Kitchen Organization Hacks You Should Try

Preparing meals for yourself or for your family is hard enough without throwing in having to navigate through a messy kitchen. But sometimes it feels impossible to keep your space clean. It’s challenging to maintain the organization of your space because you use it every day. You need to bring out ingredients and tools regularly and it takes time to clean them and put them back in their rightful place. A good solution to this problem is to think ahead and arrange your kitchen in such a way that it’s easy to put things back in their place. Check out all these tips and hacks that you can apply to your home so you can keep your kitchen organized and functional.

Having one  or two area rugs piding your kitchen’s space can help it feel more organized because there’s a designated area for each certain task. Nothing says organized like knowing what goes where. Utilize this trick when you want to assign a certain space in your kitchen as the preparation and cooking and another for eating. There doesn’t have to be too many pisions, one or two rugs will suffice. 

Another great thing about having a rug in your kitchen is that it can help prevent slipping. Kitchens can get messy sometimes. People spill things on the floor, it can get wet after washing dishes. Accidents can happen when the floor is wet, so having a stain-resistant and washable rug can help keep things clean and safe. Just remember to always have a rug pad underneath to make sure it stays in place.  

Many people have limited counter space. It could be because you have a lot of things you use regularly for preparing meals or your kitchen is on the smaller side; and even if you try to declutter your space, there is just not enough space for everything you need. Or maybe it’s a combination of both of them. Either way, you need a way to create more usable space in your kitchen. 

If you don’t have any chance to get more horizontal space, try thinking vertical! What does that mean? It simply means that you should utilize your wall space. Magnets are a great way to add storage space to your walls. Instead of having a knife holder on your countertops, try using a strong magnet strip to hold your steel knives. This can also be applied to spice racks. You can purchase spice bottles with steel or magnetic bottoms that can stick to your walls or maybe to your refrigerator. This trick can really be applied to anything that isn’t too heavy and is used daily in your kitchen. 

When it comes to storage bins and other types of containers in your pantry, it’s always best to go with the simplest option. You might be tempted to purchase ones that match your kitchen’s color scheme or have a fun print, but clear storage bins are the most practical to use. The obvious reason being that you can see what’s inside your containers without having to open them up to check. It also helps with knowing whether it’s time to replenish your stocks or not which saves you time and effort. Clear containers also look clean and are timeless. Just be sure to have clear, waterproof labels on your containers to prevent confusion between two ingredients that look similar (example: salt and sugar).  

If you don’t like the modern look that clear containers have because you want a more rustic or bohemian vibe to your pantry and kitchen, try containers like open-weave baskets. They have that organic feel to them, but you can still see the items inside through the holes. Unfortunately, these won’t work for the ingredients themselves but can work for things like bags of snacks or cereal boxes. 

Some people shy away from open shelving because they are scared of being unable to maintain the tidiness. While it is true that there is no hiding when it comes to open shelves, you can always pick and choose what you want on those shelves in the first place. Use it to display pretty items around your kitchen. It could be a special set of plates, fancy mugs, aesthetically pleasing glassware, or a few of your favorite cookbooks. The trick is not to overcrowd open shelves. Only choose a few items that will be easy to tidy up, so you don’t have to worry about it too much in the future.

You never want to be wasteful, but there is also no purpose in hoarding things that you will never use. Find a way to repurpose items you don’t use. If you cannot think of anything you can use unwanted items for, it’s about the time you throw them away. Check your kitchen for expired food, condiment packets from restaurants, disposable utensils. The rainy day you’re saving these items for might never come and you’re just wasting your precious space by letting them collect dust in your drawers.  

Have you ever had run to your kitchen because you heard a crashing sound, only to find your child on the counter trying to reach their favorite snack? Believe it or not, a lot of people have been in that situation but it’s totally preventable. Place items like the food you specifically bought for your kids and their own cups and plates in an area where they can easily reach them. It also helps to have these items in one place, so they don’t have to rummage through your kitchen (while making a mess) just to find what they want. 

This will not only help you ensure that nobody messes with your organizing system, but this also teaches your kids to look after themselves. They will learn that they don’t have to ask you for help with everything and they will see that they can depend on themselves. Being able to feed yourself is such an important skill and it’s best to learn it at a young age rather than when you’re already an adult.