Ten 10 minute solutions to organize your kitchen

As a personal organizer, I thought I would share a couple tips for the kitchen.  Let me know what you think.

1. Put all your Tupperware lids in one place albeit a drawer or large rectangular bin.

2. Remove 50% of the items underneath your kitchen sink. You may think that you need EVERYTHING under the sink but it’s just not true. Silver polish?? Really. You use THAT once a week? Well maybe you sell silver over EBay so YES. Okay then Silver Polish for you would stay, but for the bourgeoisie homeowners’ it is just not necessary. Move all items to the garage or laundry area. I know I know. This area is a mess as well but we will get to that later. Underneath the sink needs to be close to 35% full. Why? Such a waste of good space. This is why. You probably use most of these cleaners, plant food and soap more than once a day. With that kind of traffic, you need room to function. Removing all unnecessary items from under the sink will help make everyday chores more manageable.

3. Throw logic out the window. If the biggest cupboard in your kitchen would be best used for lunchboxes, coolers, and travel coffee mugs then go for it. Kitchen feng sui for me means the tools I need most often get the best real estate. Switch 2 cupboards. I LOVE having my measuring cups and spoons just above the stove. They are always in disarray but since the cupboard is so roomy, it does not matter. I can reach for what I need with one hand.

4. Organize your refrigerator in sections. Breads in one area. Actually utilizing the meat and cheese drawer FOR meat and cheese. Once a week do this. I do it once a day but I REALLY like a clean fridge. Put the dairy together. I put everything that needs to be eaten or cooked in the next two days on the middle shelf. The one that your eye is attracted to first. Leftovers go here so they are not forgotten. Best real estate. Questionable berries are added to a fruit smoothie or yogurt. If left on the top shelve behind the Chinese take-out, they would mold. You also will save money as you will be throwing less away each week.

5. Organize your pantry. Same concept as the fridge. Place pasta with pasta, and green beans with kidney beans. HOW you do this is not as important as just doing it. You will naturally come up with a system for your family. Some hints? For a family of 5 with 3 school age children, get a basket and put all chips and snack items in this. The heavy traffic in and out of this container will be high. Kids will soon gravitate to look for snacks in this area reducing waste. Just put “like” with “like.”

6. Clean out the utensils drawer. The easiest way to do this: remove five things. Do you really need 4 whisks and 7 spatulas? Does the walnut cracker really need year round real estate in this drawer? Put this in your bar or laundry area. Take the five items and donate them. Donate anything that is broken, melted, or cracked.

7. Clean the cutlery tray. A dirty cutlery tray is like getting indigestion after eating Taco Bell. Everyone has it. Take out a clean kitchen towel. Pick up and place all cutleries onto towel. Do not dump over or you will just move the dirt from tray to towel. Now, wash the cutlery tray by hand and dry it. You may use a few seconds from another task but trust me. It will be worth it. The organization is in the placing the spoons and knives and forks in all the correct sections. Cleaning it will just make you feel better. I HATE looking at all that gook and stuff that falls into it off the counter

8. Windex or clean the front of the oven, dishwasher, and refridge. Your kitchen will look a million times better without all those fingerprints. Promise.

9. Clean out your linen drawer. Some of those kitchen towels NEED to be demoted to rags. Again, send to garage.
10. Restack your Tupperware. Squares with squares. Circles with circles. If you have a 3-4 year old, get them to do this job for you. Once a week is really all that is needed.

Let me know how you are doing!