“If you can organise your kitchen, you can organise your life.”
Louis Parrish
There are so many reasons why it’s important to keep your kitchen tidy and organised.
Firstly, it’s a cliché but it’s true, the kitchen is the heart of your home.
We seem to spend half our lives in the kitchen – preparing food, eating food, clearing up after a meal or just generally hanging out there! And because you spend so much time in there, it’s important it’s a place that’s relaxing and not stressful!
Secondly, with a busy life, you need to make sure things run smoothly and efficiently so you can do what needs doing as quickly and easily as possible.
So let’s get this hub of your home – and life – organised…
In order to organise your kitchen cabinets effectively, it is important to make sure you take the time to declutter in the first instance. Get rid of the things you no longer love, use or need. These include:
- expired food
- duplicates of utensils and cookware
- gadgets
- small appliances that never see the light of day.
Next, it’s important to think about how you use the space and organise it for practicality and ease of use. Aim to keep surfaces as clear as possible to make tidying and cleaning a breeze.
What do you keep in your kitchen?
As far as the things we store in our kitchens, they fall into one of five categories;
- Consumables – food & beverages
- Cooking tools and equipment
- Eating tools and equipment
- Washing up/textiles/cleaning supplies and tools
- Household/miscellaneous
Store like with like, and think about where you would be most likely to reach for those things e.g. glasses near the sink; cups and mugs near the kettle or coffee machine; crockery and cutlery near the surface you would plate up meals. Herbs, spices and cooking ingredients are best located near the hob, while breakfast items are best near the fridge and bread bin.
Inside your kitchen cupboards, position the most used items at eye level, and the least used on higher or lower shelves.
If you have young children, place items you don’t want them to access high up out of reach. If you want to encourage independence, place the things you want them to find and put away easily at a child-friendly height.
Categorise items and decant dry ingredients where possible to save space. Use labelled containers to keep things tidy and organised and store items vertically where you can. Storage that stacks can be helpful if your shelves have height and will maximise the space you have.
Try turntables for condiments, oils and sauces. They are a game-changer!
Good kitchen organisation starts in the supermarket
Finally, watch out for overbuying and don’t buy more than you need. Be a conscious consumer! Check your cupboards, plan your meals, write a list and stick to it before you do your feed shopping each week. This becomes easier once your kitchen is organised and you can see what you have, I promise.