How to Organize Your Kitchen

Learn how to organize your kitchen and avoid "hot spots" - areas of the home which have a tendency to accumulate clutter.

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It is where people tend to gather during parties, it is where you prepare meals for your family and friends and it can be a room you enjoy being in if you follow this simple rules.

How to Organize Your Kitchen
Identify and Fix Hot Spots

Kitchen counters are prime suspects for clutter. You drop the daily mail on them, they get overcrowded with small appliances or you use your counters to display decorative accessories leaving yourself little or no room for food preparation. To solve the problem of cluttered kitchen counters follow these guidelines:

• Place a basket near your entry door, or mount an organizer on a wall to contain the daily mail and other items you would normally drop on your counter
• Reserve counter space for appliances that are used every day. Appliances that are only used occasionaly should find a home inside a cabinet. If cabinet space is limited, purchase a wire shelving unit to place in a room or closet near the kitchen to get these extra appliances out of your way.
• Limit the number of decorative items you place on your counters. Your kitchen will look more beautiful if it is well organized. Bring any unnecessary decorative items to Clutter Central.

How to Organize Your Kitchen Cabinets

Kitchen cabinets can become cluttered, making it impossible to find what you need when you need it. Learn how to organize your kitchen cabinets and simplify your life. Here's how.

First, remove everything from all of your cabinets. Spread the items out on the counters and a table, if necessary. Take a good long look at the items. If there is anything that you simply never use bring it to Clutter Central. Since your cabinets are now empty, this would be a great time to give them a thorough cleaning.

Next, separate the items you use frequently from the items that you only use seasonally or on special occasions. Identify the cabinets in your kitchen that are the most difficult to access. These could be cabinets over the refrigerator, the very back of deep corner cabinets or cabinets that are simply too high for you to reach without a stool. Place the seasonal and seldom used items in these locations, reserving the cabinets with the easiest access for the items used more often.

Last, take a look at the remaining items - the ones most often used and separate them into groups: pots and pans, mixing bowls, dinnerware, serving pieces, etc. Put these items away in the most logical location depending upon their use.

Place pots and pans in a cabinet near the stove. Place dinnerware in a cabinet near the table or entrance to the dining room. You get the idea. Remember to put heavier items in lower cabinets or on the lowest shelf of upper cabinets. You do not want to hurt yourself trying to reach over your head for a heavy item.

How to Organize Your Kitchen Drawers

Having drawers in your kitchen can be a real luxury. Your use of drawers will depend on how many you have.

You will need a drawer for cutlery, which can easily be kept tidy using a cutlery organizer.

If you have a drawer near your food preparation area, I would suggest purchasing an in-drawer knife organizer. It will eliminate a knife block from your counter top and it will protect your knife blades - and your fingers when you reach for a knife inside the drawer.

Drawers can also be the perfect spot to store dish towels, food storage bags, plastic wraps and foils, serving utensils and any other small kitchen accessory you need to store.

Keep your kitchen drawers organized by following these guidelines:

• Group similar items together.
• Do not overstuff your drawers or you will never be able to find anything in them.
• Store items in drawers located nearest to where the items will be used. Place knifes in a drawer near the food preparation area, place cutlery in a drawer near the table, etc.
• Avoid the junk drawer! Many people have a tendency to create a junk drawer for all of those little things that tend to gather in the kitchen that either do not have an intended home or never seem to make it back to their intended home. Do not rob yourself of valuable drawer storage by giving in to the junk drawer! Find a home for those items and take the time to return them to their home when they make their way into the kitchen. Your efforts will be rewarded with a clean, organized kitchen.

How to Organize Your Kitchen
Make it Efficient

• If you do a lot of cooking invest in a large chopping block. My husband got me one a few years ago and I could not live without it now! It is fabulous for meal preparation - I can chop every ingredient in the recipe and place them in piles on the board before I even begin cooking. Everything is ready and waiting for me when I need it. I keep mine on the counter at all times - right in between the sink and the stove. It makes both meal preparation and clean up easier!
• Be sure to have a plastic or silicone cutting mat on hand to use when chopping meats. These mats can be placed in the dishwasher to sanitize them after use and you don't have to worry about germs gathering on your wood board.
• Consider placing all of your cooking utensils in a crock next to the stove. No more digging around in a drawer to find that spatula you are looking for. Everything is visible and within easy reach when you are cooking.
• Reserve the cabinets around the stove for cooking-related items like measuring cups, spices, oils and seasonings. This way, if you need something while you are cooking you never have to walk away from the stove.
• If you bake a lot, create a baking center in your kitchen. Keep all of your baking necessities together and place them as close to your preparation surface as possible. In my kitchen I cook closest to the stove, but my largest area of counter space is the farthest point from my stove. This is where I tend to prepare baked goods because I have the room to roll out dough, if necessary or line up several cookie sheets at once.

How to Organize Your Kitchen
Maintenance

Now that you have completed a clean sweep and figured out how to organize your kitchen let's talk about how you can keep it looking that way.

• Keep your sink and counters clean daily. Place dirty dishes into the dishwasher to keep them out of the sink. Keep your counters cleared by returning items to their rightful homes. While cleaning up after dinner, wipe your sink and counters with a disinfecting cleanser.
• Keep your stove top clean by wiping it after each use. At least once per week remove the burners and burner covers and give them a thorough cleaning. A good way to clean your burners is to spray them thoroughly with oven cleaner, place them in a plastic bag and tie it tightly. Leave them over night and rinse them off in the morning. At least once per month clean your oven, or run the self-cleaning cycle
• At least once per week, wipe down the outsides of all cabinets and drawers.
• Keep the floor swept as often as necessary to keep it free from debris. Wash the floor at least once per week.

Now that you have learned how to organize your kitchen, I hope that you find enjoyment in the heart of your home.

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