If you and your family love to cook, then the kitchen must be one of your favorite go-to areas at home, and probably the busiest one on certain occasions. But at times, as much as you want to equate the frequency of use with the organization of the kitchen, it doesn’t always go that way. Cleaning your kitchen counters and throwing away empty food boxes and wrappers are not enough if you are going for an overall organized look.
With the amount of things you store in the kitchen, specifically your kitchen cabinets, it can be quite overwhelming to see that no matter what you do, it still ends up stacked and unorganized. So here are some storage tips and tricks to help you organize your kitchen cabinets.
1. Start With a Plan
Organizing your kitchen cabinets and making sure that everything is neatly stored in their proper places is a tough work, so you can’t go without a plan. It is better to strategize where everything will go before you even do anything about it. Not planning ahead when you decide to organize any space in your home will just become stressful if you weren’t prepared for it.
You can assign which kitchen items will go on specific cabinets. This is part of the strategy you can apply as you store items in your kitchen cabinets. For example, the daily kitchen essentials can all go together in one storage space, the condiments and other cooking spices can go to another, etc. Your glasswares and other fragile kitchen items can also be stored in one cabinet.
For smaller kitchen spaces, you can simply jump right into the storing and organizing process even without a list of what needs to be done. As you have lesser kitchen cabinet spaces to declutter and fill in. But if you have quite a large kitchen space, then it is better to do everything step by step. Take on a few cabinets at a time until you are able to properly store and organize all your kitchen items. This will help avoid some of your kitchen items from being misplaced.
2. Don’t Skip Decluttering
For efficient storage and a smooth flow of organization in your kitchen, don’t ever skip decluttering. It is in the decluttering process where you are able to see what can be disposed of and what can still be stored for future use. This rule doesn’t only apply when you are cleaning your bedroom or when you are on a move out — because even your kitchen cabinets need some care and attention as they mostly contain perishable items that can cause pest infestations in your home. Decluttering your kitchen cabinets will also make more room for other kitchen essentials to be stored.
3. Clean Kitchen Cabinets Thoroughly
Once you have finished decluttering, the next step is to empty and clean your kitchen cabinets. You need to make sure that every corner is properly dusted off and any food crumbs, spills, or stains are removed.
4. Categorize Kitchen Items According to Function
It is important to keep everything in category when you are organizing the kitchen cabinets. Doing this will help you work faster because all the things you need are grouped together. You don’t have to go through the hassle of opening one cabinet after the other just to look for a certain item — because you will know where to get them. Each kitchen item category must have their own area:
- Cooking wares (Pots and pans)
- Dining wares
- Cooking and baking equipment
- Kitchen utensils
- Cups, glasses, and mugs
- Cleaning and disinfecting tools for the kitchen
- Food storage
5. Use Food Storage Containers
Food storage containers are basically lifesavers when you are trying to maintain organization in your kitchen. They don’t only help properly store your food items, but they also make your kitchen cabinets look more aesthetically pleasing.
- Use clear food storage containers in either plastic or glass, for a tidy appearance. This way, you can also easily see what food is inside the container.
- Label each container accordingly, so you don’t make a mistake and get the wrong ingredient or food item.
- You can opt to store your food containers right above the kitchen counter space where you usually prepare food for better access. This will be helpful as you cook meals because you don’t need to walk around the kitchen just to get what you need.
If you have a pantry, you can store some of your food items there. You can assign which food items will go in the pantry and in the kitchen cabinets.
6. Consider What Can Be Stored in Your Kitchen Cabinets
As you store and organize everything in your kitchen cabinets, you also have to consider what items can be stored in the upper and lower cabinets, as there are things you can’t store in the lower cabinets that can only be stored in the upper cabinets.
Upper Cabinets
- Glasswares and other dish plates
- Cookbooks
- Food Storage Containers
- Spices and other condiments
Lower Cabinets
- Pots and Pans
- Cleaning and disinfecting supplies
Take note that perishable items should never be stored in lower cabinets because that area is susceptible to moisture, which can cause them to spoil easily or affect their freshness. Plus, in some cases, storing food in lower areas can call for the attention of insects and other pests because that area is accessible to them.
7. Store Kitchen Essentials in Accessible Areas
It is always best to store items that are frequently used in areas of the kitchen cabinet that you can simply reach. That way, you wouldn’t have to rummage through other items in order to get the one you are looking for. You can set aside the farther back area of the kitchen cabinet for items that are not frequently used.
8. Make it a Habit
Creating a plan to organize your kitchen cabinets is a good start. Doing something in order to efficiently store everything is another step towards better kitchen organization, but it becomes hard to maintain at times. That’s why you have to make it a habit, so that you are able to keep those kitchen cabinets and your entire kitchen area in great shape.
If there’s not enough space for everything to be stored in your kitchen, you can choose to rent a self-storage unit. You can safely store glasswares, pots, and pans that are not frequently used anymore, but still want to keep with you. Self-storage units serve as extra storage spaces not only for your kitchen items, but also for other belongings.
We hope that this article has been helpful in giving you storage tips and tricks in organizing your kitchen cabinets.
In need of a self-storage unit nearby to store your belongings? Contact us today and we will be glad to assist you!
