Organizing Kitchens in Ashburn is no different than anywhere else. But, kitchen organizing is a big undertaking so be sure you set aside enough time and possibly enlist the help of a professional organizer or friend. Eliminate all possible distractions or interruptions if at all possible because the last thing you want is to stop that momentum to deal with something else and then walk back into your kitchen with everything spread out all over the place. You may scream, turn and high tail it out of there once you see how your belongings magically multiplied! Don’t panic, now is the time to roll up your sleeves, blast some upbeat music and dig in.
Before you dig in, you do need to prepare by gathering some essential tools. The most important tool is the multipurpose trash bag. You may need some extra boxes for donations, and a box labeled “elsewhere” for all of those things that mysteriously land on the kitchen counter but have no business being there! You will also want some cleaning supplies since while you already have everything out you may as well clean it too.
Now to begin, designate a place for those “must keep” items that will go back in the kitchen. Start pulling things out of those cabinets and begin making decisions immediately about whether to place in in your must keep pile, donate pile, or the trash if it doesn’t even work. Work your way through every single cabinet, even the ones you think are pretty organized because once everything is sorted out you may realize the kitchen is not as organized and as efficient as you thought. Trust me, everything out. Pretend you are on a treasure hunt to discover the most rare and forgotten kitchen item.
Be really honest when deciding on all of those gadgets and gizmo’s, special pots with only one purpose and counter-top appliances. When was the last time you used the item if ever? If you haven’t used it, or haven’t used it in the past 6 months or more, donate it. Yes, you spent good money on it but that doesn’t mean you need to keep it where it will just continue to clutter up you utensil drawer, cabinet or countertop making it hard to find the things that you actually use.
When placing everything back into the cabinets and drawers think of the kitchen as having zones for different tasks. Place items together that have like purposes. For instance, set up the coffee, tea, sugar and creamer in the cabinet above the coffee maker. A food prep zone would make sense near the sink where you can wash, cut and dispose of waste in the same location. Keep your knives and cutting boards near this zone. Keep your spices near your prep and cooking areas. If you are a big baker create a baking zone with all of the frequently used items together.
A good general rule of thumb when placing any item into each zone is to keep the most frequently used items within arms reach in each zone (whenever possible). Then the less frequently used items should be kept further out of reach based on the amount of use. Seasonal items should not be sitting with your day to day supplies. They need to be stored either in the basement with your seasonal decorations, or in those crazy little cabinets above the fridge that can only be reached by standing on the counter if you are like me and are vertically challenged.
If you have limited cabinet space you may want to consider buying special racks for stacking dishes above each other. This is a great way to maximize wasted space. Also, that awkward space under the kitchen sink has a special shelf that can be configured around the pipes in order to utilize that vertical wasted space. Both items can be found at kitchen supply stores like Bed Bath & Beyond and Linens And Things.
Now get in that kitchen and set it up so it works for you!! If you think you need hands on help from a professional organizer contact Maria White at: WWW.ENNUFFWITHTHESTUFF.COM.
Article written by:
Maria White
ENUFF WITH THE STUFF
Sort, Stow & Let It Go!
