The kitchen is the center of the home, where most families congregate, socialize and eat. With all the living that happens there, it’s little wonder it can be a tough place to keep organized and uncluttered. And it’s because this is the heart of the home that uncluttering the kitchen should be a top priority.
The following steps can be your recipe for uncluttering your kitchen.
Clear the flat surfaces first. Just by clearing the countertops, those repositories for everything from homework to dirty dishes, your kitchen will immediately look more organized. Now think of the various tasks you do in the kitchen: cooking, preparation, cleanup and eating. These are the four zones to focus on.
Your kitchen is probably designed with the efficiency triangle that designers talk about. This is the arrangement of stove, sink and fridge, and makes up the cooking area. All the utensils and food preparation items you use daily should be stored within or adjacent to this triangle for efficiency. Seldom-used appliances should be stored near by, but out of the triangle.
The preparation area near the sink should have clear counters and easy access to cutting boards, knives. Counters are your preparation areas, and must be clean and clutter-free for efficiency.
The clean up area near the sink and dishwasher needs room to wash and dry things that don’t go in the dishwasher. Every-day tableware and serving dishes belong in the nearby cupboards.
The eating area needs space and easy access to eating utensils and dishes, as well as placemats, napkins and table condiments. This space often is a catch-all for daily mail, homework, toys and keys. If you have space, install hooks for keys and backpacks near the door, and a shelf for the other items.
Kitchen drawers and cupboards seem to attract a lot of gadgets that are cool but seldom used. Get rid of the things like the melon ballers, cherry pitters and fondue pots that you rarely use. Analyze how often you use the larger items like ice cream machines, pizza stones and bread machines. If you don’t use them often, then find new storage for them or give them up.
Now tackle your food storage. This is a task that you should do every three months, so outdated foods and excess unused packaged foods can be discarded. Put like things together, with the newest cans at the back.
Take everything out of your fridge and sort through all those condiments you bought last year and haven’t used since. Discard anything that is outdated or that you can’t see yourself using again. Do the same with your freezer, and make sure you clean both as you go.
How many cookbooks do you need? Here is a test for the ones you should keep. Attach a post-it note on each page or recipe you use. You will soon notice which ones you don’t use – no notes! Consider giving them up. Remember, the internet probably has any recipe you will ever want.
The kitchen can be one of the toughest places to keep organized and clutter free. Think about how you move in that space, and how you can make your tasks there more efficient. By visualizing the four zones of activity, and removing the things that don’t belong, you will be on the way to a cleaner and uncluttered kitchen.
Thanks To : foot-panel Breadbox Dinette Sets
Tags: Kitchen, recipe, Uncluttering
