11 Steps to Your Most Organised Kitchen Ever
Check out these timely tips to get your kitchen under control and advice on how to keep it that way
Hannah Young
31 December 2016
Professional Organiser in Yorkshire and a member of APDO (Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers). You can find me online at www.ReviveYourSpace.co.uk or in person helping others to declutter, organise and restyle their homes. I believe it's important to make the most of what we already have and love to share the benefits of being organised and efficient, creating more physical and emotional space for the things that are most important to us.
Professional Organiser in Yorkshire and a member of APDO (Association of Professional... More
Give your kitchen a New Year detox and declutter with some ideas that can be implemented once a year, as well as habits that will help you out every day.
Clear your surfaces
Move everything from your worktops and give them a thorough clean – then take a step back and enjoy the result. With this in mind, clean each item you’ve removed and think carefully about whether it deserves a place on display. Ideally, you will only put back items that are used on a daily basis.
Move everything from your worktops and give them a thorough clean – then take a step back and enjoy the result. With this in mind, clean each item you’ve removed and think carefully about whether it deserves a place on display. Ideally, you will only put back items that are used on a daily basis.
Banish the paper
Do you struggle to find your breakfast bar when it’s time for pre-dinner drinks? Post and paraphernalia often land on the nearest flat surface and clutter up the space.
A good solution is to hang vertical paper racks on a wall, or install a small basket nearby to keep everything contained. Try to book a weekly date in your diary to sort, discard and action.
Do you struggle to find your breakfast bar when it’s time for pre-dinner drinks? Post and paraphernalia often land on the nearest flat surface and clutter up the space.
A good solution is to hang vertical paper racks on a wall, or install a small basket nearby to keep everything contained. Try to book a weekly date in your diary to sort, discard and action.
Investigate the depths
Do you know what’s in your fridge and freezer, and how long it’s been there? How about making this the year you use up all that extra food? For inspiration on how to transform your leftovers, check out charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which has lots of information on its website, Love Food, Hate Waste.
Get into the habit of checking what’s already in before you put together a meal plan for the week. Then, when you go shopping, you’ll know exactly what you need and be less likely to impulse buy.
Do you know what’s in your fridge and freezer, and how long it’s been there? How about making this the year you use up all that extra food? For inspiration on how to transform your leftovers, check out charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which has lots of information on its website, Love Food, Hate Waste.
Get into the habit of checking what’s already in before you put together a meal plan for the week. Then, when you go shopping, you’ll know exactly what you need and be less likely to impulse buy.
Give it away
Let’s be honest, most of us have received a gift or two that we don’t really want. If it’s a seasonal item of food or drink, avoid leaving it to hang around and go stale and instead give it to someone who will appreciate it more. Don’t be shy about re-gifting, as long as you make sure it’s into a different circle of friends!
Let’s be honest, most of us have received a gift or two that we don’t really want. If it’s a seasonal item of food or drink, avoid leaving it to hang around and go stale and instead give it to someone who will appreciate it more. Don’t be shy about re-gifting, as long as you make sure it’s into a different circle of friends!
Do the dishes daily
The humble dishwasher can make or break your day. Get into the habit of fully loading it in the evening and putting it on overnight. In the morning, you’ll be ready to go, as clean bowls and spoons can be put straight onto the table for breakfast.
Allocate cupboards near to the dishwasher for crockery and glassware, so it’s easy to put everything away quickly. By clearing the dishwasher in the morning, you’ll have an empty area in which to put everything as you use it, ready for the next evening cycle.
The humble dishwasher can make or break your day. Get into the habit of fully loading it in the evening and putting it on overnight. In the morning, you’ll be ready to go, as clean bowls and spoons can be put straight onto the table for breakfast.
Allocate cupboards near to the dishwasher for crockery and glassware, so it’s easy to put everything away quickly. By clearing the dishwasher in the morning, you’ll have an empty area in which to put everything as you use it, ready for the next evening cycle.
Plan a place for everything
This kitchen is pretty extreme in its stark lack of clutter, but there’s a lot to be said for precise planning when thinking about new units. If you have a home for everything in a drawer or pull-out cupboard, then there’s really no reason to leave much on the worktop. Flat fronts and no handles also make this kitchen pretty quick to clean.
Check out these contemporary white kitchens on Houzz
This kitchen is pretty extreme in its stark lack of clutter, but there’s a lot to be said for precise planning when thinking about new units. If you have a home for everything in a drawer or pull-out cupboard, then there’s really no reason to leave much on the worktop. Flat fronts and no handles also make this kitchen pretty quick to clean.
