Find Storage In Your Kitchen

Find Storage in Your Kitchen

Declutter Your Kitchen in a Few Easy Steps

Typically, the kitchen gets so much traffic and use, it is often the most cluttered and overrun room in a home. Because it does hold such prominence in your home, the kitchen should be organized, and a place where family and friends want to gather.

A functional and attractive kitchen adds tremendous value to a home as well. There are many ways to declutter your kitchen by finding hidden storage in simple tools and practices. Some creative thinking and organizing could free up so much space that you will be tempted to head back to the store simply to fill it!

Learn to Let Go

So often we save broken appliances or utensils, thinking that some day we'll get around to fixing them. If this sounds like something you've done, get rid of the unused items. Dishes that are chipped are not only an eyesore but a hazard. They should be first on your list of items to purge.

Take inventory of your refrigerator and cabinets. Are you holding on to condiments, spices or sauces that have expired or been untouched for months? Toss these items without giving them a second thought. You'll be pleasantly surprised by how much room you free up.

Do your food storage containers look like they've hit the microwave one time too many—so much so that you can't properly fit a lid on them? If so, it is definitely time to retire them.

Organize

Free up your counters to make room for appliances or tools you use regularly or for a decorative item like a vase of flowers. Sponges and dish towels that do little to improve the appearance of your kitchen and take up much needed space can find a new home in a wire basket hung from the inside of a cabinet door under the sink. These baskets hang from the door's edge and often require no screws or nails to affix.

Consider relocating appliances that you rarely use, like your old bread maker, to a cabinet or basement closet. These sizable items can take up a lot of space that could be used for items that are needed more than once a year.

Often, drawers are cluttered by cooking utensils that quickly become tangled together, sometimes even making it difficult for you to get the drawer to open. Flatware trays for silverware can double the storage space in your drawers while keeping forks, spoons and knives neatly organized in their own slots.

Likewise, trays for larger cooking utensils like spatulas exist and can keep these items neatly contained. An alternative to a drawer tray is a decorative vase or canister where you can store all your loose cooking utensils on the counter or in a cabinet. There are also Lazy Susan type utensil holders that are ideal to keep near the cooktop.

Whether it's food, dishes or cleaning supplies taking over your cabinets, a remedy exists. A pot rack hung from the ceiling can free up entire cabinets whose previous tenants took up more than their fair share of space. Not only does a pot rack free up storage for other kitchen items in need of a home, but it also makes pots and pans easily accessible and may just inspire you to cook more and different dishes.

Similarly, drawers or shelves within cabinets can help keep contents organized and free up space for other items. You may want to consider food storage canisters or containers that can hold such staples as flour, sugar, cereal and snacks.

These canisters are sturdy and can be stacked or placed side by side to maximize space. This strategy can keep you from collecting three half full boxes of cereal which could be combined into one. The transparent nature of many of these canisters will enable you to see what you have stored and serve as a reminder of what you are running low on before you head to the grocery store.

You can free up more cabinet space by investing in a good spice rack that will keep your spices together in one place. An added benefit of a spice rack is the accompanying labels that clearly mark which spice is which.

Many families keep cleaning supplies under the sink or in another kitchen cabinet. These items can easily be relocated to a laundry room, basement or linen closet without causing disruption to the everyday operations of your kitchen. Kitchen storage is not as hard to come by as you may think. Tossing, rearranging and thinking outside of the box will free up space in your kitchen so that this hot spot in your home continues to be welcoming to your family and friends.