Maintaining organized kitchen cupboards isn't just a coincidence; avoiding these six factors will help ensure a clutter-free kitchen space.
Transform Your Kitchen Cupboard: A Guide to Organisation and Efficiency
A well-organised kitchen cupboard can make cooking and meal preparation a breeze. Here are some practical habits that people with tidy kitchen cupboards adopt to maintain a clutter-free and clean environment.
Maximise Vertical Space
Use efficient storage systems to make the most of your cupboard space. Stackable bins, shelf risers, and door-mounted organisers can help maximise vertical space. Group similar items together in clear containers for easy access and visibility.
Implement a First-In, First-Out System
Placing newer perishables behind older ones helps reduce food waste and keeps your cupboards neatly rotated.
Create Designated Zones
Organise items by family member, dietary needs, or use (e.g., gluten-free foods, snacks, spices) to avoid cross-contamination and make finding things easier.
Keep Cleaning Tools Handy
Storing a cloth near the sink encourages quick daily wiping of counters and surfaces, preventing buildup.
Avoid Leaving Dirty Dishes in the Sink
Maintaining a clean sink discourages clutter from accumulating and encourages all household members to put dishes away promptly.
Declutter Regularly
Sort items into keep, donate, or trash categories, and repurpose or nicely wrap storage boxes to maintain an organised appearance without complicating the system.
Adapt Organisation to Routines
Some tidy people prefer grouping items based on how and when they use them (routine baskets or bins) instead of rigid categories, which can be more functional and forgiving over time.
Keep Systems Simple and Manageable
Avoid overly complicated organisation that can be hard to maintain. Opt for easy, repeatable habits such as weekly meal planning and involving family members in maintaining order.
Utilise Every Inch of Space
An extendable storage shelf can fit any size kitchen cupboard, while labelling food items in storage containers can be fun and help with organisation. People with tidy kitchen cupboards realise that there's a whole load of extra (and free) cupboard space to make the most of, including the doors and the tops of cupboards.
Make the Most of Your Cupboard Space
A lazy Susan can help access items at the back of the cupboard without stretching over everything. Instead of using lower-level cupboards for non-essentials, people with tidy kitchen cupboards store the most used items within easy reach.
Decant Food into Storage Containers
Most people with tidy kitchen cupboards never keep their food in its original packaging and make use of pantry storage organisation ideas by decanting what they can into storage containers. If you're conscious of your health and the environment, it's best to avoid plastic containers in favour of glass ones when decanting food into storage containers.
Store Non-Kitchen Items Elsewhere
Keeping non-kitchen items out of the kitchen can help make the most of storage space. Decluttering the junk drawer and relocating it elsewhere can also help manage non-kitchen items.
Be Strategic with Your Organisation
People with tidy kitchen cupboards are strategic with how they organise their kitchen cupboards, often categorising the cupboard into smaller sections so that everything has its place. They also avoid holding onto unnecessary kitchen appliances and tools.
Opt for Handled Storage Organisers
Opting for storage organisers with handles is particularly handy for getting things in and out of tidy cupboards without disrupting everything else in there. Jane Lee, an award-winning professional organiser, home stager and founder of Jane Lee Interiors, encourages all of her clients to ditch original packaging in favour of containers.
Save Space with a Drawer Spice Rack
A drawer spice rack can save space and make spices easily accessible.
By adopting these practical habits, you can transform your kitchen cupboard into a well-organised and efficient space, reducing clutter, promoting cleanliness, and aligning organisation with everyday use and lifestyle.
- To maintain a well-organised lifestyle, consider storing fashion-and-beauty items in similarly efficient storage systems as you would for kitchen supplies, like using lazy Susans or door-mounted organizers for easier access.
- For a clutter-free home-and-garden, apply the first-in, first-out system to items such as seasonal clothing or gardening tools, just as it works for food in your kitchen cupboard.
- Organize your travel necessities in designated zones by trip type or frequency, much like how you group gluten-free foods or snacks in the kitchen.
- To reduce car maintenance hassle, implement a routine cleaning and check-up schedule, similar to the one you've established for cooking tools and ingredients in your kitchen cupboard. Furthermore, it can be practical to store car cleaning products near the entrance to encourage prompt use and prevent buildup.
