9 Practical Ideas to Keep Your Kitchen in Order and Clutter Free
Kitchens are the heart of our homes. But no matter how big or small your kitchen is, you will always find yourself in a mess. Family members come and go in this room all the time, with everyone always leaving something out on the counters and on the floor.
It's difficult to keep every item in place or the whole space organized especially as we now have so many tools for cooking and accessories for decorating, which can increase clutter too.
In this article, you will find many clutter-free kitchen ideas that will show you how to use space in the kitchen more wisely, and you'll see that it's possible to keep your counters and cabinets always in order and your surfaces sparkling clean.
Contents
1. Simple rules to declutter your kitchen
It is especially easy to stuff items in drawers and cabinets only to never use them again. Decluttering your kitchen is the necessary first step if you want to walk into a kitchen where everything has a purpose and its place. You need to be brutally honest with yourself about all the items you keep around this room.
De-clutter your kitchen at least annually and say 'no' to buying new tools that you will not frequently use. Once all the unused products are out of the kitchen it's time to organise what is left behind!
Bring a cardboard box and start opening your drawers and cabinets.
You need to answer the following questions for all the items you see:
Do I need it?
Do I use it often ?
Do I love having it?
Is it even in the right place ?
If the answer to the first three questions is 'no', then put the item in the box to be donated or recycled.
Charity shops will love these - So donate!
Crockery sets
Mismatched plates and mugs
Kitchen tools
Cooking books
Good quality/unused aprons and gloves
Trivets
Vases/ceramic pots/glassware in good condition
2. Organize the cutlery drawer
The most used drawer in the kitchen! Organising the kitchen starts here.
Solution 1: this expandable bamboo cutlery organizer can be adjusted to fit any drawer. Bamboo is naturally very hygienic but remember that those cutlery inserts also need to get cleaned up from time to time!
Solution 2: Every cutlery drawer should also have a knife organiser like this.
3. Organise the space under your sink
This space often gets crammed with unwanted grocery bags, cling film, cleaning products and bin liners. Always keep cleaning products away from children.
Solution: Use pull out cabinet basket organisers or Metal Sliding Baskets for under the sink.
4. Deal with lower kitchen cabinets
It is more ergonomic to keep the less used items in lower cabinets. This means bending less frequently to get them out, which is great when you don't have pull out units to help you find what might be hidden away inside a lower corner unit!
Solution 1: Try these cabinet pull out baskets with soft close. | Solution 2: This 8 tier rack organizer, can hold multiple pots & pans | Solution 3 - Use pot lid holders on your cabinet door!
5. Add extra storage in existing tall and wall cabinets
Wall cabinets and tall larder cabinets are where we should keep the products and items that we want to access more often, including food, spices, condiments and everyday glassware. Still it is easy to place items at the wrong height, only not to use them again or run out of space.
Solution 1: try a 3-tier pull-out shelf solution for your spices. Not only will they stay organised and always where you can find them easily but they will be easier to access too. | Solution 2: try under shelf hanging baskets.
6. Arrange the pots and utensils you use the most
Sometimes it's better if the most frequently used cookware items are visible. You can use a multi-tier stand for small pans and pots on the counter, or install hooks on the wall to keep specific pots within reach. Bring those pots and pans as close to your hob/cooker as possible.
It is also useful to have a few stirring spoons close to your hob. You can add some wooden spoons
7. Keep pet products separately
If like me you have a pet at home, remember not to just leave their lead on kitchen counters (the hair!) and make sure you use airtight containers to keep their food fresh for longer.
Obviously, you don't want to leave food out in the counter too, as some pets are known to make a mess trying to get to it!
I love these white Dog Treat containers, they look good on the counter too!
8. Keep your pantry in order with baskets and food jars
There is nothing I love more than organising my pantry - I even have this popular Idea Pin dedicated to it as well as this article about making your pantry look irresistibly cool. Check the post for lots of ideas on baskets and storage jars you can use to better organise the pantry and make it look good at the same time!
9. Deep Cleaning from Time to Time
Talking about cleaning those cabinets and drawers: In order for the kitchen to always look clean, fresh and sleek, a deep cleaning is necessary from time to time. It's fine to want to do it yourself but it's usually better to get the professionals in. Why? Because they have professional grade cleaning products in the first place.
What to expect when you call the pros? They sanitize every surface, wipe down all the cabinets, clean all the appliances from inside and outside and finish with making your floor look and smell new. It will take you all day to do it and it still won't be as thorough as when professionals do it. It’s easier to work in a clean kitchen, free of bacteria, isn’t it?
For a service like this in the UK try Bizzby In Australia think about services like those offered by professionals for house cleaning in Sydney and other big cities. There are also professionals who can come in to only do your oven cleaning.
Once every two years I like to do an "end of tenancy" deep clean; I minimise the cost by restricting it only to my kitchen.
Above: an Owen Williams Kitchen design.
Clutter-free Kitchen Ideas - Final Words
Keeping a kitchen in order is all about finding the right balance between having items you love and items that are practical and making sure they are in the right place and accessible. If everything has its place then cleaning and tidying up will be quicker and more efficient long term.
Jenny Kakoudakis likes to blog about interiors. She launched award-winning Seasons in Colour in 2014. When she is not chasing criminals out of the financial system (her day job), she gets creative by redecorating her own home.
Download her free bathroom renovation guide here.
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