organizing your kitchen space, analyze how you will use it and for what purposes. Keep your emotions aside while decluttering and do what is logical.
Do not buy stuff that is not needed and eliminate everything that doesn’t have a clear function.
Ensure that you:
Place your most commonly used tools and appliances in a separate area.
Detect and avoid replication of tasks
Decide which functions can be discarded or avoided
Get rid of old, broken, or rusted things. This helps to create space in the kitchen and thus in better organization.
3. Proper Placement of the Essentials
There are a few essential items in every kitchen that are used regularly to prepare and eat meals. Keep the things you use the most in easy-to-reach spots to avoid throwing everything out of the path and having easy access to when you need them urgently and frequently.
Store the food in one spot, cups in the other, and similar preparation utensils together to make it as easy as possible to find your favorite products. This not only speeds up the meal preparation process but also improves kitchen aesthetics.
4. Sort Cabinets into Categories to Improve Kitchen Organization
Choose the logical placement of the products. Keep the dishes, cups, and mugs in the logical places where you can see them daily and use them. Put the products of the similar and same category together so that the user becomes easy.
Will I actually use the pots that do not have matching lids?
Will I use those kiddie dishes and cups again? If no, then I shall discard them.
Which products I can donate so that some space might be created in the kitchen.
Minimalism is the new trend. Keep simple and useful things in your kitchen. Discard the things that take up space and are of no use actually.
- Utilize the Shelves Effectively
Now that you have discarded the irrelevant items from your kitchen and organized the space strategically, you can utilize the empty shelves effectively. Open shelves help to display everyday dishes. You can also use them to keep cookbooks, premium olive oils, and wildflowers, and many other things.
To eliminate any dirt, oil, or filth, wash these ledges at least once a month.
If you don’t have sufficient space for an above-shelf unit, try to free up some space on the shelves you already have.
- Make the Most of the Available Space
If you have deep storage drawers, roll-out shelves, or a swing-out pantry, organizing your kitchen will be a breeze. And don’t worry if you don’t have these creative storage solutions in your kitchen. It is easy to find storage solutions that make your life simpler.
You can go with cabinet inserts that will help give you more storage space. Cookware organizers make it easy to find the right pan and a tiered storage rack helps keep everything organized and visible.
- Keep a Check on the Stored Food Items
Improper storage of food creates a mess in the kitchen. Storing expired food creates a mess in the storage space and can have harmful effects on the body if consumed.
Cleaning out the fridge and pantry in the same manner as the cupboards and drawers is a good idea. Make it a point to create a clutter-free food storage area with only the items you’ll use.
All foods ought to have their labeling and expiry date verified, and anything outdated, fuzzy, or odorous should be discarded. If you tried something once and didn’t like it or don’t plan to use it for cooking, give it to someone who can use it.
- Plan for Seasonal Storage
You do not need a biscuit tin that you can only use during the Christmas week. Keep the festive dishcloths, serving plates, or dishes in a separate storage unit rather than in a space useful for storing daily usage items.
Clean and wash these items once in a while so that they do not get spoiled. Take them out before the holiday season. Seasonal items left out in the kitchen space can lead to kitchen cluttering.
- Discard What is Not Useful
Your kitchen counter can get cluttered with the utensils and equipment you thought you would never use but end up using while cooking. Keep this stuff in a separate space because you still might want to use them occasionally only.
Keeping old equipment is not a good idea. Get rid of the old equipment as quickly and efficiently as possible. You can sell these items on Craigslist, eBay, or LetGo. Send most of your tools to your culinary pals or donate them to a small business that might need them.
- Kitchen Organization
Your kitchen will not stay orderly on its own. It is your responsibility to provide it with the care and attention it regularly needs to function correctly and look appealing. Remember all of the principles you utilized throughout your massive cleaning project and apply them daily.
Create a checklist and stick that on the fridge or a noticeable cabinet door. You can also download a to-do application on your mobile phone, but make sure you declutter your kitchen daily.
It is Never Too Late to Start Decluttering Your Kitchen!
There might be times when you would look around the kitchen and think about leaving it that way and going to sleep after a long, tedious day. But, keeping your kitchen neat and clean is important. A kitchen is a space where you not just cook, but your family’s emotions live. Your kitchen forms a part of the living area, where you have your meals, discuss and have family conversations.
It might be an extra task for the day, but ensure you keep your kitchen counter clean for the next day and your cutlery organized so that you do not have to rush looking for it early in the morning.
Keeping your kitchen organized is simple. Just put the above tasks in your checklist, and there you go!
