News, Issues, Media

As a busy central room in the house, the kitchen can also become cluttered and disorganized almost from the day that you move in.

If you're avoiding confronting it thanks to piles of clutter or a general air of disorganization, have no fear. Here are some strategies and tips for organizing your kitchen that will make you feel energized and in control.

The first item of business is to remove any and all non-kitchen essentials. Here is not a place for tools, files, books and clothing or lids strewn in a bottom drawer!

If your space is covered with these types of items, you may want to grab a couple of boxes for clutter removal. Keeping school supplies and other things out will require some organization and storage in other areas as well, but for now, we'll stay focused on the kitchen.

Once you are down to working only with genuine kitchen items it's time to go through dishes, spices, pantry items and extra devices. Do you still use that sandwich or hot chocolate maker? Perhaps it is time to donate them to a worthy cause?

Remove items that have been stuck in the back of the cabinets and either discard or donate them, too, to a shelter.

A rule of thumb is to sort your items into related categories -prep, cook, bake and store. Then based on the categories, divide your kitchen space into activity zones. This applies to canned goods, cooking utensils, ingredients, dishes and cleaning supplies.

For instance, keep all your saucepans together near your cook top; and store mixing bowls near your work counters. They'll be hand, you'll have more room, and you'll always know where to put them back.

Are your spices piled deep in the cupboards? A turntable shelf, for example, will sort your buried spices; now with the flick of the wrist you can find the cumin, cinnamon or thyme whenever they are needed.

For the pantry space is a necessity. 3 tiered shelf savers make labels on spices and cans, etc., easier to spot since they feature each on one of the 3 raised steps.

Drawer organizers come in so many sizes that you can find just the right size to fit your specific items. But, use a drawer liner with a thick weave so things don't slide around. If you are blessed with cabinets, the Container Store has roll-out drawers that will give you access to those lost contents in the back.

Older homes and apartments often have small areas which don't provide much help to bring order to any area. One way to overcome this issue is by keeping only essential appliances on your counter top.
Perhaps a smaller microwave would suit your needs when space is so limited.

But if you have a corner cabinet that turns, you're one of the lucky ones.

You can also take steps to make your kitchen feel larger; skylights and light-colored paint can make all the difference. Of course, you won't actually have a larger space, but it won't feel nearly as cramped.

A possible conflict that has to be resolved is between how you're using your kitchen now with how you'd like to use it. Your home is like a canvas that expresses what things you'd like to reveal about yourself. In that connection, you might want to ask what do you like about your kitchen and what don't you like very much.