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Are your kitchen counters overflowing with papers? Those
kitchen cabinets full to bursting? These three kitchen
organization tips will have you on your way to an organized
kitchen in no time.
Kitchens can be one of the most challenging areas to
organize because they are quite often the central hub of the
home. Not only is it where we cook meals but it is also
often where mail, backpacks, schoolwork, keys and anything
else that we drag in the door with us often ends up. So not
only do you need to worry about organizing everything in
those kitchen cupboards but you also need to worry about all
of the other “stuff” that collects in the kitchen. So how do
you get this kitchen organization project under control?
Here are a few
kitchen organization tips that can help.
Start small
Since getting the kitchen organized is one of the biggest
organizational challenges in your home, start with a small
area that is going to have the biggest impact on how you
live. This can be a stumbling block for many people so let
me explain what I mean by this. If the part of your kitchen
that drives you crazy is the table or counter where all of
the mail, schoolwork, etc gets dumped, then focus your
kitchen organizing efforts on that area first. If this is
the area of the kitchen that you are going to organize
first, then also make sure that this area of your kitchen
stays organized before you move onto something else.
Because it is not just about getting your kitchen organized
one time, it is about keeping your kitchen organized. That
is where the real challenge lies. So if you just organize
the paper that comes into your kitchen one day but by the
next day it is already a mess again, you have not really
accomplished anything. One of the most helpful kitchen
organization tips I can give you is to keep working with
organizing one area of your kitchen until it stays
organized. Do not move on to another area until the one that
you are working with has stayed organized for at least a
week.
Too much stuff
As with any other home organization project, getting your
kitchen organized means getting rid of the things you no
longer use and the things that are unsafe for you to use. So
if you can’t remember the last time that you used that
dust-covered appliance in your cupboard or if you can’t even
remember what it does, it is time to get rid of it. Go
through every pot, pan, dish and utensil in your kitchen and
figure out the last time that you used it. If you do not use
it on a fairly regular basis, it needs to go. The only
exception to this is anything that you use seasonally.
The other important thing that you need to look at as you do
your kitchen organization is all of your canned goods,
spices and packaged foods. This is an important kitchen
organization tip because if it is expired, you need to throw
it away. If you do not use it or like it, throw it away or
donate it to your local food shelf. This is especially true
of spices. We tend to gather and collect spices that we
never use.
Counter space is not storage space
When you organize your kitchen, keep stuff off of your
counters. It will make your kitchen look and feel cleaner.
Your kitchen counter is not an extra storage space so stop
treating it like one. Keep appliances that you do not use on
a daily basis off of your counters. This is more of a diet
tip than a kitchen organization tip but also keep food,
especially snacks, off of your counters. It will help to
keep you from snacking. Out of sight, out of mind!
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