There are people in this world who love nothing more than to label and organise every last detail of the homes; everything has a box or a specially allotted space, and their homes are neater than you could imagine. And then there are people who lose entire days simply looking through piles of their clutter trying to find their keys.

This article is mostly for the latter type. Now, this doesn’t mean that there isn’t room in this world for both kinds of people – it just means that they should probably never meet and they should never marry each other.

The following seven steps in this article will show you smart ways for organising your kitchen; you don’t need Marie Kondo just yet!

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1. Control your plastics cupboard

That is possibly the single most hated cupboard in the entire kitchen. Plastic containers have a nasty habit of getting all kinds of out of control, seemingly overnight. Control your plastics cupboard by putting some simple rules in place.

Start by buying a plate rack and vertically stack all of the lids inside. Separate the lids from the containers and store the containers from largest to smallest – Russian doll style. Store the mismatched containers in a separate cupboard or drawer – if, after a year, you haven’t managed to find their missing partners, you should dispose of them.

2. Organise your fridge

If your fridge regularly throws things at you when you open the door, this means you need to de-clutter – and fast. Filling every inch of space in your fridge can lead to reduced energy efficiency and excessive food waste.

The warmest spots in your fridge are inside the doors and the top shelf. If you store your milk and eggs in either of these places, they’re more likely to spoil. Milk or eggs should be stored on the middle shelf and condiments inside the door.

The top shelf of your fridge is better used for storing leftovers, but make sure to consume them within two to three days.

3. Keep the most used items in the front

Keep your food cupboard or pantry shelves in check by storing your most used items at the front to freshen up your kitchen. If you have the space, dedicate the middle shelves to commonly used items like flours and rice on the left, and store your tinned goods in alphabetical order on the right.

By organising your tinned goods alphabetically, you can easily see when to replenish them.

4. Create a space for the kids

Dedicate a shelf, cupboard or hooks l09op90p;o’for your kids to store their school items like their books, sports kit and lunch bags. Make sure the shelf is big enough to comfortably store a sports bag and a large lunch tote.

This space will help keep your kitchen clutter-free, and it will also teach your children to keep all their school things in one, dedicated place. It will save you from hunting for items in the morning when you’re already running late.

5. Install shelves

Open or floating shelves in the kitchen are a lovely way to keep your kitchen neat and organised. This is a helpful tip if you have a small kitchen with limited counter space. Use the walls around your kitchen to store items like coffee, tea and sugar canisters. To make the space look extra cute, add hooks under one of the shelves to hang your tea & coffee mugs.

6. Use clear storage containers

Clear storage containers are a godsend. They help you organise your space and allow you to know what’s inside them at a glance. For ease of reference, add labels onto the containers.

No more shaking of boxes to see how much is left inside. If you store foodstuffs in these containers, be sure to add the date to the label each time you refill.

7. Buy a chalk and dry erase board

Chalkboards and dry erase boards are an attractive way to take control of your kitchen. Use the chalkboard to keep track of grocery items you need to buy, and use the dry erase board to map out your schedule for the week/month.

You can also buy dry erase style calendars to add to the kitchen wall or fridge – they’re super handy for when plans change, and you need a bit of extra help remembering everything that you and the family have on the go.

Organising your kitchen doesn’t have to be a nightmare – spend thirty minutes organising it here and there, and you’ll notice what a difference it makes within a couple of weeks.

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