Simple yet effective organizing tips for your kitchen can make all the difference in how much you enjoy being in your kitchen. As an avid cook and baker, I love being in the kitchen, but when it gets unorganized, I become a little frazzled. And a frazzled cook is not an effective one! If you’re trying to organize your life, try starting in your kitchen. You’d be surprised just how much a few simple organizing tips for your kitchen will enhance your home and inspire you to cook more often.
1 Clean out Your Fridge
For starters, one of the most important organizing tips for your kitchen is to clean out your fridge. You should start at the top and work towards the bottom, so that when you remove foods and wipe down your shelves, debris doesn’t fall down onto shelves you’ve already cleaned. I suggest removing all the foods one shelf at a time, so nothing stays out of the fridge too long. Prepare a bucket with equal parts baking soda and water, and a touch of white vinegar. Then, take a hot cloth and wipe down your shelves, being sure to clean in between all the grooves. Place your foods back in your fridge, organized in some kind of manner, and enjoy how things look. You’ll be more inspired to put healthy foods into your fridge and enjoy cooking more often when you know it’s clean and organized. Do this at least once a month optimally.
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2 Store in the Freezer
A fantastic tip to organize your kitchen is to store some items in your freezer. Items such as breads, grains, nuts, seeds, and flours should be kept there anyway, since it prevents harmful bacteria from taking place in them, and they can go rancid quickly. This is especially true if you’re single and don’t use them a good bit. This will also help eliminate some of your pantry space, which we’ll get to next!
3 Pantry Purge
Another way to organize your kitchen that will do wonders for your mind and your organization is to purge your pantry. Check for out of date items, unhealthy items that are processed and contain unhealthy ingredients, anything that looks questionable, and be sure to wipe down containers, which can get sticky or grimy on a day to day use. Also, organize any baskets and shelves, and have designated shelves for all of your items. Keep all canned foods together, all spices together, etc. This will help you stop buying what you don’t need at the store because you literally can’t see it lost in a sea of pantry goods otherwise.
4 Labeling Love
It’s not hard to start a little label love! Label your shelves, such as “spices” or “baking goods,” and consider labeling clear containers for items like any mixing powders or grains you go through pretty quickly that won’t spoil, like oatmeal. This can help you feel more organized in your kitchen, and also make cooking a much better experience.
5 Designating Drawers
It’s also important to designate drawers for all your cooking supplies. Don’t ever let your utensils get all mixed together. Be sure you designate drawers for silverware, and try to keep them neat. Have another drawer for measuring cups and items like spatulas, basting utensils, ladles, and tongs, and another for items like dish rags and oven mitts or potholders.
6 Eliminating Tupperware
Everyone has a Tupperware cabinet and most of us hate it! Try to eliminate it if you can. It’s better for the environment, your body, and your organization in the kitchen. Switch to reusable and eco-friendly Pyrex glass storage containers. You can get a set of 18 pieces online for about $20. They’ll last indefinitely, they’re much easier to organize, and they won’t fall out all over the place when you open the cabinet.
7 Have Only One Junk Drawer
I’m not against having a junk drawer, but try to only have one. This will keep you from having too many junk drawers, and you’ll have a rule that if it’s a miscellaneous item, there’s only one place for it: the junk drawer. This will also help you from just laying items all over your kitchen, and once a month, go through it to see if there’s anything you can purge.
8 Make Your Counters Count
If you have a small counter with limited space, this is very important, but even if you have plenty of counter space, make it count! Your counter top should contain only the items you use the most, and usually on a day to day basis. That slow cooker you never pull out and the juicer you promised to use, but don’t, do not have a place on your counter if you’re not touching them. Instead, put items that you’ll use on a day to day basis. Mine are my coffee pot, blender, and food processor because they get daily use and they’re within easy reach.
9 Clean as You Go
The absolute best organizing tip I can give you is to clean as you go when you cook or prepare food. Leaving dirty dishes in the sink is a huge no-no for keeping a clean and organized kitchen. Not to mention, you never have to dread the after meal clean up, and you won't have dishes with dried food on them in the morning to wake up to!
Now, you tell me. What is your best tip for getting your kitchen in order?
