Organize Your Kitchen 101
Plan and write all activities that are currently going on in your kitchen. Write what activities you want to take place in the kitchen, and write which activities that are happening in the kitchen that you no longer want.
Will homework be done in the kitchen?
Will bills be done in the kitchen?
Is the kitchen a wrapping and project center?
Are documents filed in the kitchen?
Do crafts take place in the kitchen?
Are seasonal activity items kept and stored in the kitchen? (like gardening items)
As soon as you know every activity that occurs in the kitchen that is going to stay, write exactly where the activity will occur. Near that area will be the place to keep the items necessary for the activity. If there is no room for the activity (such as homework with homework supplies)and its supplies, the activity must be moved elsewhere. All kitchens have boundaries, so prioritize what is most important for the kitchen area.
Eliminate section by section. Remove everything from the counters and walls (including the top of the refrigerator, stove & sink) and sort through everything. Once you have completed this, do the same with all drawers and cabinets. Sort all items in one area before moving to the next.
If right-handed, work clockwise around the room. As you go through the sorting process, ask yourself these questions:
o Is this item useful to me? Have I used it in the past year? If not, move it out!
o Is it in good condition? Does it work properly? If not, either fix it or get rid of it.
o Do I have too many of these? If you cannot use them all, keep those in the best condition and store excess supplies elsewhere or give them away. Being in good condition has nothing to do with whether or not you need it!
o Is this a seasonal item I can store elsewhere?
After the eliminating and sorting phase, choose where the categories will go.
Eyeball the amount of items in the category and measure the space you have for it. The space is your boundary.
Check for items you may already have or purchase organizing containers to keep your categories separate. I use a Brother labeler to label every container and also the shelf to which the category belongs. I know where things go, but the rest of the family doesn’t. The labels assist everyone in the family in knowing where to find things and where to put them away. I was a server for many years when I was younger. The labels work in the restaurant industry and they work for me at home.
Store all the categories in their cabinets, drawers, and pantry. It’s helpful to reorganize (straighten up) quarterly, wipe all shelves and drawers down, deep clean the fridge, etc.
o Store items used most often in drawers and cabinets that are easiest to get to.
o Store like items with like.(microwave dishes, baking supplies, Tupperware & matching lids, etc.)
o If you have small children, store items you want in their reach down low, and items you don’t want them to reach up high (breakables, alcohol, toxic items, foods you want to limit or restrict from their diet, etc.)
o Store appliances and items on the counter only if you use them regularly (at least 2-3 times a week). Otherwise, put them away. For example, If you only use your blender occasionally then it gets to be put away.
o Consolidate duplicate items into one container (spices, etc.). Exception: yeast or other things with expiration dates
* For energy flow: eliminate all items that are chipped, or only one in a set.
* Items from a painful past – like dishes from a divorced marriage, disturb energy so let them go.
