Kitchen Organization Ideas
The kitchen is the heart of the home. Keeping it organized is key. Ready to get started? Check out these easy Kitchen Organization Ideas. Be sure to also download the free home organization printable included in the post.
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Whether you’re using Marie Kondo’s method or you’re working on a “silent to do list”, decluttering your kitchen doesn’t have to be overwhelming. I make it a point to organize my kitchen drawers and kitchen cabinets at least twice a year.
These kitchen organization hacks will help you take it step by step, area by area, and you’ll be finished before dinner is ready!
Whether you have a tiny kitchen or a large kitchen, your kitchen is the heart of your home. It’s where you share meals, plan family outings, and create memories with your loved ones. But as busy families know all too well, it can be hard to find time for everything – especially if you’re juggling work or school in addition to managing a household on your own.
Why is kitchen organization important?
An organized home is a peaceful home. Decluttering and organizing room by room is a therapeutic way to cleanse your space. Most families spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Not only does a clean kitchen save your sanity, but it is also a great way to save time and money, too!
If you know exactly where everything is, you spend less time searching for it. And if you know exactly what you have in your pantry and fridge, you spend less money on last-minute grocery trips for dinner.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with organizing your kitchen, take a step back. Think about what’s important to you when it comes to having a peaceful kitchen. Then, enlist the help of family or friends.
Even if your kitchen is a total disaster, I promise your best friend won’t judge! Reaching out for help when you need it is not a sign of weakness, but strength. Knowing when to call in reinforcements is a useful skill to have.
Kitchen Organization Tips
Choosing a starting point
Shining your kitchen sink, a la FlyLady, can be extremely motivating, so I like to start there. If you have dishes piled up, load them into the dishwasher so they can wash while you work on the rest of the sink area.
If you don’t have a dishwasher, make up a sink of hot, soapy water and add the dirtiest dishes to it so they can soak. While the dishes are soaking, start working on another task in the kitchen.
Resist the urge to get distracted by multitasking in other rooms, though. Don’t start a load of laundry, or start putting clothes away. One thing at a time. Right now, we are focusing on the kitchen.
Drag everything out
If you’re doing a deep clean, pull everything out of the cabinets to free up cabinet space. While this may feel like extra work and will take a bit longer, you’ll be much happier with the results when you sort and organize the cabinets! Save the junk drawer for later; we’ll tackle it when we have more energy.
If you’re Type A, you may want to map out a plan of attack before diving right in. If this is the case, divide your kitchen into zones and tackle them one by one.
Perhaps you don’t have a lot of time to clean or declutter each day. That’s fine! Tackling one “zone” at a time ensures you won’t spend all day on the same task.
Organizing your kitchen utensils
Countertop utensil racks are convenient, and they save space. While you’re cooking, you don’t have to go digging through the drawer to find a spatula – you just grab it from the hanging rack on the counter. Easy peasy and a great idea for easy organization!
On a budget? Make your own utensil holders out of mason jars. You can stock up on mason jars for pennies on the dollar if you visit your local thrift store!
Organizing your pantry
Ah, the pantry. You’re either going to love organizing your pantry, or you’re going to hate it. There usually isn’t much gray area here. Head to your favorite dollar store and buy enough clear plastic (or glass) containers to hold all of your non-perishable items.
Amazon has can holders that can more than triple the space available in your pantry. You can also use small containers from the dollar store to organize seasoning packets, small bags of dried fruits and nuts, etc.
Kitchen Organization Ideas: How to organize spices
There are many ways to organize your spices, and if you search Pinterest for even just a few moments, you’ll find tons of clever hacks! The simplest way to organize spices is based on the amount of space you have, along with how many spices you use on a regular basis.
Organizing spices alphabetically on a magnetic rack attached to a backsplash is popular and affordable. If you only use a few spices on a regular basis, have those at the front of your spice cabinet and the rest of the spices can hang out in the back. I love the idea of organizing them alphabetically, though, so you save time searching when it’s time to use them.
Kitchen Organization Ideas: The junk drawer
Finally, the junk drawer! This is where you’ll really want to get serious about getting rid of items you don’t use frequently. Perhaps you’ll find some junk that has another home somewhere else in the house.
If your junk drawer is more like a junk cabinet, use wire racks to give yourself extra space to organize everything. Wire racks create an extra level (or two) and literally double your storage space. You may also find you don’t need eight cast iron skillets, and you’re ready to downsize. If that’s the case, get a box ready for Goodwill and add to it as you clean your kitchen.
Everything Has A Place
Free up counter space and put things away. This means keeping paper clutter and anything unnecessary off the countertop. I like to store most of my small appliances in my pantry for a cleaner look. Now, I know not everyone has enough kitchen pantry storage to store food and appliances but if you do, it is an easy way to keep the kitchen counter free of clutter.
Keeping everything organized
Need more space? If you’re running low on space, keep vertical storage in mind. You can easily install a pull-out shelf next to the refrigerator if there is enough room. This is usually where people store extra canned goods, but you can store anything that fits!
Hanging racks are space-savers, too. They’re perfect to hang over an island or large countertop. Be sure to hang it high enough so nobody bumps their head.
Moving forward, check on your kitchen once a week. Is it in tip-top shape? If not, what needs to be worked on? We all have those problem areas (like the messy island). Keeping an eye on these areas specifically can help you keep your kitchen in order.
It can seem like keeping the kitchen clean is a never-ending battle, and some days you will lose. However, if you check in on your kitchen (yes, even the pantry and refrigerator) on a regular basis, you’ll notice it’s much easier to keep up with.
Kitchen Organization Essentials
- Lazy Susans
- Empty Spice Jars
- Magazine Holder
- Food Storage Containers for Dry Goods
- Wire Basket
- Adhesive Hooks (Command Hooks)
- Drawer Dividers
- Clear Bins – for pantry organization
- Stackable Shelves
- Plastic Containers
