Organization Tips for the Kitchen

There’s so much going on in a busy house and it seems as though your kitchen always is the hub and center of it all.

It’s no wonder why a kitchen can tend to be a catch-all for school bags, laptops, games, homework, shoes, discarded clothes, etc.

When you’re a family on the go, you literally grab ‘n go. Crackers, cereal boxes, dirty dishes, and empty milk cartons stay on countertops – the fridge becomes a disaster that no one wants to tackle, and dirty dishes are constantly stacked in the sink.

Are you surprised the kitchen is a mess? Probably not. You know you should organize it, right? Don’t resist the urge – you know you want to, and we’re here to help you.

I’m Overwhelmed and Where Do I Start?

I have an under-the-cabinet TV and stereo. So when I am about to take on an undertaking like organizing and cleaning my kitchen, I turn one or the other on to keep me company.

First, let’s get the dirty pile of dishes taken care of. Rinse them off and put as many as you safely can in the dishwasher and get a load going; leave the rest in the sink for the next load.

Next, start going through the stuff that’s on the counters and kitchen table. Whatever goes in the garbage, toss it in. Put items that don’t necessarily belong in the kitchen in a different area to deal with them later.

Kitchen Drawers

Junk Drawer

No, you can’t nail the junk drawer shut and keep ignoring it. Be brave, come on, open it. There, you see, it wasn’t so bad. Sort through the drawers and throw out the stuff that is junk; broken, don’t-know-what-it-is items, and things that are never used like the old bread ties you haven’t touched in years.

When you’re done, all that should be left is the stuff you use that has no other “proper” place: pens, scissors, small household tools, paperclips, dental floss, etc. Put these on the counter and wipe down the inside of the drawer.

You can purchase a drawer organizer or you can go to the dollar store and buy containers for organizing the remaining stuff in your junk drawer. Good Job!

Cooking Utensils

I used to have a drawer for cooking utensils. Spatula’s, ladles, cooking spoons, etc. I thought it would be a good idea at the time. But then I started opening the drawer and couldn’t find anything. Because I had the room, I started buying cool gadgets (that I don’t use) and duplicates of others.

Do you have one of these drawers and have the same problem? Well if you do, go through it and take out the things you do use. My recommendation; put them back in a nice container on the countertop and save yourself some money. Give your kids the cool gadgets – maybe they will use them?

Silverware

Do the same with this drawer as you did with the junk drawer. Take everything out, get rid of what you don’t need.

You won’t believe the kind of things that can end up in the silverware drawer – you know like those Starbucks stoppers that plug the hole in your coffee cup.

When you’ve tossed the junk and old silverware, clean the drawer, buy the appropriate drawer organizer and put things back.

Organizing Cabinets

Start by taking everything out of the cabinets and thoroughly wipe down the insides. Shelves, walls, and doors.

• Throw out all expired foods, half open packages of food, (in my house there is always a stray half open package of stale Ritz crackers in the back of a cupboard), and anything else that doesn’t look all that good for you.
• If you keep less used smaller appliances in a cabinet and they still work or if you have cookware in good condition but don’t use them, put them in a pile and donate them.
• Go through the cupboard with the glasses and dishes. Take them out and get rid of any that are chipped, cracked, etc. Clean out the inside and put everything back.

When you put things back, put them in areas that make sense for how your kitchen works. For instance, don’t put some snacks too high up or smaller kids can’t reach them, don’t put drinking glasses on the other side of the kitchen away from the sink or the fridge.

Don’t forget to clean the area under the sink. Often times we leave cleaning supplies here, so if you have younger children, put a safety lock on the doors.

After you’ve put the dishes and glasses back in the cupboard, empty the dishwasher you started earlier and get another cycle going.

Cleaning The Refrigerator

I try to clean my refrigerator before I have to make a big shopping trip to the grocery store. If you have foods in the fridge that need to stay cold while you’re cleaning, a cooler is a good option.

• Empty the contents and throw out all smelly, icky food, expired milk, old meat, etc.
• Take out all removable shelves and drawers and clean those with warm soapy water. Wipe down the inside and outside, then dry it all when you’re done.
• Put things back and put a box of baking soda in the back of the refrigerator to help with odor control.

Keep the Counters Clean

By now the rest of the kitchen has been cleaned and things put back in cupboards and drawers. Wipe down the countertops and disinfect them.

If you keep some of the most used items out, like cooking utensils, keep them in a pretty vase or a nice utensil container. It’s easier for some who cook a lot to keep flour, sugar, and pasta’s out. If this is what you like, get containers to keep them in.

There are some things that just have to (in my opinion) be on the counters, like the toaster (mmm, buttered toast in the morning) and the coffee pot (can’t function without, at least, one cup in the morning). Keep bread crumbs wiped up and clean coffee spills regularly to prevent an icky mess from happening.

Regularly cleaning of the kitchen will make your job much less of a hassle. Throwing out old food on a regular basis and quickly cleaning up any messes or spills will help you in the long run as well.

Getting all the family members on-board to help keep the kitchen clean is something I do, after all, they share the kitchen too!