When moving into a new space, or finally getting sick of not having much room to move or stack items in your current space, it is definitely time to organize in a big way. In the kitchen, organizing can be a nightmare. There is no reason to shy away from that fact, but you can make things easier by following a few of these steps.
Measure out your space in the cabinets
This sounds like a lot of work, especially since you have to take out everything in order to measure, but you’re taking everything out of the cabinet anyway, you might as well make sure that you are only trying to put stuff in that is actually going to fit. If you aren’t sure how to measure a cabinet, there are plenty of guides online that will be able to help you learn the easiest and proper ways to go about doing that, and it doesn’t take very much time so you will be back to organizing in no time.
Put big things in the back if you have to mix big and little
You want to make sure that the bigger items are in the back when you are stocking them in your kitchen. Whether you are stacking things on your counters, the stove, or in the cabinets, you want to make sure that the bigger items are placed in the back. Think of it as a family photo. You wouldn’t put the people who are shorter in the back. You would move them right to the front. So always make sure, for your own convenience, that you put the tall stuff in the back so you always know what is in your cabinet.
Make sure your cans and boxes aren’t together
If you want to keep things as organized as possible, keeping boxes, bags, and cans in different places is the best way to do that. This way, you are never caught looking for something in the wrong place ever again. You will always know if you need more corn or rice without having to do a heavy search. This will also prevent you from ever buying something that you don’t need more of because you will no longer have a reason to put things where they fit, they will have a dedicated area in your kitchen to sit when you aren’t using it.
Make sure you make use of the bottom cabinets as well
A lot of people will use the bottom cabinets for plates, bowls, or pans that they aren’t using. But you have so much space underneath your sink or counter. If you have a big family and you are required to keep your house full of food at all times, inside the bottom cabinets are sometimes the best places to leave cans. I wouldn’t recommend putting bags in the bottom cabinet just in case you have a mouse, or if you have pets that can open up cabinets, but cans are completely safe.
Keep boxes higher up
On that note, if you have pets or you worry about pests, you should always keep boxes and bags of food higher up. Leave them on the counters if you aren’t worried about cats, but put them in high cabinets if you are worried about cats. The chances of a dog getting on the counter are low, but depending on the size of your dog, it might be best to prepare for the worst. The things that are easily broken into should be placed out of reach for anyone but the cook in the house.
The space on your fridge can be used for things too
On top of the refrigerator, there is a lot of space for boxes of cereal, bags of rice, or even cans of fruit. If you need extra space for odd things like breakfast supplies, the fridge is a great place to keep them. You shouldn’t put bread on the fridge due to the heat, but anything that is securely packaged is free to be placed up there with no worry that it will get old or moldy.
These are just a few things you can do to organize your kitchen a bit more. You don’t necessarily have to follow all of these steps, but you should make sure to consider it if you find yourself low on space.