Check out these contemporary white kitchens on Houzz
Love glass
Open shelves look great in a kitchen – it’s nice to be able to see what you have, both aesthetically and practically. However, many people are put off by the dust and grease floating around. So why not consider installing cupboards with glazed doors to give you the best of both worlds? This may even inspire you to declutter, so you can display the mugs and plates you love in a pleasing way, rather than cramming everything in.
Want to mix and match your kitchen cupboards? Here’s how to do it
Open shelves look great in a kitchen – it’s nice to be able to see what you have, both aesthetically and practically. However, many people are put off by the dust and grease floating around. So why not consider installing cupboards with glazed doors to give you the best of both worlds? This may even inspire you to declutter, so you can display the mugs and plates you love in a pleasing way, rather than cramming everything in.
Want to mix and match your kitchen cupboards? Here’s how to do it
Let it go
How many mugs do you have? If, like most of us, you have more than you’ll use at any one time, give yourself permission to let some go. It’s easy to collect crockery, or simply hang on to an item you’ve had for years, just because it’s become part of the kitchen. Try to be objective as you look through your collections and send those you don’t need, don’t like, or think are unsuitable to your local charity shop.
If you’re feeling guilty, enlist the help of a friend or find a professional organiser on the Association of Professional Declutterers & Organisers’ website.
How many mugs do you have? If, like most of us, you have more than you’ll use at any one time, give yourself permission to let some go. It’s easy to collect crockery, or simply hang on to an item you’ve had for years, just because it’s become part of the kitchen. Try to be objective as you look through your collections and send those you don’t need, don’t like, or think are unsuitable to your local charity shop.
If you’re feeling guilty, enlist the help of a friend or find a professional organiser on the Association of Professional Declutterers & Organisers’ website.
Dig out the gadgets
Now is a great time to inspect those kitchen gadgets lurking at the back of your cupboards and drawers. If you don’t think you’re going to use one of your small appliances, send it to a charity shop, or sell it on Preloved, Gumtree or your local community site.
Gadgets you want to keep should be easy to access, so find a place for them on the worktop or consider some nifty storage solutions. A gadget cupboard with plug sockets will keep things neatly behind closed doors and ready to go when needed.
Now is a great time to inspect those kitchen gadgets lurking at the back of your cupboards and drawers. If you don’t think you’re going to use one of your small appliances, send it to a charity shop, or sell it on Preloved, Gumtree or your local community site.
Gadgets you want to keep should be easy to access, so find a place for them on the worktop or consider some nifty storage solutions. A gadget cupboard with plug sockets will keep things neatly behind closed doors and ready to go when needed.
Organise your cupboards
A top organising tip for any space is to keep similar items in the same place. Arrange your food cupboards so you have savoury items, such as tins, pasta, rice and dry pulses, in one and sweet items, such as baking ingredients and biscuits, in another.
Maximise storage by fitting small shelves to the inside of cupboards for items such as spices, and using shallow drawers or containers that can be pulled out from the back of deep cabinets.
A top organising tip for any space is to keep similar items in the same place. Arrange your food cupboards so you have savoury items, such as tins, pasta, rice and dry pulses, in one and sweet items, such as baking ingredients and biscuits, in another.
Maximise storage by fitting small shelves to the inside of cupboards for items such as spices, and using shallow drawers or containers that can be pulled out from the back of deep cabinets.
Store items next to point of use
Keep things where you use them. Think about all the items you require for a task. If you’re making a cup of tea, for example, how far do you move around your kitchen to gather together a mug, teabag, kettle, milk and teaspoon?
Try to think of your kitchen layout in terms of ‘stations’ where you complete different tasks, then store the relevant items near each one. You’re more likely to put things away if they’re nearby, and less likely to drop them.
Is your kitchen well organised? Share your tips for keeping it under control in the Comments below.
Keep things where you use them. Think about all the items you require for a task. If you’re making a cup of tea, for example, how far do you move around your kitchen to gather together a mug, teabag, kettle, milk and teaspoon?
Try to think of your kitchen layout in terms of ‘stations’ where you complete different tasks, then store the relevant items near each one. You’re more likely to put things away if they’re nearby, and less likely to drop them.
Is your kitchen well organised? Share your tips for keeping it under control in the Comments below.
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Yeah, that fridge is just wrong. If it opened the other way, the wall would keep the door from opening enough to get any produce or deli drawer from extending all the way, much less being removed for deep cleaning. I know because one side of the french-door fridge that came with our house, has the same problem.
My French door fridge has that problem as well, Leeza...small kitchen with not even fractions of an inch to play with!
Wonderful houzzersὠA
Sharing your experiences and tips is very helpful and sometimes entertaining for others. I'm so excited over my upcoming kitchen mini upgrade as a milestone project for my happy retirement and so I got here. Enjoy your own kitchen organization, folksἾ1