Combating cabinet clutter….

Once you’ve determined the right zone – or area – for items within the kitchen, spend some time organizing your items to make the best use of the space.

(1) Take an inventory of what you have.  Pull out all of the items and put them on a counter or table so you can really look at them. Recycle, donate, or throw away any item that doesn’t have all the pieces, are broken, cracked, damaged or badly stained.  Most people only have a few items that they regularly use, so ask yourself, “ Do I really need all of these?”

(2) Sort your items by shape and size.

(3) Some items stack or store easily but others might need a container.  A clear bin, basket or even a Ziploc bag might be the best container within a drawer or cabinet.  Resist the urge to stack frequently used items  – having to dig around for something in a drawer or cabinet often leads to having the item left out or shoved into any open space on a regular basis.

(4) Store the items/containers in a single location or “zone.  Take the time to arrange, stack and work with the space so that the items are easily accessible.  The more accessible the space, the easier it will be to keep the items organized. If you use an item almost daily, it is best to store it in the most convenient and accessible spot in your kitchen – i.e., the “prime real estate”.

(5) Maintain the space going forward.  Resist the urge to hold onto more items than you need and try to cram “more” into the space. Once I figured out the “perfect” schematic for my drawer, I refill my original containers with new supplies vs. trying to reconfigure the space with new and different boxes.