Kitchen Organizing Checklist

    Cooking good food is so much easier in an organized kitchen. With the holidays coming up in a couple months, I think now is the best time to get our kitchens all clean, organized, and ready for all the extra fall and holiday baking and huge family dinners.

     I have a confession here. My kitchen was sort of a mess. I try my best to stay organized, but the kitchen is our busiest room of the house. It’s hard to keep it clean, much less organized. So, today, I went through and organized the worst areas of my kitchen, and now I’m sharing with you my checklist for getting your kitchen organized. I hope this helps you to tackle this overwhelming project, step-by-step.

MAKE A PLAN FOR YOUR KITCHEN

Set up your kitchen into sections with each section serving a different purpose.

• Sink area – Dish towels, drinking glasses, cups, silverware
• Drink area – Coffee pot, mugs, drinking glasses, coffee, tea, sugar
• Cooking area – Pots, pans, cooking utensils, hot pads
• Baking area ( close to oven)  – Baking pans, baking utensils, baking supplies such as cookie cutters, cake decorating supplies
• Food serving area (kitchen islands are ideal for this) – Plates, silverware, napkins, trivets for hot serving dishes

ORGANIZE ONE SECTION AT A TIME

For each section:

1. Take everything out of cabinet or drawer.
2. Toss old, expired, or unused items.
3. Clean the inside of cabinet or drawer.
4. Put everything back neatly, making sure it’s in the most convenient location.
5. Put similar items together.

 

ORGANIZE AND CLEAN REFRIGERATOR AND FREEZER

1. Take everything out. I like to do one shelf at a time. Throw out old or expired things.
2. Clean each shelf as you go.
3. Put things back with similar items together.
4. Do in this order: inside doors, shelves, crisper drawers, and freezer.

ORGANIZE AND CLEAN PANTRY

1. Take everything out and set on counter.
2. Wipe out pantry shelves and sweep floor.
3. Throw away all old and expired items.
4. Designate shelves for different categories of food. For example, one shelf for baking supplies and oils, one shelf for boxed items, one shelf for cans, one shelf for storage bags and paper supplies, and the bottom shelf for small appliances. I also like to put my cookbooks on the top shelf.

 

      That’s it! We did it! That’s got to be one of the most satisfying organizing projects to get done. Now we’re all set for our fall and winter cooking and family get-togethers. 

      For more kitchen tips, see Menu Planning And Grocery Shopping and 10 Ways To Save Money On Groceries. Please let me know other ways you organize your kitchen.

     Have a wonderful day!