Low Cost Tips for Organizing Your Kitchen

There are a number of reasons why organizing the kitchen can be a great idea – having an organized kitchen can save you both time and money, while keeping you healthier by preventing the buildup of various germs that can make you sick.  You might even find yourself losing weight because of your organized kitchen, since it will make it easier for you to cook at home and adopt a healthier diet.  One of the primary excuses that is used to keep from organizing a kitchen is how much it can cost to redo a kitchen design in order to make it more organized; this does not have to hold you back, however, because there are a number of low-cost solutions to getting your kitchen organized that can be done on even the tightest of budgets.

Organize Your Kitchen into Zones

One easy way to get started organizing the kitchen which does not cost a thing is to divide your kitchen into clear zones, with each zone having a specific purpose.  All that this requires is reorganizing your existing kitchen layout, grouping items into existing drawers and shelving so that everything within each zone works toward the purpose of the zone.  Most common zone layouts include anywhere from three to five zones, with three being generally agreed upon as the minimum number that can be used efficiently.  Zones generally include a cooking zone that contains the stove and microwave, a prep zone that contains all of your bowls, whisks, cutting boards, and other prep materials, and a clean-up zone where your sink, dishwasher, and your cleaning and sanitation supplies reside.  You might want to have a separate serving area as well, with your plates, cups, and silverware kept there instead of using kitchen space for storage of these items.

Make Use of Existing Storage Options

A number of items around the house can find a new purpose as part of your kitchen organizing plans.  Small boxes that you receive with checkbooks and similar containers can be placed inside of drawers to make their storage much more efficient, and you can label the boxes to help you find exactly what you are looking for. This can help you save time as well. Larger boxes and baskets can be used to organize under-sink storage, helping you to reduce clutter and be able to find cleaning supplies or other items under the sink faster.  Old baby food jars and other glassware can even be cleaned and then used to store spices and other small items, giving you the option of sealing the jars to keep the contents dry.

Keep Papers Organized

One of the main sources of kitchen clutter is paper goods, ranging from appliance instruction manuals to take-out menus and recipes to old newspapers.  Instruction manuals and other booklets can be kept in gallon-sized freezer bags, letting you keep them all in a single convenient place so that you will always know where to find any manual that you are looking for.   Menus and recipes can each be kept in their own binder, using plastic page protectors to keep them readable while making sure that they stay organized and safe from damage.  The binders can then be kept in drawers, cabinets, or even on a bookshelf if you are trying to get everything that is non-essential out of your kitchen.

Sort the Cabinets

The cabinets in many kitchens are cluttered areas full of food, dishes, and the occasional storage container.  Make better use of your cabinet space by working on an organization plan and getting rid of the clutter.  Buy clear storage containers that you can fit on the shelves of your cabinets so that you can keep everything contained while still being able to see exactly what is in each container.  Buy square containers if possible, as the use of square storage containers in your cabinets can not only help to keep them organized but will also allow you to store more in the space provided than the use of round containers would. 

Make Use of Vertical Space

Countertops, drawers, and cabinets are not the only places for you to store kitchen utensils that you will be using; the walls of most kitchens are relatively bare and can be a great place for you to store those items which you use most often.  Using a combination of small hooks and pegboards, create spaces on your walls to hold spatulas, slotted spoons, measuring spoons, and other utensils and small items that would otherwise have to be stored in a crowded drawer.  Not only will this reduce the amount of clutter that you have to dig through in order to find what you need, but you will also be able to better organize your kitchen into zones if you can put the utensils for each zone within arm’s reach.

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