The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Organizing

Does your kitchen feel more like a chaotic mess than the heart of your home? Is your space in need of some massive kitchen organizing? This guide to kitchen organizing is here to help. Between cluttered countertops, overcrowded cabinets, and the never-ending search for that one missing utensil, it’s no wonder the kitchen can quickly […]

Organizing a kitchen drawer near the sink

Does your kitchen feel more like a chaotic mess than the heart of your home? Is your space in need of some massive kitchen organizing? This guide to kitchen organizing is here to help.

Between cluttered countertops, overcrowded cabinets, and the never-ending search for that one missing utensil, it’s no wonder the kitchen can quickly become a source of stress.

But it doesn’t have to be this way!

A well-organized kitchen isn’t just about making things look tidy—it’s about creating a space that works for you.

With a few simple steps, you can transform your kitchen into an efficient, stress-free zone where meal prep becomes a breeze and everything has its place.

Let’s dive into how to make that transformation happen!

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Benefits of an Organized Kitchen

An organized kitchen offers countless benefits that can completely change how you feel about this essential space in your home.

First, it boosts efficiency, making meal prep faster and cleanup easier by ensuring every tool and ingredient is within reach.

No more digging through drawers or cabinets to find what you need! If you are anything like me, you hate the prep part of cooking.

But when your space is organized, it can make the prep part go faster. Because everything is located where it should be, you can quickly get food ready for cooking or baking.

Additionally, it helps with space optimization, allowing you to make the most of even the smallest kitchens by utilizing smart storage solutions and decluttering unnecessary items.

When your kitchen is organized, you can be sure that everything has a place, no matter the size of the kitchen.

Because you have been very thoughtful with what items you keep in your kitchen, you are able to place them in a way that makes sense for storage.

Finally, an organized kitchen enhances its aesthetic appeal, turning it into a calm and inviting space where you’ll enjoy spending time, whether cooking, hosting, or simply sipping your morning coffee.

Step-by-Step Guide to Kitchen Organizing

Before you buy any products, start with decluttering. When you remove items you don’t use in your kitchen, you will find more space!

This step-by-step process to organize your kitchen will help you go through the process of decluttering, grouping, and organizing everything in your kitchen.

Step 1: Declutter
  • Remove everything from cabinets, drawers, and countertops.
  • You can either do everything at once or drawer by drawer.
  • Sort items into categories: Keep, Donate, Toss.
  • Ask yourself: “When was the last time I used this?”
Step 2: Clean
  • Wipe down cabinets, drawers, and countertops.
  • Deep clean appliances like the fridge, oven, and microwave.
  • Add drawer liner to keep your shelves and drawers organized.
Step 3: Categorize Items
  • Group similar items together on your countertops. This will help you decide where to place items.
  • Some categories may include: cookware, baking tools, utensils, pantry staples, etc.
Step 4: Putting It All Away
  • Take one group of items and store together in a drawer or cabinet.
  • Repeat with each category you grouped together.
  • Add a Post-It note to the drawer or cabinet so you remember where things go.
Step 5: Maximize Storage
  • Now you can look at your drawers and cabinets to decide if you need additional storage items.
  • Install shelf risers for better use of vertical space if you need.
  • Use drawer dividers for utensils and cutlery if they aren’t staying in place.
  • Hang hooks or a magnetic strip for frequently used tools like knives or measuring spoons if you are looking for more storage.

Maintenance Tips for an Organized Kitchen

The key to organizing is to keep up with the hard work you have done to get things organized in the first place.

To do this, you have to create organizing habits. These habits can be things you already do. And they can be things you need to add so that your entire kitchen stays organized.

There are three types of habits you want to focus on: daily, weekly, seasonally.

Daily habits include things like washing dishes/putting items in dishwasher; empty dishwasher; put items back after cooking; etc.

The daily habits are what will help you keep your kitchen feeling organized. Look at things that pile up every day like mail or papers on the counters. Food not put away. Pots and pans in sink. Then create a habit to remove those things every day.

Weekly habits are things you do only once a week like clean the fridge or take inventory of panty items before grocery shopping. Use your weekly habits to guide you to maintaining your kitchen organization.

One thing that helps me is taking out the cleaning supplies before going grocery shopping so I can clean the fridge quickly before putting our groceries away.

And seasonal habits are thing you can do every few months. These are things like clean the oven or swap out seasonal cookware.

  • Daily Habits: Clean as you cook and put items back after use.
  • Weekly Tasks: Do a quick inventory of the fridge, pantry to toss expired items, and clean fridge before putting away groceries.
  • Seasonal Refresh: Declutter and deep clean every three months.

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Ultimate Guide To Kitchen Organizing

When it comes to kitchen organizing, you have to start with a plan.

To make more room in your kitchen, declutter the items you do not use. Group items together based on how you use them in your kitchen.

And store those items in places that make sense to you.

Add labels so you remember where everything goes in your kitchen.

Don’t forget about keeping up with the organization you created. Create a habit that you can follow every day, every week, and seasonally.

Now your kitchen should be nice and organized!

The Organized Mama with Home Sweet Organized Home
Hey, I’m Jessica! Welcome to The Organized Mama—where organizing is made ADHD-friendly, doable, and totally overwhelm-free. As a former in-home organizer (and mom!), I’m here to help you simplify your home with easy-to-follow systems that actually work with your brain, not against it. Whether you're organizing with kids, figuring out where to start, or just feeling buried in stuff, you'll find real-life tips and support right here.
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