Ten Commandments for a Well Organized Kitchen

A kitchen can be one of the most organizationally challenging rooms in the home. So much happens there: nourishing, visiting, laughing, crying, making memories. We want more than a utililtarian space. We need our kitchens, the heart of our home, to be a place for friends and family to gather together, lingering for hours over good food and conversation.

Organizing your kitchen saves time, money and energy. But more than that, it transforms the room into a space flowing with love and energy, making your kitchen a peaceful place the whole family loves to be.

Thou Shalt...

1. Plan the layout. It should flow. The glasses should be near the sink, the pots next to the stove and the cutting board with the knives. If you have little ones then keeping cups and healthy snacks within reach can save you time and give them some independence. Placement of everything in your kitchen should make sense. When guests come over, do you find they always look for something in a certain spot? Maybe you should move things to minimize steps and maximize efficiency.
2. Make it safe. With most home accidents occurring in the kitchen, safety is an important concern. Your kitchen has many dangers, including electricity, chemicals, fire, knives, bacteria, and ambulatory hazards. How can you make your workspace safer?

    Keep knives up out of reach of wee ones. That goes for chemicals under the sink. Find another location for your cleaners. Kids can open most child safety locks anyway.

    Keep cords and pot handles out of the way. Burns are hazards for everyone.

    Minimize rugs and wipe up spills to prevent falls.

    Sharpen your knives. There is more risk of cutting yourself if the utensils are not razor sharp.

    Make sure your food prep areas are clean. Wash things thoroughly with soap and water.

3. Rotate stocked items. Treat your cabinets like a store shelf. Put the items that expire soonest up front. This will keep your food fresh and you will use all of your food, offering more variety to your meals.
4. Keep a list handy. Keep a magnetic pad on your fridge with a pen. When an item gets low, jot it down (don't wait until it runs out to list it). This list can eliminate multiple trips to the store, saving time and energy.
5. Have rules. You have standards and that's a good thing. But don't banish everyone from your kingdom, get them involved. Show them how you like things done and then let them loose and put your feet up while your family cooks a meal. Set rules for cleanup and other kitchen chores. Don't cause yourself undue stress by being overly territorial. Delegate things to the family. Your kitchen will be a more fun place to be.
   The copyright of the article Ten Commandments for a Well Organized Kitchen in Organizing Time & Space is owned by Anna-Marie Hawthorne. Permission to republish Ten Commandments for a Well Organized Kitchen in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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