Tips for Organizing Your Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the home; not just for cooking but for socializing over a cup of coffee or tea with family and friends. It is also very easy to end up with excess kitchen clutter which means you eventually start dreading every day tasks such as meal planning and food preparation. If kitchen clutter has got you down then here are some tips for organizing your kitchen.

For starters you want to start purging your kitchen of things that you don't use. Often over time we end up with excess utensils and storage containers that are seldom used not to mention big bulky appliances such as bread makers that may have been used once or twice then forgotten about. A good rule of thumb is if you haven't used something in a year you probably won't.

Getting rid of excess kitchen clutter is less overwhelming if you break it down into steps. Start with one or two empty boxes to put excess kitchen clutter in and add to it whenever you have a few extra minutes. Just go through one kitchen cabinet a day until you have boxed up everything that needs to go. Once everything is boxed up you can decide if you wish to donate these items or save for a future garage sale. If you have larger items in like new condition you may even benefit by taking them to a consignment shop.

You probably also have plenty of items in your kitchen that only get used a few times a year such as at holiday time. While you don't want to get rid of these items you can store them in places other than the kitchen such as the laundry room. If you have the room, add extra shelves in your laundry room to store these items so they are not taking up space in your kitchen yet are still accessible when you need them.

After you have gotten rid of excess kitchen clutter it's time to start reorganizing your cabinets. It may make sense to store items that are similar together but it isn't always practical. Instead, store items that you use often together in cabinets that are easy to access. Store your dishes and glasses in cabinets closest to the dishwasher to make things easy when unloading.

When storing open boxes of food in your pantry use ziplock bags or resealable containers for maximum freshness. Spices should be stored away from the stove to preserve freshness. Store leftovers in your refrigerator in clear containers so they aren't forgotten about and use up within a few days. Clean out uneaten leftovers and check for items past their expiration date daily. It is much less overwhelming to throw something away every day or two than to have to clean out your whole refrigerator once or twice a month.

Organizing your kitchen as well as your home will not only make it easier to keep clean, it will also make your happier and less stressed.