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It can take between 5 -10 hours to completely reorganize a kitchen depending on the size of your kitchen and how much is in each storage space, cupboard, drawer and pantry. Break the job into manageable tasks depending on the time you have to spend. Start by decluttering each drawer and cupboard then begin the reorganizing process described here.
1. Set a day and time
Make an appointment with yourself and don’t cancel it. Leaving this task until you have time will never get completed.
2. Set a goal or 2 for your organizing
It will help you decide what to keep and what to give away. You may decide you want to reduce what is in your kitchen by 50% so you know you need to give away half of your stuff. You might want to be able to find things more easily so things need to be put in zones. You might want to have a better flow to your kitchen so people don’t need to use the same space and keep bumping into each other. To solve this problem, you might need to rearrange where things are located. Decide what your goals are for your project. Write them down.
3. Declutter your counters
Find a home for things that are piled on the counter, and decide if you need them to be stored in the kitchen. Items that are used infrequently can be stored in a basement or garage. Once your counters are clear it helps you psychologically to keep going because you can see progress. Also, it gives you space for the next steps in organizing your kitchen.
4. Declutter your cupboards
These steps 4, 5 and 6 will need a lot of time. Make sure to set a day and time for this task. Take everything out of all the cupboards. Group items that have a like use or purpose together. Food preparation items, baking items, dishes and glasses, appliances, food, spices etc.
5. Part with items you don’t need, love or use.
For this step, you need some boxes or bags. Don’t leave the kitchen to take things to other places you might not get back to finishing the job.
- One container is for things you can donate.
- A second container is for things that go to another room. Perhaps you keep some items in your garage or basement.
- A third box might be for things to return to other people.
- A fourth box might be for undecided. You can’t make up your mind right now and you don’t want to get stalled on deciding about the item. Leave that decision for later.
You have grouped items in step 4 and in step 5 you have decided what you can part with. Look again at how many things you have in each group and decide if you need, love and use them. What can you let go of?
6. Organize your kitchen into zones
Divide your kitchen into zones/centres that are appropriate for your family. Here are some suggestions.
- The meal preparation centre is the home for items needed to prepare and cook food – cutting board, knives, bowls, graters, pots, pans, casserole dishes, strainer, etc.
- The drink centre contains coffee, tea, hot chocolate, drink mixes, cups, glasses, sugar/sweetener, coffee maker, kettle, teapot, etc.
- The dish centre contains dishes and cutlery and should be near the dishwasher for fast and easy unloading. Aim to store items at an age-appropriate height so children can participate without needing assistance.
- The baking centre contains food items and utensils specifically for baking – spices, flour, nuts, chocolate chips, spatulas, cookie sheets, casserole dishes, pie plates, cake pans, rolling pin, flour sifter
- Establish a recycling/garbage centre for easy collection.
- The desk/paperwork centre, located near the telephone, charging center or computer, holds recipe books, notepaper, and a whiteboard or bulletin board.
- The linen center contains small cloth items you use regularly, pot holders, tea towels, dishcloths
- The paper products center holds plastic wrap, tin foil, parchment paper, napkins, plastic bags
- The children’s zone contains dishes and snacks so children can get their things with less help.
- The cleaning center should be located so it is out of reach of small children and pets.
Decide where to locate each of these zones in your kitchen. Write down your zones and where each one is located. Plan it out and work your plan.
From step 5 you can take each of your groups of items and place them in the correct area/zone/center in the kitchen.
7. The miscellaneous drawer
Every kitchen needs one miscellaneous drawer. It contains small tools and items to which you need quick access in the kitchen – screwdriver, tape, twist ties, scissors, pen, marker, etc. Don’t let it become the dumping ground for items you don’t want to organize or two or three drawers.
8. Organize your fridge
Divide your fridge into zones. Have a place for fruit, vegetables, drinks, cheese, meat, bottles, condiments and leftovers. If you have zones it is easier to prepare your shopping list. When you have zones, it is easier to see what food needs to be used before it goes bad. Save yourself money by organizing your fridge and reducing food waste.
9. Give your new kitchen a try
If needed, rearrange items so that they are easy to get at and use. Don’t get stuck thinking you can’t change things to a better place.
