Want to know my biggest secret as an organiser?
I didn’t get into it so my house would look nice. I got into organising so my life would be easier (especially with young kids at home with me).
Organising for me isn’t about having identical storage containers, perfectly folded t-shirts, and a spotless house. Those are appealing, but having to maintain them would add more stress to my day instead of taking it away.
I like my house to run smoothly. I like things to have a home, and I like it to be easy to get them out, use them, put them away again, and clean around them.
I like to feel like maintaining my home is something I can do on autopilot as I go through my day.
I have little hacks, ideas, and unwritten rules for my kitchen that help keep the space easy to maintain. These aren’t must-do’s for everyone, they are just little things that have come about over the last few years that I’ve noticed make my day easier, so I thought I would share them with you!
Here are 8 easy to organise your kitchen so it’s easier to use it:
Declutter. I know, it seems like a big job, but you don’t have to do it all at once. Declutter one drawer, one shelf at a time, and make it a continuous habit. When you take out the things you don’t need, you have less to manage and you’ll enjoy being in the kitchen more.
Store items close to where you use them. Pots and pans in the cupboard next to the stove. Coffee mugs in the cupboard near the kettle. Dishwashing liquid and sponges in the cupboard under the sink. Tea towels in a kitchen drawer instead of the linen cupboard.
Keep like items together. Baking tools in the same drawer. Plates and bowls on one shelf, lunchboxes on another. Party platters and seasonal dishes together, not mixed in with everyday items.
If you have a junk drawer in your kitchen, keep the junk in it kitchen related. Candles and matches for birthdays, skewers for the BBQ, the jar opener, the shopping list. Anything else that’s junk but not kitchen junk can go in the office, the garage, or the linen cupboard.
Store the items you use most in easy to access places and the items you use least in the higher, harder to reach cupboards. Plates and bowls can go in the cupboard close to the dishwasher. Kids cups and plates can go on a low shelf so the kids can reach them easily.
Add clever extras if you don’t have much storage built-in. A kitchen island with shelves and wheels that can be moved easily. Removable hooks and rails to hang tea towels, aprons, and oven mitts. Tiered shelf expanders and turntables in the pantry. A coffee mug tree on the counter. A sink caddy for dishwashing liquid and scourers.
Cut back on your cookbooks. Keep the ones you use all the time and the ones you LOVE to read. Let the rest go, they take up a lot of space (and create a lot of dust) and you get most of your recipes online now anyway.
Get bins with a foot pedal so you’re not having to stop and wash your hands again every time you put something in the bin. You wouldn’t think it would make that much difference, but in my house, whenever I open a bin (or even touch the swinging lid when I put something in the bin), I feel like my hands are dirty and I have to wash them again, then dry them again, which means I go through more kitchen towels than usual, the floor always seems to end up wet from me walking around trying to shake my hands dry as I cook… okay maybe this one is just me. But foot pedal bins are easier!
I hope you found these tips useful! If you're ready for next steps, you might want to join me for our Easy Declutter Tips live workshop on Facebook. The details are below!
x Marissa
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