We know keeping your kitchen tidy is a challenge. We get it. Our kitchens get messy, too. But your kitchen can rival Martha Stewart's with some clever organization hacks and smart decisions. Or, at least, pass her inspection.
Take notes because we're giving you our top tips for a tidy kitchen and the organizing mistakes to avoid.
1. Make an Organization Plan
Diving into reorganizing your kitchen can be fun and exciting for some, but we beg you to take your time. Before you rush out and buy a million storage containers and organizers, create a detailed plan. Decide what will go where and what organizational items you need. Assess everything before getting to work, or you may have to redo things later in the process.
2. Label Everything
Labels are your new best friend! If you're forgetful or live in a busy household, labels will help you and your cohabitants put everything back where it belongs. You can label drawers and cabinets with their general purpose or get more specific and label every spot on a shelf or in a drawer.
3. Optimize Vertical Storage
All too often, people misuse their vertical storage. Stack as many items as possible in tall cabinets without creating a hazard, and avoid laying things flat. Additional shelf inserts, cabinet hooks, and hanging organizers are excellent ways to increase your vertical space's potential.
4. Organize Logically, Not Aesthetically
If you have a set of utensils in the same color and material, it may be tempting to keep them together. But they probably belong in different spots if they serve substantially different purposes. Your matching rolling pin and basting brushes likely don't need to be near one another. Organize according to function, not appearance.
5. Get Rid of Duplicates
Obviously, you need duplicates of certain items, like butter knives. But people often keep too many repeat items around. Ditching the duplicates will free up storage space and make you more accountable for doing the dishes. You can't rely on your backup spatula when your primary spatula is dirty if you only have one of everything.
6. Kitchen Items Only
We all grew up with a catch-all junk drawer in the kitchen, but let's rein that habit in. Get rid of that dastardly junk drawer to make space for things that actually belong in the kitchen. The same goes for anything else in your kitchen that is not meant for a kitchen, so get your hand tools, office supplies, and random medicine out of there.
7. Utilize Open Storage
Some people think that open storage equals clutter. This is not true. Pot racks, magnetic knife strips, open shelving, utensil holders, and wine racks are effective open storage. As long as everything is neat, it won't look cluttered.
8. Keep Easily Disorganized Items In Reach
The most difficult items to keep neat should be easily visible and accessible. For example, if you struggle to organize food storage containers and lids, place them on a low shelf. This prevents you from haphazardly tossing lids into the cabinet or knocking everything over while feeling around for what you need.
9. Respect Your Drawer Space
Small drawers can be frustrating, but no matter what size drawer you have, you need to respect the space. Overfilling drawers and trying to jam extra things in will only wreak havoc on your organization. Overfilled drawers can jam, meaning you can't even access what you need.
10. Use Cohesive Food Storage Containers
It's normal to accumulate a smorgasbord of storage containers from Thanksgivings, potlucks, and barbecues. We suggest you start fresh or pick one container style. Storage sets can often nest various sizes into one another, making organizing more streamlined.
11. Make Necessities Accessible
Consider what items you use the most and which you often grab in a hurry. Things like dish towels, oven mitts, meat thermometers, salt shakers, pepper grinders, and other necessities should be within a moment's reach. More niche, less-used items, like cheese cloths, piping bags, and pasta rollers, can go deeper into storage.
12. Use Clear Storage
Whether or not you utilize open storage, clear storage containers are an excellent idea. They make it exponentially easier to see what you have, whether dry pasta in the pantry or leftover lasagna in the fridge. Clear storage is usually only unattractive if your items aren't orderly.
13. Store Similar Items Together
It's only logical to keep similar items in the same place. If you have five different serving spoons, they should stay together. Your three kinds of cooking oil can go in the same place. All your seasonings should be in one spot. You get the point; don't make your life harder by putting similar items across the room from one another.
14. Give Everything a Home
This is one of our favorite rules. Every single item in your home, not just your kitchen, should have a designated and permanent “home.” This means there is one certain place the item always returns to. That way, items don't hang in limbo spaces, causing clutter, and there's no confusion about where things go.
15. Decant Dry Pantry Staples
Yes, it's extra effort to decant all your dry goods, but it makes a world of difference. Taking everything out of the original packaging and putting them in cohesive, clear containers allows you to see exactly what you have and will be more visually appealing. Make sure the containers are airtight!
16. Try Adjusting Shelves
Rather than fight against your shelving setup, move the shelves up or down to suit your needs. Whether you rent or own, the odds are good that your shelves are adjustable. Play around with various heights to see what works for you.
17. Organize With Trays and Bins
Trays, bins, baskets, and more are essential for organization. You can use these in your cabinets, open storage spots, fridge, freezer, and on the counters, among other places. Don't forget to make a plan before you go nuts at The Container Store, or you'll wind up with containers that don't fit your needs and space.
18. Keep the Back of Cabinets Visible
If you have deep cabinets, it's easy for things to fall into the void at the back. Be strategic here. Tall, large items you rarely use should go in the back. Small, short necessities go in front. We also recommend using risers, turntables, and a stagger method to maintain accessibility and visibility.
19. Create “Stations”
We adore kitchen stations, as they create a logical layout that can spearhead your organizing. Examples are tea and coffee stations, baking stations, seasoning stations, alcoholic beverage stations, and meal prep stations. The idea is you keep all the items you need for different tasks in a single spot.
20. Embrace Hanging Storage
A common mistake is that people think hanging things is messy, but hanging items can be very neat and tidy when done right. The key is installing the hooks with each item in mind rather than setting up hooks and selecting items. Make sure your hanging items don't obstruct anything, including one another.
21. Do Not Overcrowd Counters
Some items must be on your kitchen counters, but many don't. Frequently used appliances, like coffee makers and blenders, can stay on the counter. But appliances like food processors, electric peelers, and waffle makers can probably be put away. While we encourage open storage, only store what you need on the counters and treat your counter space as precious.
22. Always Use Drawer Organizers
If possible, every drawer in your kitchen should feature a drawer organizer. This is especially important for your silverware drawers and places with several small items. We suggest buying customizable drawer organizers so you can adjust them to your precise needs. If organizers are not possible, use a drawer mat to stop items from sliding.
23. Get an Island or Rolling Cart
People with limited counter space can benefit from installing a kitchen island or purchasing a rolling cart. These instantly create more storage and surface space. We love rolling butcher blocks and kitchen islands with built-in storage!
24. Get a Collapsible Step Ladder
Make high storage spaces more accessible with a handy step ladder. A collapsible step ladder can be stored neatly in a pantry, closet, cabinet, or open storage space. A big kitchen mistake is blindly rifling through high cabinets and creating a massive mess.
25. Improve Your Lighting
We enjoy moody lighting in our living rooms and bedrooms, but the kitchen warrants bright, comprehensive lighting. Dim lighting makes it tougher to find and put away items in dark cabinets, leading to messy shelves. Ensure your kitchen has excellent lighting during the day and at night.
