A lot of us are spending more and more time in our kitchens. Honestly, sometimes it feels like I live there. So why not make this space, the heart of our home, super functional and organized? For some helpful advice, I turned to Lauren Combs, a professional organizer and the owner of Neat Method Detroit. Here is what she had to say.
1) Plan the flow of your kitchen
Location, location, location... it’s what they say is important when starting a business, and apparently, the same idea can be applied to your kitchen. Lauren says it starts with your dishwasher. You should place everything that goes in and out of your dishwasher frequently (think plates, glasses, silverware), within arm’s reach of the dishwasher. The same goes for what’s near your stove. Consider putting all your cooking utensils in a drawer or in a jar right next to the stove. I decided to move my spice drawer closer to my stove as well since I like to season as I cook. In general, put the items you use next to the appliance you use them with.
2) Create zones in your pantry
How do you organize your pantry? Is it alphabetical? Does it not really have a method to its madness? According to Lauren, you should try organizing it by zones. Zones can be anything like snacks, sweet treats, baking essentials, pasta, and more. Put zones you use most frequently at eye level, and zones you use less often further out of reach. You can organize within the zones as well putting your most frequently used items in front, and least-used items in the back. Lauren recommends that you use containers, baskets, and labels to clearly outline what your zones are.
3) Clear the clutter from the counter
Do you have multiple small appliances sitting on your counter? Along with maybe some recipe books and other random things? Part of making your kitchen look and feel organized is getting rid of the clutter. Some small appliances that you use every day are fine to leave out, but that crockpot you only use once in a while should be stored somewhere. She even put her toaster away since she doesn’t use it every day.
For more of her tips, watch the video above. You can get help with your next home organization project by contacting Neat Method Detroit.