Whether you’re using Marie Kondo’s method or you’re working on a “silent to do list”, decluttering your kitchen doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We will take it step by step, area by area, and you’ll be finished before dinner is ready! Unless you have to cook dinner, too, which is highly likely. Then, you’ll be finished before the pizza arrives. 😉
Your kitchen is the heart of your home. It's where you share meals, plan family outings, and create memories with your loved ones. Yet, it's also often the most cluttered room in your home. If this sounds like you and your kitchen, then get ready for some relief! Kitchen organization brings a sense of calm to your home. In this post, we'll share some of our best kitchen organization tips as well as some great products to help you get your kitchen in tip top shape while still being able to find everything you need!
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Why Kitchen Organization is Important
Most people spend the majority of their time in their kitchen; it's where they prepare foods for themselves or others. A clean kitchen not only saves sanity but money too! If you know exactly what is around you when cooking dinner, then there’s less chance that something will go missing from the pantry – saving funds on last-minute trips to grocery stores. Cleaning your space can be therapeutic as well!
I know how overwhelming it can feel when your kitchen is in total disarray. Instead of trying to tackle everything at once, take a step back and think about what’s important for you: simplicity? organization? peacefulness? Then enlist the help of friends or family members who might be able to lend their skillsets (or just provide moral support). Even if your own mother couldn't organize an outfit that matched with anything else she owned, I doubt very much that her best friend would judge! Knowing when you need reinforcements isn't such a bad thing; after all, we're not perfect individuals either.
On to the main goal, getting that kitchen organized! Here's our best kitchen organization tips, broken down from where to start and by area of the kitchen! These can be tailored to fit, whether you have a small kitichen or a massive one (jealous over here 🙂 ).
Choose a Starting Point
Shining your kitchen sink, a la FlyLady, can be extremely motivating. It's a great place to start, so you feel accomplished and motivated enough to do any of the other areas as well. If dishes are piling up in there, too, load them into the dishwasher while working on cleaning out that space first!
If you don't have a dishwasher, make up some hot soapy water and add the dirtiest dishes to it. While they soak, start working on another task in your kitchen! Maintain focus by not getting distracted with doing other tasks at home such as starting a load of laundry or putting clothes away. One thing at time – right now we're focusing on the kitchen.
Drag Everything Out
You may be thinking that you need to start with the junk drawer, but don't worry about it! We'll tackle it when we have more energy. For now, just take everything out of your cabinets and pull them apart so they're easy for us to clean. Kitchen organization is easy once you get started.
The best thing you can do for yourself is to make a plan before diving in. To help with this, divide your kitchen into zones and tackle them one by one. If you don't have the time each day, that's okay! Tackling just one “zone” at a time will ensure that all of today’s tasks are complete without spending hours on any single task
Organizing your kitchen utensils
Countertop utensil holders are convenient, and they save space. While you’re cooking, you don't have to go digging through the drawer to find a spatula – just grab it from the hanging rack on your counter! And did we mention that this space-saving solution is also eco-friendly?
Making homemade holders out of mason jars can not only be fun but economical too. All you need for supplies is inexpensive Mason Jars with lids at any dollar store or thrift shop near by.
Remember that every cooking utensil DOES NOT need to be stored on the counter, either. Only keep your most used utensils within arm's reach and you'll find you may not need all of the extras you have in your collection. This helps minimize and organize your space, as well, by knowing what you need to keep and what you can donate to a new home or the recycle bin.
Organizing Your Pantry
There are two types of people in this world when it comes to organizing their pantry: those who love the challenge and thrive on organization, and those who want nothing more than for everything to stay where they left it. A trip down your favorite dollar store is going to show you that there’s enough variety now so everyone can have an easy time getting organized!
Have you ever thought about how much space could be saved in your pantry by using can holders? Not only is it cheaper, but these containers will triple the amount of items that you have room for. I really like this easy, DIY version! You should also consider organizing small bags and seasoning packets with dollar store-bought containers to maximize efficiency!
Organizing Spices
There are many ways to strategically organize your spices, and if you spend just a few moments on Pinterest looking for inspiration (or even doing some research), then I can guarantee that there will be tons of options! The simplest way to do it is based around the amount of space you have in relation with how often you use different types.
Organizing spices alphabetically on a magnetic rack attached to the backsplash, like this simple DIY spice rack, is popular and affordable. For those people who only use a few different spices, they can be in front of your spice cabinet for easy access when you need them quickly. I have a wire basket that holds my most used spices and set it on the shelf next to my microwave. Easy access and out of the way when I need my counter space. When organizing a lot of spices, alphabetical order will save time searching through all of your options while trying to cook dinner!
The Junk Drawer
Finally, the junk drawer! Like everyone else in this world you have one. It's time to clean up that mess so your space can feel cleaner and less cluttered. Take some time today to go through everything before throwing it away or recycling what needs saving for another day.
So if your junk drawer is more like a cabinet, use wire racks to give yourself some extra space. Wire racks create an extra level and double the storage space you have for all of those little things that need sorting through. If you find out there are certain items in your kitchen that should be donated or better yet sold at a yard sale (like eight cast iron skillets) get ready with boxes because it's time to clean up!
Keeping it all organized
If you are a little stuck on space, don't worry! There are plenty of solutions to help save some more. Try a pull-out shelf next to the fridge if there is enough room– great place for extra canned goods but anything that fits will do just fine too. You can get them in many materials (wood, plastic, wire), too. Hanging racks (wall and ceiling styles) also have been known as space savers and should be hung high enough so nobody bumps their head in it by accident when they're cooking or cleaning dishes! There are so many options to help with kitchen organization.
Moving forward, it's important to check on the condition of your kitchen from time-to-time. Is everything in tip top shape? If not, what needs work? It can be hard with all those problem areas (like that messy island). Keeping an eye specifically on these areas helps you keep things tidy and organized. It seems like it's an never-ending battle that you will lose sometimes, but if you check in on your kitchen (yes, even the pantry and refrigerator) during a regular basis than keeping up with them is much easier. Think about all that you can do with your kitchen when it’s clean and organized. Motivation to keep it in order! 🙂
We've shared our best kitchen organization tips with you. Each one has been found to help us out tremendously with keeping everything tidy. Do you have a great kitchen organization tip for us? Share your organizing hacks and tips for the ktichen in the comments. We love learning new ideas!
