By Jackie Leffner
Many people start in the kitchen when making an attempt to clean the home. “Clean Kitchen, Clean Life” comes to mind because it is such an essential room in your home! Most families gather there to share meals, laughs, and time together – so let’s make sure it’s as STRESS FREE as possible!
If you’re going to tackle organizing your kitchen, we have some tips for you today. If you find that once you start digging in, you become overwhelmed or you’d like some help – Meat and Potatoes Organizing can save the day by offering virtual organizing to help you plan, OR we can come and work with you to complete the project!
Tip #1: INVOLVE YOUR FAMILY in organizing your kitchen & create a kid-friendly cabinet
It’s easy for one person to look at a space and organize it how it makes sense to us, but it is important to make sure you think about ALL of the people in your home that will need to use that space. That means considering where you’re putting items, what labels you’re using, and what is going to need to be easily accessed by everyone in your home.
If you have kiddos in the home – we recommend designating a spot in a lower cabinet for lunchboxes, plastic cups, stackable food storage containers, and easy kid-friendly snacks. Keeping like-items together makes it easy to get everyone out the door in the morning. Plus, kids will always know where to stash their school lunch supplies at the end of the day, which is a win-win for everyone.
Tip #2: Plan with Purpose – Put your essentials front and center! Things you don’t use often, off the counter & up high or down low.
Get more mileage out of your kitchen cabinets with some creative arranging. Start by pulling out all of your dishes and seeing what you have to work with. Then, place the most frequently used items on the bottom shelves, where they’re easily accessible. Stick special occasion items up high (or in storage) so they’re out of the reach out little ones and not taking up prime real-estate in your kitchen.
Divide your kitchen into distinct “zones” with spots for cooking utensils, pots and pans, cleaning supplies, etc. For example, you can devote an entire shelf or cabinet to your baking needs. Stock it with cookie sheets, loaf pans, oven mitts, flour, sugar, and other items. If your mixer is stylish (and you use it often) leave it out on the counter with attachments inside the bowl and keep your ingredients close by on a shelf.
Now, if you’ve made it through Tips #1-2, you’re deep in the kitchen organization zone! You’ve done the planning – now, let’s talk about how we can put things back!
Tip # 3: Choose Clear Storage Containers
Once you’ve grouped everything, place your pantry essentials in see-through containers. The transparent baskets will make it a lot easier to see what you have in stock AND show you what needs to be replenished the next time you’re at the grocery store. Clear storage containers are incredibly easy to add a label to! Whether you print sticker labels & put them on, or simply write on them with an Expo marker to make it clear to everyone what goes in each basket – always make sure you label 😊
Tip # 4: Divide & Conquer Your Plastic Containers
There’s nothing worse than opening up a cabinet door and unleashing an avalanche of plastic food storage containers. If your collection is out of control, try tossing any container that’s stained, cracked or doesn’t seal properly. Then use a specialty divider to separate your lids and containers by size.
Tip #5: Declutter Your Utensil Drawer
No one likes a crowded utensil drawer. If you’re tired of digging through spoons and forks, invest in a modular drawer organizer. You can use a Marie Kondo organizer or one from Walmart! Whichever fits your drawer, utensils, and most importantly – your budget!
Feeling inspired to have your kitchen looking FRESH and CLEAN with the new year? If after reading this, you would like some help organizing this space in your home, reach out to schedule your complimentary consultation today! We would love to help you turn your vision into a reality and help make your kitchen a place to share meals, laughs, and time together!