10. Donate
Any food you no longer need can be donated to your local food bank. Make sure it is not expired. Donate any kitchen items you no longer need to a local charity.
Want some support or guidance for your project?
There are 3 ways I can assist you.
- Book a virtual organizing appointment and we can do it together. I’ll be in your kitchen with you watching you through your computer, phone or tablet and helping you with the process. https://mindoverclutter.ca/virtual-organizing-services/
- If you’re having trouble making changes to your kitchen book a coaching appointment to discuss how to reduce your fears with making changes. https://mindoverclutter.as.me/organizingsession
- If you live in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada book an in person session for us to work together in your kitchen.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
When you begin to organize your kitchen, think of dividing it into centers. Here are some suggestions.
The area with the most counter space
Use the cupboards above and below the counter as the meal preparation centre. It is the home of items needed to prepare and cook food – cutting boards, knives, bowls, graters, pots, pans, casserole dishes, strainers, etc.
The area with the smaller amount of counter space near the fridge.
The drink centre contains coffee, tea, hot chocolate, drink mixes, cups, glasses, sugar/sweetener, coffee maker, kettle, teapot, etc. Try storing your glasses and mugs in this area instead of with your plates and bowls.
Area near the dishwasher or sink
The dish centre contains dishes and cutlery and should be near the dishwasher for fast and easy unloading. Aim to store items at an age-appropriate height so children can participate without needing assistance. If you like thinking outside the box, store your dishes in the base cabinets until your children are tall enough to reach the cabinets above the counter. Some homes have a pantry. Instead of storing food try storing your plates and bowls in it. Everyone will be able to reach them and it may help to have less traffic near the food preparation and cooking areas.
Area with counter space
The baking centre contains food items and utensils specifically for baking – spices, flour, nuts, chocolate chips, spatulas, cookie sheets, casserole dishes, pie plates, cake pans, etc.
Recycling Area
Establish a recycling/garbage centre for easy collection. There are great products that fit under the kitchen sink and hold 2 or 3 containers to make recycling easy.
Paperwork area
The desk/paperwork center can be located near the telephone charging station or computer, and holds recipes, notepaper, a whiteboard or bulletin board, and pens and markers.
Miscellaneous drawer
The miscellaneous drawer contains small tools and items which you need quick access to in the kitchen – screwdriver, tape, twist ties, scissors, pen, marker, etc. Don’t let the one miscellaneous drawer turn into 2 or 3 drawers.
Determine what centers you need in your kitchen and plan your space to hold everything so it is easy to reach and use. Buy the Create an Organized Home download
In the comments let me know
How do you store your plastic food containers?
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
You may have heard of little free libraries. They are cupboards mounted around neighbourhoods where you can donate a book and take a book, for free. This Thanksgiving my niece introduced me to the Little Free Pantry in her neighbourhood.
Community Fridges have been around for several years, beginning in Germany and Sweden in 2012 and now several exist in many countries and across Canada including one in Hamilton and eight in Toronto.
Giving opportunity
My niece asked everyone in the family to bring canned or boxed goods or baby food and diapers to our Thanksgiving meal. She collected them and is putting them in The Little Free Pantry as items are taken to help restock the cupboard. I was honoured to be asked to contribute to this project. The pantry is there for anyone to take some food or donate food to help everyone have better food security. “Take what you need, leave what you can”, is their tagline. Why are they doing this, to “build a better community by fighting hunger today.”
519 community collective
This project sprung up out of Covid. The founder is Julie Sawatzky.
They are one of many groups working together to fill gaps for seniors, single parents and families who are living in shelters or transitional living by providing emergency aid and essentials to create a better and more stable tomorrow.
The 519 Community Collective has 12 programs including a community fridge nourishing kitchen, 2 urban gardens, 23 little free food pantries installed across the region, an assortment of emergency food programs, and more.
Lincoln County Community Fridge
Down the road from where I live is another food pantry project. On July 5, 2021, the Lincoln County Humane Society launched the Lincoln County Community Fridge at its animal shelter in St. Catharines, Ontario.
What is a Community Fridge?
