It is often said that the kitchen is the heart of the home. This is definitely true in my house. But organizing your kitchen to maximize efficiency is oftentimes a dreaded task. Well, I am here to help! Here is a surefire plan to organize your kitchen once and for all. Trust me, you and your entire family will be so happy you did! And spoiler alert, if you follow these steps, you will have it done a lot faster than you think!
Inventory your kitchen before you organize
The very first step is to take EVERYTHING out of your cabinets and drawers. Yep, that’s not a typo. EVERYTHING! It is essential to know what you are working with. Clear off your counters and put everything in a spot in the kitchen where you can easily see it.
Determine what you Need to Keep in your Organized Kitchen
Now it’s time to be honest with yourself. This can be very difficult for some. You really need to evaluate what you ACTUALLY USE. At this point, you know what food you regularly prepare in your kitchen. When organizing your kitchen, an absolute must is to keep items that you use frequently.
Then, start to weed out duplicates or things you simply don’t use. That pasta maker from 2002 collecting dust? Get rid of it! Those baby bottles that you don’t use because your kiddo is in grade school? Please do yourself a favor and donate them!
One of the things that helps me the most during this process is to think of the cost associated with keeping an item. And not cost as in dollars. Yes, it is painful to get rid of that pricey pasta maker, but I think about cost in a different way.
Each item takes up real estate in your kitchen. You have to find a spot for it, make sure to clean it and access it when you need it. The more stuff that you keep that you don’t use, the less space you have to keep your most used pieces clean, organized and easy to access.
So, again this step is REALLY important. Sometimes if I have a hard time parting with something, I put it in a donation pile and will wait about a month or so before I donate it or give it to a friend. I know the item is still there, but it is not in my kitchen taking up space. Usually, I can see the benefits of having more space immediately and after about a month have no problem getting rid of it.
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Clean Before you Organize your Kitchen
Your next step now that your drawers and cabinets are empty is to wipe down your shelves and drawers etc. It’s also a good time to wipe down the outside of your cabinets as well. I use some vinegar mixed with a little water and wipe and dry all areas. Magic Erasers can be helpful here for stubborn spots. Just make sure to test on an inconspicuous area to make sure it works well with your cabinet material.
Also, don’t forget to make sure whatever you are keeping is clean. I will usually put some things through the dishwasher or hand wash and dry to get rid of any built up dust or grime. This will also make your cabinets and drawers look fantastic as the mixing bowl that had the chocolate batter left on part of it is now clean as a whistle! And yes, whistles are very clean.
Place Kitchen Items in Categories According to their Use
Now that you have whittled down your kitchen items, it’s time to start putting things together. All the pans with the pans, all the cooking utensils together etc. This will allow you to see how much room you will need to put items in there new spots. What? New spots? Read below for more info!
To Organize Your New Kitchen, Make a Plan
The second most important step after downsizing is to look at the flow of your kitchen and how you use it. This might seem intuitive for some, but let me tell you a story about my rookie days organizing. I would put things based on wherever they fit best, not necessarily where I would use them.
This resulted in me walking around the kitchen to get to the Saran Wrap and Ziplocs 100’s of times when I really only used these items where I made my kid’s lunches or where I was putting away food. Lighbulb! Put the Ziplocs and Saran Wrap by my food prep area! Again, this may seem intuitive, but it took me a while to learn this!
The answers here are different for everyone. Where does it make the most sense to keep your dishes and glasses? Which counter do you use when you prepare food? Where do you need your Tupperware to be so you can access it easily?
Having things where you use them will make all of your kitchen tasks easier! Translation: your life will be easier!
Use Baskets and Bins To Organize Your Kitchen
I love to use these items to further organize my kitchen cabinets and drawers. Baskets, bins and containers can make a huge difference in the appearance and ease of use of your kitchen essentials.
That being said, resist the urge to run out to Target or the Container Store without further assessing your needs. Be sure to take measurements of the areas you are thinking about adding baskets or the like to. That way, when you do go, you will have the exact dimensions and be able to see if what you were thinking will actually work in your areas.
This can be trial and error as well, but I find this part to be the most fun!
You can read more about kitchen cabinet organization products that I find to be game changers here:16 of the Best Kitchen Cabinet Organizers
Adjust Your Kitchen Organization Plan as Needed
Now that everything has found a spot, enjoy your kitchen! You organized your kitchen like a pro! Over the next week, keep mental notes of how it is functioning in relation to your needs. Are there spots that you thought were perfect for your bakeware, but now you see a different cabinet might work better? Adjust!
I definitely have to swallow my pride on occasion and acknowledge that sometimes the best laid plans don’t meet my expectations. Instead of just looking the other way, I make the necessary changes. This can be painful as you just organized everything and you don’t want to go through the process again. But you aren’t! Making small adjustments are worth the extra effort, and now you are doing so with already sparkling cabinets and gear.
Congratulate Yourself for Organizing Your Kitchen Like a Pro
The final step is to pat yourself on the back. You have done it! Nice work! Your daily life will be so much easier! Now, about those closets….:)
Final Thoughts on Kitchen Organization
You can organize your kitchen easily if you follow this step-by-step plan. All you need is motivation to get started! You can do this, and I would love to hear about any success you have! Happy Organizing!
