Better Kitchen Organization Ideas

Kitchen organization can be easy if you divide and conquer each area of your kitchen.  Easy fixes like cabinet, pantry or drawer organizers and even organizing your refrigerator/freezer can make your kitchen easier to be in.  Having an organized kitchen can be a kitchen update that is not only good for the eye, but good for the body and soul.  Anything that can cut down on time and frustration in your kitchen makes everyone happier. 

My husband is former military so we have organized many, many kitchens.  Even if you don’t take on organizing the entire kitchen, just a small section here and there will make a tremendous difference in your life. 

{kitchen from decorsteals}

Pantry Organization

There are many different sizes and types of pantries, but the key to organizing any pantry is to sort and store according to how your family uses the products in your pantry.  After you take everything out of your pantry, sort all the items into piles of similar use items.  For example, my pantry has baking goods, pasta, cereal, school snacks, regular snacks, side dishes, drinks, Tupperware, potatoes and onions.  So everything that goes into the pantry is placed in one of those sections for easy access. 

{pantry from rovergurl}

{pantry from thehomeresort}

Also, the more that an item is used, the easier it should be to access.  For example, the baking items go on the top shelf while the pasta and snacks go on the middle shelf.  We have also found that containers in the pantry work well for several reasons.  Using containers in the pantry gives you more storage space because items are contained and don’t fall off shelves when stacked. 

Also, you can use clear or wire containers to easily see everything in your containers.  Lastly, the containers help with clean up.  When something spills in the pantry, it stays within the container.  Just pull out the container to clean up.  I prefer a container with a solid bottom for this reason.  So much easier than cleaning the entire pantry!  You can also stack the containers with covers if you would like or even use pull out drawers instead if you like that look better.  The idea is just to contain your items for increased storage and easy access.  You can use stand up cylinder containers as well.   Lazy susans are also an option in corners if you have a bigger pantry. 

Peg boards can also be used in the pantry if you have the room.  Peg boards can hang anything from pots and pans to scissors and baking accessories.  Line the doors of the pantry with cork board or paint with chalkboard paint for notes and family artwork.  If you don’t have the money to purchase all of the containers at once, use boxes that you have on hand.  Then, you can replace the boxes with containers of your preference when you have the money.  It is so worth the effort to section off your pantry into containers for an organized super accessible pantry. 

Kitchen Drawer Organization 

Drawers can be the first area to become disorganized in the kitchen.  After all, everything is out of sight and you don’t have to bend over or reach up to throw junk in a drawer.  The thing about drawers is that they move.  So, even if you organize everything in your drawers, if you don’t have mechanisms inside your drawers, everything will shift inside every time you open the drawer.  This will result in a junk drawer eventually. 

To solve this problem, you must install something in your drawers to keep the content from shifting.  First, take everything out of your drawers, wash the drawers and place shelf liner in all of your drawers. Sort your items into like item piles.  One pile for each drawer.  Then, on your kitchen counter, divide the items into smaller piles the way that you would want them lined up in your drawer.  This is where you can get creative. 

You can use the fanciest of drawer dividers, simple wooden dividers, or even narrow bins purchased at your local dollar store.  You can use utensil organizers as well.  The utensil organizers come in many different styles – adjustable, wood or plastic.  Then, place the drawer dividers of your choice into the drawers.  Place all of the drawer contents back into each drawer the way that you laid it out on the counter.  You are done!  Having your drawers organized will make your life easier, ensure that you don’t rebuy items and most importantly help you stay organized.

Kitchen Cabinet Organization 

Disorganized cabinets can cause you time, effort and even money if you replace items lost in your cabinets.  To solve this problem, you must organize in a way that you will stay organized.  Start by emptying your cabinets and sorting into like piles.  Line your cabinets with shelf paper.  Throw away anything that you don’t need.  Next, decide in which cabinet you are going to place each pile or piles of like items in.  The items that you use the most should be put in the cabinets that are easiest to access.

Then, places less used items in less accessible cabinets.  Now, examine each pile that you have made and the cabinet where it will be placed.  Could you access the items easier if you add pop up shelves, bleachers or pull out drawers to your cabinets?  If so, purchase and add the organizational tool to the cabinet.  You are almost done!  You planned well.  So, this is the easy part.  Place all or your items for each pile into the corresponding cabinet.  Beautiful!  Enjoy! 

Spices, Spices and More Spices 

Spices can overrun your kitchen if you are not careful.  Start by piling all your spices from all of the different areas in your kitchen into one pile on your kitchen table.  Throw out any spices that are too old or you would never use.  Spices are tricky.  Spices are personal.  Which spices do you prefer on your food?  You want to be able to find them easily, but also need them to look good and stay organized in your cabinets.  There are many decorative jars to organize your spices in, but my favorite way is to organize spices in the jars that they come from the store in.  I find the decorative jars too hard to maintain. 

You could allocate a drawer or a cabinet for your spices.  In a drawer, you can place a space maintainer in the drawer that organizes and lays the spices flat.  This keeps them from rolling all over the place.  In a cabinet, you have many options.  You can place a pull out spice shelf in your cabinet, tiered risers, or pull out drawers. Once you install the organizational method, pick a way to order the spices within – alphabetical, frequency of use or even by meal.  Order the spices in the way that makes the most sense to you and your family.  My spices are ordered by frequency of use.  Whichever way that you choose to organize your spices, eliminating the clutter that spices sometimes cause and being able to find a spice to quickly enhance your meals will be well worth the effort.

Little Kitchen Organizational Ideas that Make a Big Difference 

Little organizational efforts around the kitchen can make a big impact.  Use coordinated baskets to organize items that collect on the floor or put baskets above the cabinets for extra storage and some texture up high.  Organize under the sink by hanging items on the doors and installing cabinet shelves.  Hang a magnet bar for knives.  Hang a pot rack.  Add a pantry door chalk board, an under sink tilt drawer or a shoe organizer behind the door.  Just getting things up and off the counter can make a huge difference. Instead of being overwhelmed with organizing an entire kitchen organization, choose one small thing a week and start transforming your kitchen!