5 Steps to Simplify Your Kitchen + Pantry Now
A recent poll from our community shouted out loud that this topic was something that MOST everyone needed ASAP! Deal! We’ll break down together some simple steps to get your understanding your kitchen and pantry on a deep level so you can start removing obstacles lingering around and start making life easier here!
And PS. when your kitchen is working right, a lot of other things seems to go SO much smoother throughout your home and your day!
1. Observe Your Space
All we’re doing in this first step is looking around and taking note of any hot spots you see or are experiencing. A hot spot might look like:
cluttered counters or piles of things on the counter
overstuffed shelves or cabinets
digging for things or not being able to find things easily
lots of extra trips to the store
finding expired things you’re not getting to because you didn’t know you had it
lots of duplicates of things you don’t actually use
seeing things taking up space that you don’t use, enjoy or like anymore
your family not being able to take care of their basic needs in the kitchen without your help (based on their age of course)
areas that are hard to keep clean or organized
I want you to write it ALL down. Any observations and anything you know you’re currently struggling with related to anything kitchen and pantry.
2. Remove Things
Now we are going to select a zone of your kitchen and pantry to focus on improving. Let’s pretend you’re really struggling with a particular drawer in your kitchen (lots of digging going on and overstuffed). We’re going to focus on that zone/category only for the next several steps. Deal?
The next step is to heavily EDIT (declutter) this zone so it can intentionally serve the purpose you need to serve. Pull everything out from this zone so you can objectively look at what is there outside of it’s current “home” that you’re conditioned to looking at at certain way (and numb to).
Here’s what you’re looking for to edit out:
items you never use
items that are broken/damaged/beyond repair
duplicates that aren’t used regularly
items you don’t like/enjoy anymore
items that don’t belong in this zone and need to be relocated
Toss items that cannot be donated or repaired. Recycle if possible based on your local regulations (I was just able to recycle old plastic plates and dishware that were not in good enough shape for donation by could be recycled locally). Donate if it’s in good shape and can be resold/be immediately useful to someone else. Donate it locally or offer it up to a site like Free Cycle in your community.
3. Move Things
Before you put things back into this zone, you are going to assess what you’ve decided to keep and align that will how you want that zone to work.
Back to my example of the overstuffed kitchen drawer, here’s what I am going to think about now that this zone is emptied and edited:
what is the drawer close to/what tasks will it make easier for me? (ex. cooking/baking prep)
what tasks do I want to do right near this zone and what should be in this drawer to support this? (ex. chop, mix, stir, measure)
When you more clearly identify what this zone (drawer for example) needs to do, it will likely involve you moving things around to get the end result you’re after and simplify/create more efficiency in this zone.
Now you’re going to group what you are keeping in this zone (drawer for example). Use these guidelines to group items in a zone:
by size/ shape (items with fit better together, nest better and maximize your space)
by use (spatulas together, measuring tools together, long spoons together, etc.)
by frequency of use (if you use it all the time, move it to the front so it’s super easy to grab)
4. Add Order
With clear categories of items to put back in the zone you’re focusing on, a bit of additional order (organization) will make this zone shine with efficiency and make great use of the space you have.
Here’s some ideas for how to maximize any zone in your kitchen and pantry with organizational items you likely already have in your home:
counter tops - if it must stay out, make sure it is used frequently, isn’t taking up too much usable counter space (corral essentials on the counter with a tray, plate or shallow basket)
shelves - keep what is used frequently in the front and easily in reach, if out in view all the time, curate items by type to create visual “collections” by use, color, material, size, etc.
cabinets - to avoid losing items deep in the cabinets, use baskets, containers or bins with handles/cut out to pull out a group of items (like water bottles or cooking tools) all at once and can easily slide back in place similar to a drawer
drawers - create mini drawers with drawer dividers, shallow boxes, cut down cardboard boxes, lids, trays, etc. Subdividing the space you have allows you to see all that you have at a glance and make it easier to access what you need without digging around
5. Live With It
With all your essential keep items back in their place in this kitchen and pantry zone, it is now time to LIVE with the changes you’ve made. As you spend more time with this newly refreshed area, you might realize it is exactly as you need it to be OR that it needs a few tweaks.
Here’s what you might experience and how to tweak it:
you notice you don’t need something out on the counter anymore (your habits/routine has shifted) and can be tucked away
you need to move something to another spot in your kitchen/pantry to make it easier to access/use or support a task better
you need another mini zone in a drawer or cabinet to make it easier to access something
you want to swap locations of items for another area of your kitchen/pantry because it makes more sense
