9 Kitchen Organizing Mistakes and the Easy Way to Fix Them
These small but clever changes could change your kitchen routine for the better.
1. Store spices smarter
The mistake: Spice jars are stacked on top of each other, cluttered and jumbled, making it impossible to quickly find what you're looking for. And how long they've been in the cupboard is anyone's guess.The solution: ditch the cupboard altogether. Instead, put the spices in a drawer and label the lids so you can find the oregano in no time. Bonus points also go to labeling the bottom of the jars; take a look every few times, and replace the spices after a year or so for optimal flavor.
2. Utilize leftovers
The mistake: It's always a little tricky to eat leftovers in the fridge because no one can remember how old they're.The solution: write the date on your clear glass leftover containers with a dry-erase marker - you don't even need tape. The marker washes up in the dishwasher, and there are also magnetic markers that stick to the fridge. Our family has been labeling clear glass leftover containers for a year now, and it has worked. The dry, cold atmosphere of the refrigerator hardens the ink and makes it harder to smudge without deliberate violence And glass containers are also convenient because you can save transferring the leftovers to a plate to reheat.
3. Keep cutting boards separate
The mistake: You store your rimmed baking sheets along with your baking supplies.The solution: Baking sheets aren't actually meant for baking - they're for roasting vegetables, toasting nuts, baking fish and chicken - and you probably use them a lot. But they're often stored with cake pans, muffin tins, pie plates, and other things you use less often that come in many different sizes and shapes. That's the definition of clutter! Free up your framed baking sheets and give them a better place than all your other baking utensils. Stacked is fine. On their side is fine, too. It's just important that you give them their own space. For easy access, it's best to keep them in a waist-high cabinet or even in a drawer next to the stove. If you have the space, a simple sturdy shelf can keep them even tidier, and the pans can be easily slid next to other utensils like pans and cutting boards.
4. Try to improvise
The mistake: You assume that you need an elaborate organizing system to get your kitchen in order.The solution: You probably already have the tools you need to keep things in order (and to keep your cookware in good shape for the long haul). Even common household items can help keep you more organized. File folders (from the office supply store) or thin metal bookends work well in a pantry or deep drawer. And you can keep your pots and pans from getting scratched by sliding paper plates between the larger ones and paper coffee filters or dessert plates between the smaller pots.
5. Organize your oils
The mistake: Oils and vinegars drip into your cabinets and turn the shelves into a slippery, sticky mess.The solution: A apartment plastic tray, plate or cutting board in your cabinet can hold all those messy bottles, and you can just put it in the dishwasher when things get too greasy, Monroe says. Just make sure it's not on the stove or the top of the refrigerator - the heat coming off your appliances can cause oils to go rancid quickly.
6. Storing staples
The mistake: Your favorite kitchen shelf is working overtime. It's cluttered, looks messy, and even poses a bit of a safety hazard.The solution: stop looking for the items you need most often and put them in a small tray. Trays are convenient because you can move them from the shelf to the countertop or table in the kitchen: I keep a tray under my tea supplies on a shelf. It's so light that I can just pull it down, and it frees up the lower shelves for heavier, more frequently used items. I also put a tray under all my cups because it creates a separation between them and the plates on the other half of the shelf.
7. Hanging
The mistake: You overlook cabinet doors as potential storage space.The solution: reclaim the unused space with hooks! 3M Command Hooks can be used to hang oven mitts, oven mitts, dish towels, measuring spoons, cutting boards, blender attachments and other frequently used items that can quickly clog up a drawer.
