How to Organize a Kitchen

Do you love to cook, or at least need to cook a few times a week? Of course you do! But do you find it to be a tiresome chore because nothing seems to ever be neat and clean?Are you constantly looking for tools that are never in the same place twice? Are you often buying food you think you are out of only to discover a jar, bottle or can of what you just bought buried in the back of your fridge or a cabinet?If you answered “yes” to any of that, don't panic. We've all been there, but it doesn't have to stay like that. All you need is a little basic order brought to your kitchen. Kitchen organization can be simple, if you approach it in a systematic way.Box Everything Up and CleanThe first step to organizing kitchen is to figure out  what it is that you have. You can't do that when you can't even see what is in the back of cabinets or on the top of shelves.So, aside from the food in the refrigerator and freezer, box everything else up. Use clear plastic bins, if at all possible. If not, at least label the outside of the boxes and try to put like things together.For example, you could have boxes for the following:

• Canned Food
• Cutlery
• Small Cooking Utensils
• Cleaning Products

Once everything is out of the way, start the cleaning process. Make sure that every inch of your kitchen is dusted, sponged down and/or disinfected.Having every area empty and clean can give you a great sense of your available space. It is also a good idea to clean the whole kitchen now and then for health reasons, to avoid any contamination, as advised by house cleaning London specialists.Sort Out Your Small AppliancesNext, you will need to sort your small appliances and decide what to keep and what to get rid of. Start by getting rid of anything that is broken and probably unrepairable. You might think you will tinker with it later, but it's probably easier and safer to just get a new one.You can also get rid of anything you have duplicates of.For example, let's say that one of your college-aged kids moved out at one point, moved home with a toaster and then left again without it. Do you really need two toasters? No. You could give one to a friend, donate it to a charity or even sell it at a yard sale.Any of those options would be better than having it take up space unnecessarily in your already cluttered kitchen.Another thing you might be able to do is get rid of small appliances that are not multifunctional. For example, you could get a really good all in one machine that works as a blender, juicer, salad spinner and so on. Then you will only have to have one appliance for a variety of tasks.The same goes for investing in a convection toaster oven. You can make all sorts of things with that and avoid having to also have a regular toaster or several other small appliances.Once you are fairly sure which small appliances you want to keep, it is time to decide which ones you use most often. It is perfectly acceptable to leave your toaster oven or microwave on your counter top, if you plan to use them several times a week.However, things like ice cream makers or bread makers might only get use once or twice a year. Those should be securely covered and stashed away. You can get them out of your kitchen entirely and put them in your attic or basement until you need them. Don't forget to clean them before use, as reminded by professional London domestic cleaners.Say Good-Bye To Gizmos and GadgetsHave you been known to see an odd kitchen gadget on TV or at the store and buy it on impulse? Does it then collect dust in one of your over-stuffed kitchen drawers? Well then, it is time to get rid of it!Ask yourself how often you actually use a melon baller or an ice cream scoop. Do you even know what some of the weird metal gadgets in your silverware drawer are? If not, what are the odds that you are ever going to use them? It is time to let them go.Give them away as joke gifts at Christmas, sell them, donate them to a charity or give them to someone who is a professional chef and might actually be able to at least identify them.Cut Back On CookwareThe next thing to do is cut back on cookware. Get rid of any old pots and pans with permanent scorch marks, melted or bent bits or loose handles. Also, convince yourself to part with any glass bakeware that is chipped.When you are looking through whatever cookware and bakeware is left, ask yourself how often you cook or bake. How many pots, pans and baking dishes do you need? Keep only those that are absolutely necessary and get rid of the rest by whatever means necessary.Maybe you have an actual pantry and maybe you don't, but you should at least have a cupboard or storage rack where you store canned, boxed and bottled food that doesn't need to be refrigerated, as well as spices and similar items. Storage spaces should be the first you focus on when you are decluttering your kitchen.