Your kitchen is usually the center of your home; that’s where you cook, eat, entertain, have kids do home work and much more. It is important to make sure there is enough room to perform all these activities.
I will share three important tips that will help you take control and get your kitchen organized.
1. Use the kitchen triangle
The triangular area you can create from your sink to your refrigerator and from the refrigerator to your stove is the most valuable space of your kitchen. Within triangle you should keep all the items you use on a daily basis for food preparation and cooking. Do not keep your holiday items there, this area is for the items you use daily. The exception might be the top shelf of your cabinets which you might not be able to reach without using a step stool, but that is the only exception.
My suggest is start clearing from the triangle area the items that you are not using on a daily basis and move other items you use regularly that are elsewhere in the kitchen into the triangle. By doing this you will have everything you need on hand in your triangle area to do your food preparation and cooking.
2. Take advantage of unused storage space
There is usually so much unused storage space in kitchens. Here are a few examples on how you can use your space more effectively:
- Use the cupboard doors or the back of the kitchen door for extra storage. There are organizers that you can attach to the doors that will hold anything from lids to spices.
- Make sure to adjust the shelves in the cupboards to eliminate dead space between them. Consider purchasing extra shelves from your local hardware store or use shelf helpers. This allows you to make the most of the space you have.
- And of course, go through your items and get rid of things not used the last six months. Keep only items you need and use. Some of the most unused items we have in kitchen are (based on Peter Walsh in “It’s all too much” – great book by the way); fondue pot, bread-making machine, ice cream machine, propane torch, cookie press, banana ripening rack, apple corer, pizza cutter and especially anything costing $19.99 on late-night television! How many of these items do you have collecting dust in your kitchen??
3. Use organizing products
My favorite organizing products that I use in organizing kitchens all the time are:
- Vertical racks - Use vertical racks for storing big flat items such as baking sheets, bigger plates, cutting boards. By storing these items vertically, they take up less are easier to get to.
- Lazy Susan’s – Use Lazy Susan's in pantries, in cabinets, on counters, on the kitchen table, in the refrigerator, you can use them anywhere. Lazy Susan’s are great and come in many different sizes and material so it’s easy to find one that suits you.
Use these organizing tips to help you organize your kitchen. And as always if you need help in the process, a Professional Organizer can help!
