Are your kitchen storage cupboards and pantry in disarray? Would you love some simple and affordable tips and recommendations to quickly reorganise and declutter your most used space in your home? In this informative Mooving Matters blog post, we have gathered our professional home organiser expertise to help you get kitchen back on track, especially those infamous storage areas as the Pantry and kitchen cabinets.
Firstly Declutter Your Kitchen Storage!
Before you embark on big kitchen overhaul its best to tackle a quick 5min kitchen purge to get you started!
- Anything you haven’t used in the last 12 months or can agree is pretty useless then look to toss it out or donate.
- Does it belong in the kitchen? Items such as toys, mail, paperwork and magazines should be reassigned homes away from kitchen.
- Bin things straight away that are past date or broken etc
The golden rules to having the most inviting and organised kitchen cupboards and pantry spaces:
- Clear it – First remove all items for the storage space
- Clean it – Give a good wipe down to all cupboard or pantry surfaces
- Declutter it – Throw out or remove inappropriate and broken items or unused items
- Organise it – Place your items to be returned to cabinets in categories of either DAILY, SOMETIMES AND RARELY USED. Things used frequently to be placed front and centre on lower shelves of cupboard, then sometimes used items toward the middle and after that those infrequently used items up high or to the back.
Now let’s break it down into some pointers for specialised storage areas:
The Pantry
Check out these top hacks on how to organise your kitchen pantry once and for all.
1. Check expirations
Unfortunately, its totally normal to have a pantry that can be an abyss of out-of-date packets and cans. So first to make space by throwing things out.
2. Sort into categories
Sort out like with like items, for example tinned food together, packaged pasta together, Baking ingredients etc.
3. Containerise food in tubs / baskets
Place packet and unopened foods into baskets, tubs or containers according to suit the size of your pantry shelves
4. Use stackable clear airtight containers
They make better use of space and will also keep pantry moths at bay. Place all your pantry staples (rice, dry beans, flour, biscuits, etc.) into clear airtight containers or jars to keep them fresh for longer than the original packaging.
5. Shelf riser for cans
Putting tinned items on stepped shelves will ensure you can see everything at a quickly and easily.
6. Love your Lazy Susan!
These help you make the most of your shelf corners: providing instant access to all the sauces, dressings, and those items that get lost in the depths of the cupboards and shelves
7. Tubs for snacks
Store theses tubs on lower shelves below eye level so you can empty packets into the tub and the whole family can see what’s available.
8. Label it
Always label your food item containers and jars to ensure you remain organised moving forward.
An organised pantry will motivate you to cook and eat healthy and writing your shopping list will be a breeze as you can quickly and easily see what is running out. Write expiry as well on label so food items aren’t forgotten in and older items are consumed first.
A few more smart pantry hacks to consider…
1. Hang an over-the door shoe organiser or an over-door wire rack to make an easy-access spot for all the small things as condiments, drinks, snacks that tend to get lost in the back of your pantry
2.Wire drawers and sliding trays are key if you want to maximize your access of deep shelves.
3. Seasoning packets can be hung from a humble binder clips and a small wire Command Hook.
5. File away your potatoes, place them in a quick pull out the document / magazine holder.
6. Put the extra spaces at the top of your shelves to work storing foil, chips, coffee, or other narrow things that neatly fill gaps.
Kitchen Storage Zones
Pots, Pans and Appliances
First open your pots and pans drawer or cupboard and sort things into like-with-like items on your countertop. Ensure the items you are going to put back are in good shape, Clean and free of any rust. Now also question how many frying pans do you have and how many do you really need? Do the same with all your pots, baking trays and tins, mixing bowls etc. After your cull stack things in order of use back into the storage cabinet or drawer.
Cooking Utensils
The unruliest drawer in your kitchen, most households have at least one drawer devoted to all cooking utensils — wooden spoons, spatulas to garlic presses to bottle openers and thermometers. Try and get rid of duplicate items that aren’t used and designate a drawer near the stove for utensils you use exclusively for cooking.
Knives
Knives should be near your prep area or counter space. Generally, you will only need five high quality sharp knives for food preparation. If your drawers are loaded with more than this, pare it back. You can install a magnetic strip on the wall of your kitchen next to the food preparation area and you’ll always have quick and easy access to your knives and things off your counter. Use drawer dividers to keep them neat and accessible.
Plastic Food Storage Containers
Overflowing in storage containers? Monitor your use of them by applying a couple of small pieces of masking tape to seal all your containers. As you use them, you’ll break the seal. After six months get rid of the containers that still have unbroken masking tape seals.
As for drink bottles to keep this cupboard tidy magazine files are a great way to help keep the bottles upright and contained from spilling constantly out of the cupboard.
The Crockery Cupboard
That cupboard that stores all your dinner plates, breakfast and dessert bowls. At the back of the cupboard I store dessert cups which are rarely used. Drawers tend to be easier to use and access for crockery items. Use long plastic storage baskets from the local dollar store to help keep the smaller items tidy.
And all those Gizmos & Gadgets
Kitchens tend to attract a ton of “must have” gadgets that end up being useless. Discard anything that has outlived its usefulness. Do you really use those slow cookers, specialty pots and pans, egg slicers, fondue set, or apple corers? Most of the time they’re just taking up valuable counter or cabinet space.
We hope this article has helped you overcome some of your kitchen storage capers! Mooving Matters are the movers that pack and unpack you home or space. If you are time poor and would like someone else to handle your kitchen chaos, then why not have us come show you our decluttering services and professional home organisation packages.
To arrange a complementary on-site inspection of your home and any moving, packing and unpacking or home organisation tasks, just contact Mooving Matters, your home organiser Sydney. To simply discuss our ‘Ultimate full service packing + moving’ experience call (02)93375333 or visit us at moovingmatters.com.au.
