How’s your kitchen looking these days? Need a little boost with your organization?
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As a professional organizer, one of the most common questions I hear is how to achieve kitchen organization without feeling overwhelmed. A well-planned kitchen organization project can save time, reduce stress, and make everyday life much easier. Between work, kids, cooking, errands, and everything else that life throws at us, it’s easy for kitchen organization to fall to the bottom of the list.
Every once in a while, we take a good look around the house and realize it’s time for a reset. Your home doesn’t have to be perfect all the time, and you shouldn’t panic if someone unexpectedly rings your doorbell . The goal isn’t perfection; it’s creating a home that feels comfortable, welcoming, and easy to live in. With a few simple organizing habits, your home can almost always feel presentable, even when someone stops by without notice.
Just thinking about organizing your entire home can feel overwhelming, but the good news is that you don’t have to tackle everything at once. The easiest way to organize your kitchen and eventually your entire home is to break the job into smaller, manageable tasks. Before you know it, you’ll be amazed at how much progress you’ve made.
Let’s get that kitchen together. You’ll be surprised how easy it is.
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Refrigerator Door Revolution
— Don’t get overzealous and take everything out of the fridge. Do one part at a time. Let’s stick to the door for this project.
Remove everything from the refrigerator door and place it on the kitchen counter.
Wipe each shelf on the door, including the top, bottom, and all around with a disinfecting wipe.
Now, one at a time, check the expiration dates of each item. Toss anything that is past its date, as well as anything you bought and just didn’t like. If you didn’t like it the first time, odds are you’re not going to use it or like it the second time. Add replacements and other necessities to your shopping list.
Next, wipe down the keepers with a wet paper towel and place them back on your counter, putting like items together. Now — the moment of truth… put everything back on the door again, placing like items together such as salad dressings, marinades, and condiments. It will make everything easier to find later.
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Sink Solutions and Counter Chaos
— Okay, Okay, I know. This one seems like a big job, but it will take you much less time than you think. Start by unloading the dishwasher. Put everything away in the drawers and cabinets as if you were starting with a clean slate.
Put on a pair of gloves (if you use them), and start loading the dishwasher. As you work, leave the water running to loosen any food that’s stuck on pots, pans, or dishes that need a little extra attention before they go in. Once the sink is empty, give it a good Cleaning before moving on to the countertops.
Next, the countertops. Before you begin, feel free to put some of the items away since this task only involves wiping. Use a disinfecting wipe or a rag with glass cleaner. Lift each item and wipe, lift and wipe, removing grime. Bonus points if you take a minute to organize the papers or groups of everyday items you keep on your countertop.
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Tupperware Terrors
— Are you keeping containers without lids? Are you keeping lids without containers? Why? If so, it’s time to start tossing!! Take out your containers and make sure every bottom has a top and every top has a bottom and say goodbye to the loners. Don’t worry if your collection seems small. It won’t stay that way for long, they somehow multiply in no time!! Stack the containers by shape and size to make the best use of your shelf space.
Hint: Go with square-shaped containers, they fit next to each other better. Square containers make much better use of cabinet space than round ones. Check out one of my favorites.
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Spice Split
— Clearing out your spices can be a tough job, and I’m not talking about checking expiration dates or wiping down the spice shelf. What I am talking about is getting rid of the spices that have been used once and then relegated to the back, never to be seen again.
Even though it’s hard, you have to be honest and ruthless. You know if you aren’t going to use a spice again, you know if you hated that recipe, and you know if you’ve never reached for it a second time. Be honest with yourself. Don’t keep it just because you have room for it or paid good money for it. Break the cycle and let it go.
Here are a few of my favorite spice organizers:
- Expandable Spice Drawer Organizer
- Expandable Spice Rack for Cabinets
- Tiered Spice Organizer for Cabinets
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Useless Utensils
— Utensils have a way of multiplying over the years. So here’s your mission: Empty the entire utensil drawer and group similar utensils together. Once you can see everything laid out on the countertop, you can decide which ones you use regularly, which ones perform the same job, and which ones have only been used once.
Kitchen drawer space is a precious commodity, and should not be given up lightly. It’s time to reclaim that valuable space. Keep your favorites, donate the extras, and let go of those gadgets that no longer earn a place in your kitchen. Honestly, you’ll never miss them. Take your everyday cooking utensils and store them in a pretty countertop canister. You’ll free up valuable drawer space, keep your favorite utensils within easy reach, and make it easy to put everything back where it belongs after each use.
Remember: Whenever you finish a task, stand back, admire your work, and give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back.
Is keeping your kitchen organized easy for you, or is it an ongoing struggle? Do you have any favorite organizing tips? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!
P.S. I’d love to connect with you! Follow me on social media for more organizing tips, inspiration, and ideas. Need help with your own home? Contact me here.
It definitely a struggle for me. I feel like I am constantly putting out fires when it comes to clutter and disorganization. Some of that is because I don’t take the time to declutter for a few minutes a day. Some of it is the fact that I have 3 kids haha. Thanks for sharing these useful tips! 🙂
Kayla, Having 3 kids can definitely make keeping the house clutter free hard. But it really seems like you know the key to doing it. It truly is all about keeping up with it. Having a nightly reset, even if only for 10 – 15 minutes each time makes all the difference.