This is how they describe their program. “Our fridge, like others, is a place where anyone who needs food can come to our Community Fridge and take what they need. We have a large, double glass doored fridge in a new room we built, out of a former cat gazebo. The insulated room is also equipped with 2 pantries to hold dry goods and some limited amounts of toiletries and hygiene products.
As I walk around my community I love seeing the many ways people are sharing to make their community better for everyone.
Tell me about sharing projects in your community.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
My guest blogger this month is Marija Trifunovic from Arizona Moving Professionals.
A neat and organized kitchen space and pantry reflect how well you manage your meals and your household in general. People with large families know that keeping everything neat is often challenging when you also need to stock up on food. Luckily, there’s a way to reorganize your pantry and make sure it looks good and is practical and easy to manage. Let’s go through some super helpful pantry organization ideas that will help you make it neat as a pin – and keep it that way!
Create a unified look with plastic stackable containers
With all the foods in containers of different shapes and sizes, it’s easy to lose track of what you’ve got in your pantry. That’s why packing all of the foods in a one-style container will make it super organized and easy to use. Find see-through, stackable containers that you can use for different types of food such as rice, grains, flour, pasta, cereals, and more. If they’re made of see-through plastic, it will be easier to see what’s inside and how much food is left.
Labels
You can make labels for all the contents in your pantry for easier organization. You can even buy blank stickers and write what’s inside each jar or container. Labels make it easier to manage the pantry, and the space will look even better if you use the same style everywhere.
Pull-out cabinets for reaching items in the back
Oil bottles, spices, and similar items often get stuck in a cabinet, so you use only the bottles or jars in front, forgetting about the ones in the back. Well, how about a cabinet you can pull out like a drawer and see all the items in it? You can custom-make it to fit your pantry or turn one regular cabinet into a pull-out one.
Use dividers
Use dividers to help you organize your drawers and cabinets whenever you can. Drawer dividers and organizers are probably the best way to keep the mess out, as you need to put the items back as they were. They’ll keep your drawers and cabinets as tidy as possible.
Create a spice rack
One of the best ways to organize and use up all the spices is to have them on display and see what you’ve got. Firstly, pour them into all the same jars and label each jar clearly. Next, use a simple book or picture shelf for all the jars. You can hang it on the back of the pantry door or a wall. This is one of the pantry organization ideas that will help with smart storage management, too. It’s perfect for small kitchens and pantries where you want to use every inch of space.
Go vertical
You might feel like you’ve got enough space in your pantry, but creating more space options will make every space look better. Use up the vertical space in your pantry by adding some shelves on top of the cabinets. Also, you can place a couple of baskets on the highest shelves and use them for things you don’t use daily. These are often seasonal items, holiday food tools, supplies, etc. Finally, use baskets to fill any open shelves that look messy. You can hide things in baskets to make the shelves look good and have everything tidy and in its place.
Bonus tip: using the vertical space in your pantry might result in shelves too high to reach. There’s a simple solution for this – a library ladder. Use to reach items that are placed high and have a spacious and organized pantry simultaneously.
Easy access to items you use daily
When organizing a pantry, the most crucial factor is how often you use something to cook. The priority factor will help you manage your foods to make the ones you need daily easily accessible. Sugar, flour, pasta – ensure these are placed in secure containers suitable for everyday use and put in a place where you can easily reach them.
Create a coffee and tea station
If you’re into morning or evening rituals of drinking tea and coffee, you simply need a station for making your favourite drink. Get a box or organizers for all the tea bags, coffee capsules, and other items you need to make your perfect morning cup of joy. Also, keep it together with your favourite cups and everything else you need to use or maintain your coffee machine. It will make this task much faster and easier once you have everything in one place.
Get a pegboard
This is one of the ideas for pantry organization you can use in other rooms in the house, such as your office, garage, or crafts room. Pegboards are a fantastic tool for organizing smaller items you need to prepare food – hang knives, measuring spoons, cutting boards, etc. You’ll use vertical space and clear-out cabinets and drawers.
