Conquering Kitchen Clutter

You don't need a high-tech kitchen to make tasty meals. What you need is a good spatial plan! The best kitchen is organized, with a place for each item. It’s easy when you follow these tips!

The Kitchen Zones.

 Start off by seeing your kitchen as a group of zones defined by activity. There's the prep zone, the appliance zone, the cleanup zone, the cutlery zone, the china zone, etc. Once you've defined your zones, store related items close to where you use them. For example, keep your plates and cutlery near your dining table, glasses next to the fridge and knives and cutting board near your prep counter. 

The Appliance Check.

 Do you really use that huge mixer that's taking up space on your counter? When was the last time you made popcorn in the popper? If you don't use an appliance on a daily basis, keep it out of sight (in a cupboard, in the basement, etc.).

The Container Theory.

 Organized shelves often look uniformly "contained." So give a uniform look to items like pasta, flour, sugar, etc. by storing them in Ziploc® Brand Twist 'n Loc® Containers. These durable containers with seal-tight lids keep dry foods and liquids like oils organized and fresh. Use them in your fridge for juices and other perishable liquids such as leftover soups.

The Spice Solution.

 Tired of having to sort through a mess of spice bottles to find just that one you want? Invest in a spice rack that twirls on its stand. Or fill a large Ziploc® Brand Container minus the lid with your spice bottles. Put the container inside a cabinet for easy retrieval.

The Recipe Code.

 Is your precious shelf space being usurped by cookbooks you no longer use? Shift them to another bookshelf or throw a recipe book-swap party with a friend. Donate extras to your local library. Or print your favorite recipes and store in an old photo album, inside the picture slots.

The Emergency Stash.

 Have you been saving up cans of food and jugs of water for emergencies? Great. But they don't need to live in your kitchen. Designate an "emergency closet" or stash them in the basement or attic.

The Everything Drawer.

 Do you have one drawer where you throw everything? I do, and if you're like me, you can't find anything in it! Until I discovered that Ziploc® Brand Storage Bags are great for scooping up and organizing all those errant knickknacks. I designate individual bags for screws and bolts, another for batteries, one for pens and pencils, one for stamps, one for adhesive bandages, one for miscellaneous items (when I cannot recall what something is!), and so on—the list is endless. The see-through plastic helps me quickly sift for what I want.

(-I love ziploc bags for all kinds of organizing solutions! -Holly)

written by:

Diane, SC Johnson home care expert