Organize Your Kitchen in 10 Steps
Keep tabs on what's in the back of that cabinet!
If you find yourself having to clear a space on the counter to prepare a meal, chances are you’re all-too familiar with how fast clutter can pile up in the kitchen! Short of a costly and major renovation, what can you do to conquer the chaos and reclaim your kitchen? Here are ten great tips that will get you on the road to turning your kitchen into an inviting place for family and friends.
1. Take stock of what you have.
Empty cabinets, pantry and drawers. Have you been holding onto empty margarine containers, mismatched dishes and logo mugs that never see the light of day? Disposing of them will free up valuable kitchen real estate!
2. Sort remaining items by category.
Keep items of similar size, shape and type together. Stacking plates, keeping canned goods together and nesting spoons makes them easier to locate quickly.
3. Aim high when putting away seldom-used items.
Reserve the higher shelves in your cabinets for antique china, crystal, serving pieces and other items you don’t use much. Keep mixing bowls, casserole dishes, glasses and other everyday items within easy reach. This will also reduce the risk of mishaps.
4. Look above for extra storage space.
A ceiling- or wall-mounted pot rack not only frees up cupboards—it looks stylish, too! Racks also make finding the right pan quick and easy. Hang a wire basket from the ceiling for produce stored at room temperature.
5. Hook up!
Hooks installed inside a cabinet door are great for hanging measuring spoons, cups and other small items you want to keep out of sight. Look for spots on the wall near the stove, alongside the sink or behind a door to hang brooms, mops and dust pans. Hang a paper towel dispenser or dish towel on the wall over the sink, while the spot above the stove can be reserved for potholders, tiles and long-handled utensils like spatulas.
6. Go portable.
A freestanding caddy can hold silverware, while a crock can hold wooden spoons and ladles. Just set them on a counter or kitchen table, or tuck them out of the way in a cabinet as the need arises. This can be a great way to keep utensils in reach…and avoid overstuffing your drawers!
7. Maximize drawer- and cabinet-space.
Install pull-out racks on runners in your bottom cabinets! These make it easy to reach items stored in the back. Dividers or partitioned cutlery trays in drawers keep different items separate and organized.
8. Prop up cookbooks.
Rather than waste counter space by laying a cookbook or cooking magazine flat on the counter, arrange them in magazine holders.
9. Store for a view.
Loose packets of tea bags, salad dressings and powdered drinks can be kept neat and easy-to-find in transparent containers stacked on the pantry shelf.
10. Stack smart.
Pile plastic food storage containers by size, from large to small, inside one another. Store matching lids in a separate pile, also by size. When choosing containers keep in mind that square ones take up less room than round, while collapsible containers can save even more space.
I like the rolling cabinet drawers. Do you have any that are 16 inches deep? rather than 21 inches
I am looking for white vinyl tape to stop leaks at my vinyl gutter jonts. Do you have such an item availabl? I think I purchased some, some time ago fron you
I bought some sticky aluminum waterproof tape at Home Depot that worked great on my gutters
I can’t find the Shelf-It product that is in the Solutions Catalog on line. Please help.
Hello, it looks like that item is out of stock and will not be re-supplied.