{"id":17297,"date":"2020-12-28T09:57:37","date_gmt":"2020-12-28T14:57:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cubesmart.com\/blog\/?p=17297"},"modified":"2024-04-22T10:25:49","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T14:25:49","slug":"how-to-organize-a-kitchen-in-8-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cubesmart.com\/blog\/your-space\/organization\/how-to-organize-a-kitchen-in-8-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Organize a Kitchen in 8 Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As the holidays of an especially home-centric year recede into the rearview mirror, we\u2019re looking for fresh starts and clean slates, orderly cabinets, and uncluttered countertops. It\u2019s a good time to pause, put down those battered baking pans, and have an honest look at kitchen organization. Completely reimagining the most used room in the household can be a daunting task, so we\u2019ve broken it down for you in some easy-to-follow steps, drawing on expert advice from professional organizers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Take Stock.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"womanin<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Any kitchen reorganization project has to start with a systematic unpacking of cabinets, drawers, and pantry shelves. In essence, take it all apart before you can put it back together. But don\u2019t just toss everything in a jumble. Lay out piles by category and item type, says Christina DesAuguste, owner of The Organizing Company<\/a> in Boulder, CO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPut all your pots and pans together, all your kitchen\ngadgets together, glassware, food storage, and dishes. Think of it almost as if\nyou were going shopping in Target. How would you see things grouped together in\nthe aisles?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This method<\/a>, she says, will show you what you have, including belongings you\u2019ve forgotten about or multiples you might not even realize you own. Be warned: You will <\/em>be surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Sort it Out.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once your kitchen goods have been categorized, it\u2019s time to sift\nthrough them. Understanding that you might not want to keep everything and that\nyou can put some items into storage, begin to look through each pile and ask\nyourself what must stay and what can go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good rule of thumb here is \u201cNeed it; Use it, Love it,\u201d says Justin Mazurkewicz, owner of Clutter King<\/a> in Houston Texas. \u201cAnd of course, get rid of those expired foods!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Need it<\/em> items are food, shelter, hygiene, and medical supplies. Use it<\/em> items are things you might use within a typical year\u2019s time frame. Love it<\/a><\/em> items are those things you truly cherish and\/or have on display<\/a>. As you go, create separate piles for storage, give away, donation, and disposal. Don\u2019t worry if you don\u2019t have Marie Kondo-esque clarity on the first try\u2014it takes practice and it might take a few passes to truly declutter your space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Zone Your Kitchen.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"utensil<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Congratulations! You\u2019ve gotten through the two hardest steps!\nNow you can bag or box up your items that will no longer stay in your kitchen\nand set them aside. Your next task is to repopulate your kitchen, this time\nwith a more functional approach. Think about how you use your space and start\nto assign items to cabinets and drawers accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere might be a place where you cut, and another where you\nbake,\u201d DesAuguste says. \u201cThat\u2019s where you\u2019d store your measuring cups and\nmixing bowls and other baking gadgets and pans. Ideally, you\u2019ll keep all those\nthings together so you\u2019re not running all around the kitchen to get things that\nyou\u2019d want to use at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same principle applies elsewhere: store dishes and glassware near the dishwasher, pots, and pans and cooking utensils near the stove, and so on. That being said, if you have a good spot for glasses near your fridge and a better shelf for dishes near your dishwasher, don\u2019t be afraid to store them separately. Your system has to work for your space and your own daily rhythm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you organize kitchen counters, try to leave as much workspace\nas possible. Keep only the small appliances that you use most often on the\ncountertop. Store the rest in as accessible a spot as you can manage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don’t have to use your knife block if short on counter\nspace,\u201d Mazurkewicz says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, there are no hard and fast rules. No matter\nwhat the magazines or Pinterest might say, your kitchen\u2019s physical layout and the\nway you use it are the only parameters here. It\u2019s okay to be creative and think\noutside the proverbial box. For instance, he says, you don\u2019t need to keep a\nwhole set of dishes if you don\u2019t need them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Everything but the Under the Kitchen Sink Organizer.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Only once you\u2019ve gotten through the first three steps should\nyou start to browse for new bins and racks and over-the-door solutions. A\ncommon pitfall DesAuguste sees is people buying new kitchen cabinet organizers\nbefore they\u2019ve even cleaned out their own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat might be cute or work for someone else\u2019s kitchen might\nnot work in yours,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s like a game of Tetris. You need to see what\nyou have and know your own space before you can find the right solutions and\nunderstand how it all fits together.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While gleaming mesh and modular organizers for kitchen\nproblem spots are no doubt tempting, resist this lure until you\u2019ve done your\nhomework. And keep in mind that you might not need to buy anything new at all.