Xoxo – Deb
I LOVE how you break this down so well! I always tell my clients their “outer world is a reflection of their inner world.” For my clients who come to me with weight issues or unhealthy eating habits I ALWAYS recommend they start by decluttering their kitchen. Getting all that junk out of their external world is one of the fastest ways to change themselves internally. And I’ve found people who struggle with their health usually have their kitchen in chaos. So again I love this! I’ll be sharing this in my upcoming reset cleanse as prep work!
Thanks Rebecca, I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! I completely agree with you, I always feel better and am more productive and successful in my tasks when my environment is clear. Otherwise, my mind feels cluttered just like my surrounding area. I’d love for you to include this in your reset cleanse, please tag me so I can follow along.
Xoxo – Deb
This is so helpful – I love the square Tupperware containers tip! I had never thought of that. It’s a mess in that cabinet all the time – ugh! Thank you for breaking all this down. I think it’s easy to feel weird if you don’t know how to do all this, like we should just all know somehow, but I’m one who needs help for sure. Great post!
Amy, So glad you find the Tupperware tip helpful, those round containers just waste so much space in the corners and next to each other. I don’t think people should feel weird about not knowing these things. We can’t all be “experts” in everything. Everyone’s got their own talents, I can’t sing or draw, and to some people it comes so naturally. I always tell my clients, if it’s not your thing, the smartest thing to do is ask for help. It doesn’t matter how it gets done, as long as it does get done. 🙂
Xoxo – Deb
Such great ideas! I really need to clean my refrigerator door and get rid of expired food! Thanks for the ideas.
Sarah, That’s such an easy one. There is no debating on that one, it’s either expired or not. You won’t believe how fast you can knock that one off.
Xoxo – Deb
Great tips on organizing the kitchen I love the spice drawer and somebody please come and help with my utensils situation 😂😂, Thanks for sharing
Denise, Thanks, the spice drawer and the utensils can be a little challenging, it’s the “what if’s” that will get you! I think the spices are probably a little easier as you really do know what recipes you tend to make and when the last time or how often you used the “other” ones. As far as the utensils go, anything you’re hemming and hawing about, set them aside in a bag in a closet (don’t forget about them though!) give yourself a timeframe and if you haven’t even thought about them, or have found another one to do its job then just give them a toss. You’ll feel so much better.
Xoxo – Deb
I really like that shelf rack that goes in a drawer. I think it would be much easier to see the labels like that. Mine are in a cabinet and it’s hard to see the things in the back.
Andrea, The spice rack that goes in the drawer is really great, but if you don’t have a drawer to dedicate to that and yours are in a cabinet I gave links to 2 other ideas which are great as well. The Lazy Susan works really well and the step shelves are great too. Check the links above near the picture of the spice drawer. It says here, here and here. They really are great options. I have the Lazy Susan in a cabinet and I use the step shelf to hold my canned goods so I can see what’s in the back. If you don’t have any of these things, your stuff will definitely get lost in the back. Then you re-buy and spend even more money. Upfront organizing can cost you some money but in the long run, there are so many more benefits, including saving money on re-buying items.
Xoxo – Deb
I love your kitchen its so tidy! Yes, I really need to organise mine and do a big clear out. Thanks for these tips.
Thanks Ciara, Thanks, I love when my kitchen is all together. My mind feels clearer! Take baby steps, and before you know it, you’ll be on your way!
Xoxo – Deb
Thank you for all of these awesome tips! I love organizing and decluttering things this time of year, so these will come in very handy! I especially love that they are simple and quite quick.
Thanks Amy, That was my goal. All these things and more are so doable, the key is breaking them down so you don’t get overwhelmed. Hope you get a lot done!
Xoxo – Deb
I totally need to do this…like an embarrassingly long time ago!!! Ha ha!
Laura, You’re funny. You are definitely in the majority. Maybe try decluttering 15 minutes at a time, if you’re doing it and feel you can go longer than do, if not stop there. If you’re consistent you’ll be surprised at how much you get accomplished.
Xoxx – Deb
Where did you find the lid holder??? That’s my biggest problem, keeping the lids in order.
Darlene, you are so right, the lid storage can be a killer. The particular one in the picture here is no longer available but I just listed something similar on my resources page. Depending on the size of your cabinet or drawer you can get 1 or 2 of these. Check it out, it’s the last item. https://www.letssortitoutbydeb.com/my-organizning-recommendations/ I hope this works for you! This page is where I keep all my organizing favorites.
Xoxo – Deb
What brand of the plastic Tupperware do you use? I love how this looks but I don’t know a good brand of PLASTIC Tupperware.
Hi Stephanie, personally I like the Rubbermaid brand if I’m going to purchase plastic containers. And I always try and purchase the square or rectangle shape to maximize my drawer space.
Xoxo – Deb
My Kitchen and my main clothes wardrobe are like nightmares! Reading your post is like a reminder to clean up! You have no idea how many useless utensils there are in my kitchen 🙁
I hope you found the post helpful. The main thing is to not get overwhelmed! Take it one project at a time. Or one timeslot at a time. You’d be amazed at what you can get accomplished in just 15 min. Keep me posted on how it goes.
Xoxo – Deb