Do plates and cups fall out when you open kitchen cabinets? When it's time to reorganize, you've come to the right place. The best way to figure out how to organize kitchen cabinets is to think about how to use them. What items do you use every day and what items need to be stored in the back of the kitchen cupboard? Get rid of unused items and focus on making kitchen cabinets efficient, clean, and attractive. Once the kitchen cabinets have been tidied up, you will definitely want to cook in the kitchen again.
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Part 1 of 3: Cleaning Kitchen Cabinets
Step 1. Remove all items from the kitchen cupboard
The easiest way to organize is when you start with a clean state, not least when arranging kitchen cabinets. Go ahead and remove all the plates, glasses, mugs, pots, pans, and anything else stored in the cupboards. Put them all on the kitchen counter so you can estimate what you have and what you need.
Step 2. Determine what equipment is not being used too much
You may have some plastic cups brought from a restaurant, a pile of paper plates, an old coffee maker that no longer works, and so on. Now is the time to sort through your kitchen utensils and keep only those you really use. Getting rid of clutter will make it much easier to keep your closet tidy.
- If you need something, buy it before you organize your wardrobe. If you wait, it will be more difficult later to determine the exact space in the closet.
- Consider donating old kitchen utensils to charities or selling them on sale to cut down on unused utensils. Making sure that your old kitchen utensils move into your new home and don't become trash will make it easier to clean up items that are no longer used.
Step 3. Clean the cabinets from top to bottom
Provide some cleaning supplies and clean every nook, cranny, and closet door. Remove food crumbs, dried oil splashes, and dust so that the cupboards are ready to be used to store tableware and kitchenware. Cleaning cabinets will prevent insects from nesting and keep kitchen items fresh.
- If you don't want to use a chemical cleaner, use a solution of white vinegar mixed with a little water. This natural cleaning liquid is very good for cleaning kitchen cabinets. If you need a scrubbing agent, baking soda can do the trick.
- If the kitchen cabinet is made of unpainted wood, treat it by cleaning it with a cleaner that does not damage the material.
Step 4. Line the kitchen cabinets with paper or cork lining
Fresh cabinet upholstery will help eliminate musty odors and create an attractive space for storing kitchen utensils. You can choose from paper, vinyl, or rubber mats which are available in thousands of textures and patterns.
- Measure the floor of the kitchen cabinets and cut the upholstery to size, then attach it to the base of the cabinets.
- Some upholstery has an adhesive backing to keep it stuck to the cabinet floor.
Step 5. Put the fragrance bag in the corner of the cupboard for freshness
Fragrance bags are useful for making cabinets smell good. Take some of your favorite dried herbs and spices like lavender, rose petals, or cinnamon sticks. Place the herbs and spices in a small cloth bag with the top tied or sewn together. Replace the bag every few months, when the smell is no longer fresh.
- Certain herbs and spices can be used to repel insects. Try placing a bag containing eucalyptus leaves, tea tree oil, or lemon oil to repel insects.
- If you want to get rid of bad odors without using fragrance, put baking soda in a bag and place it in the corner of your cupboard.
Step 6. Buy a storage container to put small kitchen utensils
Now that your cabinets are clean and upholstered, it's time to think about how to organize the kitchen utensils in the cupboards. Actually you don't need to buy a storage container, but if you have a lot of small kitchen utensils, then this storage container can help reduce clutter and keep kitchen utensils in their place. Consider buying some of the following items for your closet:
- Tableware storage containers. Some kitchen cabinet drawers have built-in storage containers, some don't. If your chest of drawers doesn't have one, buy an affordable storage container.
- Tea or coffee cup holder. Many people put hangers at the bottom of kitchen cabinets, which are above the kitchen table, as a way to store coffee cups, mugs, or tea cups. Consider this if you are a coffee addict and want your coffee cups within easy reach. It's also a good idea if you have a pretty set of cups that you want to display.
- Containers for storing dry foodstuffs or other foodstuffs. If you store flour, sugar, spices, and other ingredients in your pantry (as opposed to using a separate pantry), you'll need sturdy food containers. Choose a container with a tight lid to prevent insects and air from entering.
Part 2 of 3: Arrange Dishes, Pots and Pans
Step 1. Place the items to be stored
Arrange items by type. When you're organizing kitchen cabinets, it makes sense to group things together. That way, things are easier to put down, and you know how much clean stuff there is as well as if you don't really like something.
- Group drinking devices, namely drinking water glasses, juice glasses, and other everyday glasses.
- Group glasses with legs, namely wine and champagne glasses. You may also need to keep your water bottle in the same place.
- Group plates and bowls. Many people put the salad plate on the dinner plate to save space. Also group all the bowls together.
