The kitchen in our home is an area that gets more foot traffic than other places within a typical household. You have to remember that you have the kitchen sinks and the refrigerator right there, and these are popular spots. Therefore, when it comes to using your kitchen, it pays to organize it so that you can locate the items you need more easily.
Once you’ve organized your kitchen, improve the safety of it. Reduce the chances that a fire may occur or that someone may sustain an injury. It will also negate the stresses that are associated with going through cabinet after cabinet to locate the utensils you actually need. Here is a guide to go by when it comes to organizing and optimizing the efficiency of your kitchen.
1) Clear Storage Containers
Even if you love the brand of food that you purchase, do you really need to see its packaging every day? One of the easiest ways you can organize your kitchen is to rid yourself of unnecessary packaging by transferring items into a clear storage container. Clear storage containers enable you to see how much of an item you have left and helps to save cabinet space. This tip is ideal for food items like sugar, dried fruits, flour, and snacks.
2) Over-the-Door Storage Rack
The inside of a cabinet or pantry door is the perfect place to install an over-the-door storage rack. It can serve as a spot where you store items that aren’t heavy, such as spice containers and tiny bags of snacks. In most cases, all you have to do is to place the rack over the door or use two to four screws to secure it in place.
3) Group Similar Items
One of the things you can do to improve the functionality of your kitchen is to group similar items by establishing different zones. By doing this, you’ll have a much easier time locating the things you need when you need them. For example, one of the things you can do is to group all non-perishable items together or establish a section that’s dedicated to spices.
4) Maintain Your Refrigerator
Another thing you can do is to keep trash bags within close proximity of each trash can such as to throw a stack of bags into the bottom of the trash can. By doing this, once you take out one bag, you’ll have another one waiting to be used. In the event that you take out your trash once per week, you can also use that time to remove expired and unwanted food items from your fridge. By getting into the routine of doing this every trash day, you’ll ensure that only current items are in your fridge and that, in itself, helps to minimize clutter.
5) Mobile Storage Cart
A storage cart with wheels can help make your kitchen even more functional. If you have a large enough pantry, you can place the cart in your pantry. If not, you can use it as an extension to your pantry’s storage capacity. Its mobility will allow you to safely transport ingredients in and out of your home. This eliminates the need to transport items individually and reduces the chances that an accident may occur, such as dropping a slippery pickle jar as you attempt to bring it outside for a barbecue.
6) Open Shelving
Not every kitchen comes with a pantry. If this applies to you, consider using open shelving as pantry space. Open shelving has long been praised for being ideal for small and awkwardly shaped kitchens due to the fact that you can get them in any size that you desire. This can help to provide more storage opportunities in an especially narrow kitchen where you may not have the space to use an over-the-door rack.
7) Pegboard
A well-installed pegboard can help to save an abundance of space in a small kitchen. It can be used for multiple items such as to hang fruit and veggies or to organize pots, pans, and large utensils. One of the reasons why homeowners love it so much is that it can help to store items while maintaining an organized look within the kitchen. Some of the best places to install a pegboard are the interior portions of your pantry, near the cabinet where you store small appliances, or right next to the stove.
