Organizing your Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the busiest areas in our homes. It is where our family congregates every morning for some cereals and fruits (if in a hurry) or omelets and sausages (if there’s time to spare). It is where good conversations are shared and where hearty meals are prepared. Sometimes, keeping the kitchen spic and span seems to be a daunting task especially if you have collected three half-full bottles of vinegar in the cupboard and the utensil drawer becomes a minefield of knife tips and mangled wire whisks.

A cluttered kitchen does not only hinder efficient food preparation, it also makes the area less inviting. My friend Shawn Umsted shares some tips on how to keep the heart of the home clean and well organized.

Start de-clutterig your kitchen by discarding everything that you don’t need anymore. These include busted appliances, expired canned goods and spices, leaky pots, ladles without handles, dull knives, etc.

Remove the contents of your cupboards and drawers, and wash the insides with warm soapy water. Rinse, let dry and replace cupboard and drawer liners.

Store pots, pans and cooking utensils near the stove, nesting the pots and pans together to conserve space.

Organize your dishes, glasses and silverware in racks to maximize use of space. Store them near the eating area and/or dishwasher for easy access. Drawer dividers are also handy in organizing utensils.

If you have children, be sure that they can reach the items they use and place things they should not use - such as sharp tools, alcohol and cleaning chemicals - well out of reach.

Alphabetize your spices and keep them near the stove on a spice rack or in a nearby cupboard on a revolving rack.

Remove large and seldom-used items from countertops and store them in a cupboard. For appliances that you use often, consider adding an 'appliance barn,' which can store toasters, blenders, juicers and other appliances on the countertop without clutter.

Store food items that you use on a daily basis in accessible spots, and store all like food items together - for example, tea and sugar.

Put food that may become infested with insects into sturdy plastic containers and seal them.