clean-kitchen3

Most kitchens suffer from a complete clutter overload! The clutter usually consists of at least a few of the following: gadgets, unused appliances, paper, junk drawers, etc.

Here are a few quick suggestions for dealing with some of these clutter issues.

*Work out the organization ideas in your mind, and then on paper, before you actually jump in and begin re-organizing your kitchen. That way you will be better able to decide where you want to start and what changes you want to make.

*As you organize, keep in mind you want your kitchen to “flow”. That means you don’t want to be constantly running to and fro in the kitchen when you’re cooking, serving meals, etc.
Try, as much as possible, to group items together according to their use.
For instance, you would probably want to place your coffee cups and drinking glasses in the same cupboard. ~And you would want your coffee cups near the coffee pot! Make sense?
This would be a great time to work on creating “work centers” in your kitchen.

*If you have any storage containers for things like flour, sugar, or other household goods, now would the time to make sure they’re labeled clearly.

*Take this opportunity to make a pantry inventory, spice inventory, etc.

*Too many magnets and/or paper/junk on the fridge will make any kitchen look unkempt. See if you can streamline some of these items.

*If you have metal cabinets the inside of the cabinet is a great place to use magnets and hang phone numbers, etc.

*Keep the top of your fridge clutter free. If you must store items on top, take a few moments to organize them and make the space user friendly.

*It’s not only unsightly to have a lot of clutter on your counter-tops; it also makes cleaning more difficult. Take a long hard look at your counter space and make some decisions concerning clutter and ease of use. You may need to eliminate some items and/or re-organize.

*Don’t make things harder than they have to be!
Think carefully and take a few minutes to plan before you replace your items in the cabinets after cleaning. Think “user-friendly”! Stacking is fine, but think ahead and try not to stack items you use frequently on the bottom or in the back!

*Streamline when possible. Be honest with yourself when it comes to de-cluttering.
Often there are many items in the kitchen that go unused year after year. For instance, how many of your casserole dishes do you really use?
As you organize your kitchen, are you coming across items you don’t use?
Sometimes it’s good to keep a specialty item even if it isn’t used that much. For instance, most people have a turkey platter. It’s something that you may only use a few times a year, but you do use it and need it!
On the other hand; seldom do you need eight muffin pans!
So, if there are items you no longer need or don’t want now is the time to find a new home for them. Share the wealth!

*Check your window sills. It’s easy to let clutter accumulate their as well. Too many plants, decorations, etc.

*Take a deep breath and tackle that junk drawer! (Or drawers!)
There is seldom a true need for a junk drawer. To be honest, most of the time it’s simply a “catch-all” for items we haven’t taken the time to put in their proper place. ~Or that we haven’t taken the time to create a place for.
Be brutal! Tools can be kept with the rest of their kind in the tool box. Kitchen gadgets should have their own place. Take stock of the contents and organize them! Usually there is a collection of old phone books, take-out menus, bread ties, etc. in these drawers, weed out the undesirables and organize the rest.