- Separate Chinese ceramic tableware and other seasonal utensils.
- If you have a cupboard with a glass front, consider what cutlery you want to keep in the front for visibility. The tableware that is placed on the front can be a decoration and can also be used.
Step 2. Place your most frequently used cutlery in an easy-to-reach area
Decide what cutlery you usually use on a daily basis and choose a large, accessible kitchen cupboard to store those items. You may want to choose cabinets that sit above the counter instead of underneath, so you don't have to bend over to pick up your most frequently used cutlery. If your kitchen cabinets have multiple shelves, place the items you use frequently on the lower shelves.
- Dinner plates, salad plates, and cereal bowls fall into the “everyday use” category. Store all these cutlery neatly in the designated cabinets.
- If there is no room for large plates, you can use a dry dish rack as a dish rack that is placed on the kitchen table.
- In a separate cupboard, store drinking glasses, coffee cups, mugs, and other items that you use every day.
Step 3. Keep Chinese ceramic cutlery and breakable items at the very top
The top cupboard or the top shelf of the closet is a place to store favorite things. Chinese ceramic cutlery, goblets, breakable plates, serving plates or bowls, and similar items should be carefully placed on higher, out of reach areas.
Step 4. Place the pots and pans at the bottom of the cupboard near the stove
Every home's kitchen is different, but in most cases the bottom of the cupboard (under the counter) is the best place to store pots and pans. These items are often heavy to lift and unattractive to display, so it makes sense to store them out of sight and not too high up. Store the pots and pans you use most often in the bottom of the cupboard where they are easiest to reach. Store pots and pans that you don't use very often on the bottom shelf or in the back of a cupboard.
- It may be easier to store pots using a special pan rack that can be hung on the wall next to the cupboard. This way, you no longer have to pile them up.
- Some people keep their pots at the top of the cupboard. If your cupboard is not too high, you can make the top of the cupboard a place to store pots.
Step 5. Arrange cutlery in a flat cutlery drawer
Store cutlery containers in drawers that are wide and flat and easiest to reach. Trim cutlery such as forks, spoons, and dinner knives, each of which is arranged separately.
Part 3 of 3: Organizing Other Kitchen Supplies
Step 1. Decide where to store other kitchen utensils
Kitchen utensils that you use every day should be kept on the counter, but you may have other items that are only used occasionally such as waffle pans, juicers, food processors, etc., that need to be stored in the cupboard.. Store them on separate shelves or on top of cabinets. You can easily pick it up when you need it, but it doesn't bother you.
Step 2. Store food in separate cabinets
If you want to provide a special space in the cupboard for food and spices, choose a room slightly separate from the room for storing kitchen utensils. This will prevent cereal and spices from spilling onto clean cutlery, so make sure food is kept in its own right.
- You also need to have a special section for spices in your cupboard. Food extracts, leaves, and small food ingredients are stored here. It all depends on what you usually use for cooking and which ones are easy to reach.
- You may prefer to have a special drawer for spices. If that's the case, line the drawers with disposable upholstery that can be replaced when they get dirty from scattered spices. Put a special container of spices in the drawer.
Step 3. Designate special drawers for frequently used items
Most kitchen cabinets have a row of drawers to store items that are not in the cupboard. Every household kitchen uses different kitchen cabinet drawers. Take a look at your kitchen utensils and determine how you use these drawers.
- Essential kitchen utensils such as bottle openers, potato peelers, graters, and garlic crushers are usually kept in the same drawer.
- If you bake frequently, you will need to provide a special drawer to store measuring bowls, measuring spoons, and other baking utensils.
- Consider having drawers for storing kitchen towels and oven-specific gloves.
- You may also need cabinets to store food containers and other items such as aluminum wrap and plastic wrap.
- You may need to provide an "unused things drawer" for knick-knacks that can't be stored anywhere, such as pens, rubber bands, coupons, recipe papers, and other useful items.
Step 4. Place the cleaning equipment under the sink
The area under the sink is a great place to store things to keep the kitchen clean. Garbage bags, cleaning fluid, gloves, dish soap supplies, sponge supplies, and so on can be found in this section of every household kitchen. Do not use this section to store food or kitchen utensils.
Tips
- When cleaning cabinets, first try a solution of soap and water in an inconspicuous area to make sure it doesn't damage the cabinet's paint finish.
- Consider purchasing space-saving devices such as stacking shelves and storage shelves to maximize space in kitchen cabinets.
- Check kitchen cabinets regularly to make sure they are kept organized as planned.
- You can also put cockroach-repelling camphor and ant-repellent powder in the cupboard. You can also do insect extermination every 6 months.
