Hasta La Ideas

Since the kitchen is one of the most used spaces in many homes (that’s certainly true for mine), it can get chaotic quickly. Still, keeping it organized can be a relatively easy thing to do. It’s likely to be the one room that has the most cabinets and drawers for storing often used items. As a result, it will be easier for you to designate specific cabinets for specific purposes (e.g. baking, cutting boards, spices). That’s not to say that your kitchen will look pristine every day, but you can create a plan to maintain your space that will help you keep it looking neat and uncluttered on a regular basis. The following five steps will help you to get started.

Put things away immediately

You’ve probably heard that you should put things away instead of putting them down. This rule of thumb works well in the kitchen, particularly when you cook often. Putting your kitchen gadgets back where they belong straight away means that you’ll find them easily and quickly the next time you need to use them. Be sure that you designate a drawer (or section of the kitchen) for those items that you tend to reach for frequently. Even if the items are not similar to each other (they don’t all perform similar functions), but you use them in sequence with each other, keeping them together means that you won’t have to search or dig through drawers looking for them.

Organize and clean as you go

There’s no need to wait for a special day to clean and organize your kitchen (though it is helpful to have a day of the week to specifically focus on the kitchen). Use a small block of time or even walk-by moments to remove things that don’t belong or to put away items that didn’t make it back to their storage spot. And, if you have broken items or things that no longer function as intended, remove them immediately. (Are you really going to repair it and will it still work the way you need it to after it’s fixed?)

Keep your utility drawer organized

Your utility drawer can be a functional space that houses things you need (though not necessarily every day) without becoming a junk drawer. And, while it can be tempting to put things in the drawer that you don’t know what to do with, doing that consistently will fill the drawer with potentially useless items. Carve out some time to sort through papers and non-kitchen items instead of filling up your utility drawer with clutter.

Use easy-to-store gadgets

Storing your stuff shouldn’t be like trying to complete a puzzle. Make it easy to do by purchasing collapsible gadgets and tools, like colanders and graters. You’ll get the same function from those items and not have to worry so much about how or where to store them.

The website Quirky.com has created a set of compact collapsible tools that fold and store flat. They’re still in the production phase but you can find similar products at your local housewares store or online.

Image credits: Quirky

Keep your most used appliances accessible

If there’s a small appliance that you’re not using on the counter, consider moving it to a lower cabinet and put those that you use all the times in an accessible location. You might also want to keep those appliances close to the area that you’ll use them. For instance, it would be helpful to keep your stand mixer near the cabinet with your baking supplies.

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