quick fixes for kitchen clutter

The kitchen is often referred to as the center of the home and is one of the most used rooms. It may serve a variety of purposes and therefore needs a variety of storage solutions.

As always, part of implement new organizing ideas is also changing behaviors. Once you have an organized kitchen or space, you must be willing to discipline yourself and your family to put items away. Items without homes become clutter.

There are many useful organizing tools that can be used in the kitchen and most are inexpensive. It is important to maximize space and to store belongings such as purses, papers, book bags and other items that don't belong in the kitchen elsewhere.

Here are helpful hints to keep in mind as you organize your kitchen...

• Keep Like Items Together: Store like items together into zones (all baking supplies together such as bowls, pans and a mixer, all storage containers collectively, all spices together and all serving items together.) It makes it easier to clean up. If you assign homes for items, you will know where to put them when you're done using them.

• Eliminate Wasted Space: Use a Lazy Susan or three-tiered shelves to store canned goods, spices, oils and vinaigrettes or any other condiments that easily get lost in the back of the cupboard, refrigerator or pantry.

• Get Creative: Use shoe boxes or an over-the-door shoe organizer to store gravy mixes, flavored rice and pasta packs, soup mixes, dry marinades and sauces, Jell-o, extra utensils, spices or other small items. Look for decorative containers that can sit on your counter and hide the coffee, sugar or other frequently used items. Use a dish rack to store pot and pan lids, trays, cookie sheets or muffin trays.

• Practice Proximity: It is important to store items near where they are used, for example, pots and pans near the stove, or the bread box near the toaster. Everyday or frequently used items should be easy to reach while holiday or special occasion items can be stored in the basement or further away from the kitchen if needed.

• Question Bulk Purchases: It is important that if you buy in bulk, you have room to store it or it is not saving you anything. Your space should be as valuable to you as your money. Often used non-perishable items can be bought on sale or bulk and stored--which can save you time and money.

So there you have it, some simple and quick fixes that will help you in your quest to organize your kitchen. Just remember, you can't do it all at once...so just start small with 15 or 20 minutes!

For more organizing information, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com