When it comes to the kitchen, keeping a clean, streamlined workspace is essential! There is a lot of turn over that happens in the kitchen. Dishes are used, washed and put away. Food bought, stored, used, and thrown away. Its hard to keep track of everything and make sure that the storage areas stay clean. Flour gets spilled, the kids put away the dishes in the wrong “homes,” and food is always expiring. I’ve been inspired by a few blogs to change things up in my own kitchen so I thought I would pass these along to you in case you’ve been struggling to find solutions.
Under the Sink: Now, I know that most people store their chemicals here, but you can also store Norwex enzymes, cloths, and food covers there. I think the most important thing to remember is that there is always the risk that a kitchen sink will leak onto whatever is underneath. I love how howtonestforless.com uses plastic baskets to store their cleaners. That’s an easy clean up if one of them leaks. At firsthomelovelife.com, they use a shower caddy for things you will frequently use together. Another idea, especially if you use Norwex, is buying a storage container with drawers. If you look close, Jenn at cleanandscensible.com stores her Spirisponges, Cleaning Paste, and Micro Cleaning Hand Pads in this storage container. At classyclutter.net, they up-cyle a magazine rack to store your plastic wrap, tin foil, or parchment paper if you don’t have a drawer or pantry to spare.
Pantry and Refrigerator: These areas have a lot of turn over and have many products that expire. This is also an area where you have lots of supplies to keep track of. I like how Haeley at designimprovised.com uses a variety of different storage containers, from baskets, to pretty jars, to air tight containers to organize all her supplies. I agree with her that “ Labeling is a fun touch that automatically makes your pantry look organized.” And it will help your kids to find “homes” for everything when you ask them to unload groceries. Considered putting baskets in the fridge. I guess I had the idea that you don’t put anything but food in the fridge, but doing so would clean up so much space. Especially in refrigerators that don’t have a lot of built in storage. If you keep this area organized, making your grocery list will be much easier, and hopefully, will result in less trips to the store every week!
Kitchen Cupboards and Drawers: Sometimes I wish I was like poor Mother Hubbard whose cupboards were bare, especially when I am greeted by an avalanche of lids when I open the door. My life was basically changed by Jenn’s idea to put lids in a bin! Over at onegoodthingbyjillee.com, Jillee builds in a simple bar that her pot lids can rest on. If you need more inspiration, check out ideas putogether by ezzly and Savannah and Mallory.
Good luck putting together your Kitchen SANE Haven! If you are interested on how to create a SAFE Haven in your home, the kitchen is the perfect place to start and I’d love to show you how!
Happy Organizing!
~ Suzanne
I am a big fan of plastic bins. I have been using plastic bins that are meant to be shoe boxes. They cost just a couple dollars–and sometimes I can even find them on sale for $1 each. They are a nice size and easy to stack.