Kitchen Organization Tips

The American kitchen is busier than ever. We prepare our meals, eat and clean up in a hurry. In such a busy place, organization is key to keeping everything running smoothly.

Just like the office, your kitchen should be organized. If you've never organized a kitchen, it can seem like a daunting process. In such chaos, knowing where to start might even look impossible. Thankfully, there are some simple procedures that you can follow to keep your kitchen clean, tidy, and well arranged.

The first thing you can do to subdue chaos in your kitchen is to identify zones within the space. A kitchen zone is an area where you perform the same task over and over, such as preparation of food before cooking, baking, serving, storage, or cleaning. Once you have designated these zones, it's easy to optimize that part of the kitchen for the activities it plays host to most often.

When you embark on a major organization project, be sure to plan ahead. Don't take everything out of the drawers and cabinets unless you know that you have a block of time to be devoted to the project. Invest time in deciding what appliances and supplies will end up in what location. If you have a plan for your kitchen ahead of time, you won't be as likely to feel lost in the middle of your reorganization project. Consider your habits, the flow of traffic through your kitchen, and what appliances you use most often when planning your new kitchen. Then systematically remove everything from the kitchen and sort all items into categories.

You can then go through each category and choose items you want to keep and ones you want to discard. Items that you do not use often should be stored towards the back of the cabinet, or on top, to allow easy access to ones you use more frequently. If you have a hard time remembering what you keep in your drawers and cabinets, consider posting an inventory list on the inside of the doors. Another handy tip is to keep a grocery list on the inside of a cabinet door or on the refrigerator, where you can add to it easily when you think of something that needs to be purchased.

If you have trouble with forgotten items clustering at the back of your cabinet, try installing a Lazy Susan. These turntables will help you easily bring items at the back of the cabinet into view. Specialty organizational tools such as paper bag storage, turntable spice racks, and racks to hold plastic wrap and aluminum foil are available. These can help to save space and alleviate mess, but too many of them or ones purchased without forethought will contribute to clutter. Planning and careful consideration are of the utmost importance when organizing your kitchen. In addition, routine maintenance of the kitchen will lessen the need for major reorganizations. If you keep the amount of clutter in the kitchen low, your job will be easier in the long run.