Organizing Kitchen Cabinets

It’s Why Not Organize Something Wednesday again! I mainly do this every week to keep myself motivated and on track.

This week is about Organizing Kitchen Cabinets. How does the inside of  your kitchen cabinets look? Would you be embarrassed to have your neighbor peek inside? It doesn’t really take that long to get your kitchen organized.

You can do it in a morning then whip up a yummy zucchini bread for the kids after school (can you tell I really need to do something with all the zucchini from my garden?). Zach will even eat it and he doesn’t like anything! Okay, back to the cabinets:

1st- Start with one cabinet or drawer and decide if you really need each and every item in there. Do you use it? Do you have several of them? Do you even like it? Do you know what it is? I had a utensil in a drawer for 4 years that I didn’t even know what it was, not alone how to use it. I had received it at a shower and thought I had to keep it for some reason. I finally got rid of it and I still don’t know what it was.

2nd- Once you’ve decided what you’re going to keep, divide things up so it’s easier to find what you need. I use the cheapest plastic containers I can find. I don’t spend much money and it does the job. I also look around my house and see what other containers I have that I might be able to use:

I keep the baby spoons for my grandchildren:

This is my love of shakers drawer and other items that I need, mostly just for parties:

3rd- Keep “like with like” so you don’t have the items you need for baking, making lunches or other food prep spread out all over the kitchen:

Tea Light candle drawer:

4th- Store items close to where you will be using them. It saves on time and just makes more sense. Maybe the rest of your family will put things back where they go if they’re stored conveniently (or maybe I’m just dreaming):

As you can see, I don’t have many cookbooks and probably don’t use them a lot since they’re on the top shelf and I have to get on my toes to reach them. See the sideways binder? That one has take-out menus in it. Yay, for take-out. The lunch boxes are easy to reach though. I use those everyday, because my kids are picky and won’t eat school lunch:

5th- Make items easily accessible to you. Store the most used items on the easiest to reach shelf and the little used items on the top shelf. If you have deep cabinets, like I do in my island, use pull-out shelving. I took out the long stationary shelves and put in this sliding shelf. I could never get to the pots and pans I wanted without kneeling on the floor. Now I just pull out the shelf. So much easier, but they are a little pricey so I’m still saving for the one on the other side:

Love this side. They slide out individually:

Don’t love this side. I’m working on it. I can’t want to get the new sliders and put them in:

6th- Re-access your cabinets at least once a year. What once worked for you might not be working anymore. If it’s not working, change it. It’s easier to keep things organized and put things back where they belong if it’s convenient and takes little time. This would also be a good time to purge items you’re not using any longer.

Now, get those cabinets organized, so you won’t be embarrassed if your mother-in-law opens the cabinet to get a glass for water. Here’s what I’m working on today:

I would bet a lot of those spices are expired. That will clear up some space.

Happy Organizing!