Do you wish you could get a handle on the chaos inside your kitchen cabinets? Or maybe you’ve just moved into a new home and want to start off with cabinets that are well organized. Whatever your motivation, it’s actually pretty simple to organize your kitchen cabinets and keep them that way. Here’s how.
Declutter
The first step in organizing your kitchen cabinets is to do a serious declutter. Go through everything in those cabinets (or as you’re unpacking boxes) and determine if you really need to keep it. Chances are, you don’t need six bottles of cinnamon, five spatulas, or three blenders. And you certainly don’t need any small appliances that don’t work or that you don’t use. Donate what don’t need.
Clean
Once you’ve taken everything out of your cabinets, wipe down the inside shelves and doors. You’ll probably never have this opportunity again to clean all the cabinets at the same time. You can clean the shelves with a simple solution of warm water and soap. For tougher grease or grime on the outside, try Murphy’s Oil Soap or another wood cleaner made specifically for cutting down grease.
Organize
Now that everything has been properly cleaned, it’s time to organize. Think about how you use your kitchen and your typical workflow. What do you need nearby when you cook? Items should be grouped together. Store food items in the same place separate from dishes. Cookware should also have its own space. Items should be placed where you use them most frequently. And if you use an item every day, like a travel coffee mug, it should be within easy reach.
Think about putting lighter items inside the top cabinets. This could include dishes as well as food items. Bottom cabinets should be reserved for heavier items like small appliances, mixing bowls and cookware. Store your cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink. If you have kids or pets, get child-proof locks.
Categorize
Once you’ve organized the contents of your cabinets, you should further categorize them. For example, store all canned food in the same location. Put kids’ snacks all in one place and make them easy to reach. When categorizing dishes, put all plates in one place, all bowls in another. Separate drinking glasses from wine glasses. Have a space dedicated for mugs. The point is, by categorizing like items together, you know exactly where to find them when you need them.
Maintain
After all that hard work, be kind to your future self by keeping it maintained. When unloading the dishwasher, return items to their proper locations. Enlist family members for help with keeping the kitchen organized and tidy. Keep countertops free from clutter so you always have workspace available when you’re preparing a meal. And plan to do a big sweep through the kitchen once or twice a year. As you use your kitchen, you’ll notice that some items may have a better home and this will give you time to rearrange. You can also remove items you don’t use and food that has expired.