\nIn fact, some of your giveaway items might actually be repurposed as organizing\nsolutions. For instance, a kitchen \u201cjunk\u201d drawer organizer may already be\nliving in your home in the form of an ice cube tray or an old muffin tin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Problem Solve.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No one ever seems to have the problem of too much <\/em>space in the kitchen, so much of the organizational work will be about consolidating and reconfiguring. A big issue DesAuguste sees is that people tend to use up too much of their prime kitchen real estate for parking everyday items like mail, keys, and purses. That\u2019s space that could be better used for cooking prep, eating, or even food storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of times the kitchen is in a central location in the\nhome or the garage is right off the kitchen, so this is where people drop the\nmail and everything else,\u201d DesAuguste says. \u201cI always try to set up another zone\nthat is kitchen adjacent, like a console table, for this purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you start to put things back into cabinets and shelves, group everything by size and accessibility, making the lightest and the most-used items easiest to reach. Employ vertical dividers or pop-up shelves or risers to maximize area. If need be, find solutions for awkward items like pot lids and employ turntables for those frustrating wedge-shaped corner storage areas. Consider hanging pots or stemware on racks, knives on magnetic strips, or mugs on hooks to free up cabinets. Don\u2019t forget about cabinet doors as another place to store things like cleaning rags, plastic bags, aluminum foil, or even cutting boards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Be Flexible.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"organized<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A perpetual problem area for Mazurkewicz\u2019s clients is the\npantry. Because it\u2019s typically used to store food and its contents vary over\ntime, it requires a more dynamic set of storage solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPantries are constantly in flux, so they continually need\nto be updated,\u201d he says. \u201cFlexibility in the pantry is key to keeping it\norganized.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the pantry, as elsewhere in the kitchen, bins, trays, and baskets will always be your friends. Mazurkewicz suggests these additional tips for saving space in the pantry and cabinets: unboxing food items and using baskets or bins to store individually wrapped snacks; and using clear shoe box bins to store small tools and lesser-used baking items such as cookie cutters and sprinkles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there, deciding how to organize kitchen cabinets and the pantry can be a reflection of your personality and aesthetic choices. For some people, that\u2019s labeled jars. Others prefer color coordination. Maybe simply opening up space, getting rid of old stuff, and retooling the layout is enough for now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Keep it Cool.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t forget to clean and organize your refrigerator<\/a>. For most of us, this should be a routine task, but if you haven\u2019t done it in a while, you\u2019ll want it to be as neat and orderly as the rest of your newly refreshed kitchen. Where possible, use clear containers and bins, storing like items together to avoid rummaging that leads to spills. Even better: An organized refrigerator will help you minimize food waste and save money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Reorganized, for Good.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Everything is finally put away and the kitchen finally looks\nusable again. Is organization complete? And how do you actually know you\u2019ve\ndone it right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen the space is no longer stressful, you can function\neasily in it, and when everything has a home, you’re pretty close to\norganized,\u201d Mazurkewicz says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, experts say that this is not a one and done\nchallenge. Be prepared to revisit these decisions in six months to a year as\nyour needs and habits change, or you acquire more things, or you prepare for a\nmove or a life change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also a good idea to start preparing now for the kind of inevitable backsliding that will happen by preemptively trying to keep your disorganization in check. DesAuguste reminds clients to create some general daily guidelines for their households going forward, assigning tasks to different members, or creating a ritual nightly five-minute pickup after dinner. \u201cI compare it to when you visit the dentist for teeth cleaning. It doesn\u2019t mean that you don’t need to brush your teeth every day until you go back to the dentist again,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the same thing with organizing. If you build the organization into your regular routine, it’s so much easier to keep things under control.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the holidays of an especially home-centric year recede into the rearview mirror, we\u2019re looking for fresh starts and clean slates, orderly cabinets, and uncluttered countertops. It\u2019s a good time to pause, put down those battered baking pans, and have an honest look at kitchen organization. Completely reimagining the most used room in the household […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":17298,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,639],"tags":[338,282],"class_list":["post-17297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-organization","category-your-space","tag-kitchen-organization","tag-kitchen-storage"],"yoast_head":"\r\nHow to Organize a Kitchen | CubeSmart Blog<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are you looking for a fresh start with your kitchen cabinets & countertops? 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