It doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to figure out how to best organize your kitchen for your needs, and you probably don’t require anything fancy or bespoke. Yet, if you have a small kitchen and want to make the most of the space you have, you shouldn’t ignore kitchen storage. You can’t expect perfection when it comes to kitchen organization, but you can expect some clever storage solutions that will help you save time when cooking, make better use of your limited storage space, and make your home feel more like home.
1. Decluttering
Recycling: With so many things available online (restaurant menus, instruction manuals, recipe books, etc.), there’s no need to keep hard copies of things you can easily find online… What better to do than recycle it?
Relocate: If you’re in the habit of working at the kitchen table or leaving bills that need to be paid on the counter, now’s the chance to move them to a safer and cleaner space—like a home office or even a side table in the living room.
Must Use: When you look through your cabinets, pantry, or fridge, take stock of the opened packages and nearly-used food items. Bring them to the forefront and make sure that they’re used first before restocking.
2. Cleaning
Composting: Instead of throwing food scraps (which makes your kitchen stink, by the way), learn how to compost. Not only will you reduce your garbage output, but you’re making the most of your groceries. Plus, you can use that compost to grow your own food, thus cutting down on your grocery bill.
Downsizing: There’s absolutely no need to have three bottles of partially used glass cleaner under the skin. You don’t need numerous cans of air fresheners, nor do you need different types of floor cleaners. Cut down on the number of cleaning products and promise to use one up before getting a new one.
Routine: Make it a point to clean every surface of your kitchen at least once a week so that they’re free of dirt, grease, or sticky fingers. Also, make it a habit to put things back where they belong, instead of tossing them in a random spot.
3. Organization
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on acrylic containers to organize your kitchen. You can use whatever containers you may find around the house to keep your cabinets and pantry as organized as you can. You can use dividers to keep your baking pans, tupperware lids, and cutting boards a little neater, or use pull-out shelves if you have deep cabinets.
In the kitchen cupboards and drawers, group like objects together or divide them into zones. The morning rush can be avoided if perishable breakfast goods are kept on a separate shelf. Keeping a spice caddy out on the counter is a great way to be creative in the kitchen. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if the kitchen in your home is tiny or enormous; what matters is that you decide what works best for you.