Keeping your kitchen tidy means more than just cleaning regularly. It also means implementing a solid organization strategy to ensure your dishes, pans, and food items are always within easy reach and stored where they belong. In most kitchens, cabinet and shelf space can be limited. However, by using a few clever organizing hacks, you can easily make the most of the storage space in your rental home’s kitchen.
The first thing to know about organizing a kitchen is that there should be a clear separation between the items you keep in your upper, lower, and shelves. It’s best to store frequently used items like dishes, glasses, and cookbooks in the upper cabinets. If you have a pantry, take the time to organize all your food items rather than tossing them in haphazardly. A good approach is to group items according to food or container type, frequency of use, or by other categories that make sense to you.
If you possess pretty dishes or glassware, consider displaying them on open shelves in visually pleasing arrangements. On the other hand, lower cabinets should be reserved for heavier items such as pots, pans, small appliances, and mixing bowls, as well as cleaning products. Don’t forget to install cabinet locks for safety.
Maximizing Space with Organizers
Once you’ve determined where to place your items, the next step is to develop an organizational strategy. Often, the simplest methods work best. One easy way to organize kitchen shelves, cabinets, and drawers is to use organizers specifically designed for these purposes. For instance, silverware trays help keep your utensils neatly organized, while knife blocks and spice racks maintain order in your spice cabinet. A chaotic spice cabinet can make cooking a frustrating experience, but with a little organization, you can keep your favorite spices easily accessible while tucking lesser-used items toward the back.
Repurpose Everyday Items for Storage
If standard kitchen organizers are too limiting or expensive, consider repurposing other types of organizers for use in the kitchen. For example, a simple magazine holder can be used to store random items or even help you organize cleaning supplies, with the most frequently used items placed in the front.
Another clever option is the file folder. If you can locate an inexpensive large metal file organizer, you can place it in a cabinet to keep baking pans, lids, and other loose items neat. Use a rubber-backed shelf liner or hook-and-loop tape to keep the file rack in place.
Creative Canned Food Storage
Keeping everything neat and easy to see can be a real problem when it comes to canned foods. One effective way to organize canned goods is to use wire shelving designed for closets. The underside of wire closet shelving typically has a lip that can make an excellent cabinet rack when tilted at a 45-degree angle. As each can is used, the remaining cans will shift downward, making it easy to check your stock briefly. With this simple hack, you will never need to hunt for loose cans or wonder what’s in that messy cabinet again.
Use Tension Rods and Repurposed Items for Cleaner Cabinets
A tension rod is a great solution to keep cleaning products organized and off the cabinet floor. Installing a tension rod inside a lower cabinet allows you to hang spray bottles, rags, and gloves. This technique keeps your items off the cabinet floor and your favorite things within easy grasp.
Taking the time to organize kitchen shelves and cabinets saves you time and effort. It can also help you know what you have on hand, keeping you from buying unnecessary items. You can easily create the organized kitchen shelves and cabinets you’ve always wanted with just a few simple strategies and a repurposed item or two.
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