First things first…
It’s important to know exactly how much space you have, so do a serious decluttering session first. Take everything out and remove all items that passed expiration dates, got spoiled, etc. Also, taking everything out for a moment will help you see how much space you have in your pantry. It will also make it easier to visualize the area and see which of the pantry organization ideas will work the best. Decluttering also works wonders for the entire home, so practice it regularly. However, if there are items, you can’t have at your home but still want to keep, decluttering with storage units is a great solution for this. Use a storage unit for seasonal items, hobby supplies, sports equipment you currently don’t use, old furniture that needs a makeover, etc.
These pantry organization ideas prove one thing – having a tidy pantry is easy. With just a few modifications and smart usage of space, you can truly enjoy preparing meals for your family.
If you need help implementing these ideas book a virtual organizing session with me.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually through Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
My guest blogger this month is Laura McHolm, an organizational, moving and storage expert, and co-founder of NorthStar Moving Company. NorthStar Moving Company is an award-winning, “A+” rated company, which specializes in providing eco-luxury moving and storage services.
Many believe that to lead a more organized and inspired life, the clutter around you must be cleared. It’s simple: if your home is organized, your mindset will be too.
A clean and balanced home is actually a launching pad for many other goals and resolutions. So if you’re already starting to fail at some of your other 2021 resolutions, try this home resolution instead: find more space in your home by clearing out the clutter! Follow these ten tips and I promise you it will inspire you to complete your other resolutions and lead you to a more organized and happier year!
Pantries
Create room by removing the large and awkward food packaging. Purchase clear, air-tight containers, take the box of your food item and cut out the product name, nutritional facts and expiration date. Tape them to the inside of your clear container and then seal the food.
Pantry Shelves
Arrange the food on your shelves to help keep your resolutions. Make “first choice” shelves for the food that you want to stay on that diet. Make shelves that are for the kids’ snacks or foods that you’re just not going to have on a regular basis anymore… You get the idea –some shelves are just for the once a week treat. Some are for every day.
Pantry Storage
If you like to buy in bulk, put the bulk of your paper goods in another location, perhaps a closet or the garage, and place only what you need in your pantry— restock as needed. Tape a note to the shelf stating the location of the extra supplies. When you use the last item it will remind you of the location where more are stored.
In the Kitchen
When storing pots, pans and other durable items, stack them on their sides like files. This simple step not only creates more room, it also allows you to see exactly what you need. Caddies or sorters from a shelf or container store have great tools for vertical organizing. Have all this in mind when planning your next kitchen remodelling.
It’s simple: if your home is organized, your mindset will be too. Share on X
Dressers
Place clothing in drawers vertically (not the traditional horizontal piles) because it not only maximizes space, it allows you to find items more quickly. You can purchase wooden planks or plastic planks to use as dividers. This way you can see all of your clothes at once when you open the drawer.
Closets
If your shoes don’t have a place they end up in a pile taking up valuable space. Place shoes and accessories in clear plastic containers so you can see everything and tape their photo to the inside of their container with the photo facing out. This little step gives you triple duty: more space, you can find it easier and better still you can put it away in the exact same spot for the next time that hot date rolls around…
Our Shoe Box, Container Store
Organize by Color
Organize your closet and drawers from dark to light. It can be a great way to find out that you really have way too many black blouses… and you can keep your resolution of being kinder and gentler by donating the extras!
Kids’ Rooms
Purchase bed raisers for under-the-bed storage. Make sure they are sturdy and the bed can’t be knocked off the raisers during a game of hide and seek. You can also purchase under the bed drawers. You can store everything from shoes, laundry baskets, books and any bulky items that might otherwise clutter their room.
A Baby’s Closet
Is there room to add another bar? Take advantage of the fact that baby clothing is smaller and if you can, add an additional bar to hang the clothing to maximize space. You can purchase pre-made closet organizers that you can customize to make the most out of your baby’s closet.
Neatfreak Hanging Expandable Bar
The best trick to more space in your home is less is more! So if you find you have extra things lying around, throw a reverse housewarming party! You’ll be starting a new party trend. Set aside your unwanted items and instead of having your friends bring a housewarming gift, they are to pick one of your items and take it home with them. This is a great way to reunite with friends, find your unwanted things a good home, and de-clutter all at the same time!
Originally posted on porch.com
If you need help implementing these suggestions book a complimentary 30-minute virtual appointment.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
