Here are some tips shared by a professional organizer.
Undergoing a kitchen renovation can greatly get in the way of our day to day life. Before you begin to take everything down, gather all the things that you use every day (like the utensils you need for cooking, eating, drinking and the like) and put them all in a box (or boxes depending on the quantity) and label it accordingly. This way, it will be easy for you to find the things you need without having to through all the clutter.
Then, gather everything that you have in the cabinets and arrange them properly according to category and put in a box (or boxes if needed). Like what you did with the box for the everyday things that you need, put a label on this box. Along the process, give or throw away those items that you no longer need or those that are not working anymore.
The kitchen place is one area in the house that is always being used. And usually, because of this, the storage cannot accommodate everything that is there. One tip to avoid clutter is to store those items that you don’t really use that much, or those that get used only on special occasions, someplace else around the house like in the basement or in the attic perhaps.
After the renovation when it’s time to put things back, create a system. Like how you put them away by category, put them back according to category as well, and this time, keep similar things together to maintain order. In categorizing, emulate the one done in grocery stores. Make sure that you also include a category that would contain the things that will always be using and put them in the cabinets that are most accessible.
Papers are a no-no in the kitchen. Just like how the kitchen is the place to cook and to eat, paper related things like the bills, newsprints and the like should be placed in the office space of the house. If you don’t have one though, then allocate one table to be used for that function in the kitchen or a connecting room. There you can put the bills that need attention as well as the mails. Make sure that you attend to them every day so that they don’t accumulate.
The paperwork received can be categorized in three sections. The first section will contain all the “to do’s”. The second section will then contain everything that needs to be read. And finally, the third section will contain everything that needs to be filed. As for the appointments, there is the calendar for that. The calendar should not be hung in the kitchen. It would only be the odd one out.
For you appointments, have them written down. You can use markers or pens with different colors to categorize them. Once you are done copying them, do away with the flier and throw out the invitations and cards.
Tone down on the things you use to decorate your refrigerator. If you really cannot resist displaying some pictures, a magnetic frame should be employed so that the picture won’t be affected by grease. If you plan on displaying the children’s artwork on the refrigerator door, see to it that you are using a durable clip to keep the artwork together and so that they won’t fall off every time the door is opened and closed. Bear in mind though that your refrigerator doesn’t resemble a scrapbook. You can display one artwork per child. Otherwise, it would be too much.
Shopping for food can also be made easy by using an organizer for all your coupons and a constant list containing the things you always need for shopping hung on the door of the refrigerator. Have the members in the family jot down stuff on the list that they notice that would need to be replenished.
If you are working on a specific recipe, list the ingredients you need there. Go through the coupons you have beforehand and base your shopping list to that. This way, you will be doing away with unnecessary purchases.
In organizing your cookware as well as the appliances, consider the routine that you will be following in your kitchen. Consider placing the dishes near the dishwasher or above it for ease of use when you are going to be washing the dishes. The pans should then go near the stove or under it, as well as the pots so that when you cook, everything is just within reach. Same goes for the tools you use in baking; you can put it near the oven. Think of convenience, ease and usage when you do the arrangement.
