Of all the rooms in the home, the kitchen tends to generate the most traffic and collect the most supplies. As a result, even small families find space to be fairly limited with little hope in sight to keep the clutter at bay, and 48 percent of them wish they had more storage.
Of course, parting with anything is far from an option, which leaves only one choice: Do it yourself innovation!
The Top 20 Kitchen Storage Hacks
Here are 20 things that you can start doing today to help organize your kitchen.
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1. Clean out your fridge
This should be at the top of your to-do list. Look through all of your leftovers and check expiration dates on everything.
Wipe down the entire fridge thoroughly, then organize your food by type – keeping your most frequently used items in the front. It also may be a good idea to keep a box of baking soda in the fridge to help eliminate odors.
2. Give new meaning to “check your pockets” with this under-the-sink organizer
Under-the-sink organizers save millions of people time by reducing the longevity of a search. Used in bathrooms for cosmetics and in bedrooms as a shoe rack, this tool makes for a great storage unit to be hung under the sink for cleaners, sponges, and gloves.
3. Goodbye over your head confusion, hello over the sink solution
Installing a shelf over the sink can expand counter space as well as add a decorative element that will not interfere with kitchen practicality. Houseplants, a chunky knife block, or even spices can accent this space.
4. Dress up cabinet siding with utensils
The exposed sides of cabinets usually nestle a sink or stove, so taking advantage of that by installing utensil racks on them can increase kitchen efficiency by reducing time searching or walking to retrieve the necessary tool.
5. Retire a magazine holder to increase storage
If you detest the thought of aluminum foil, sandwich bags, and wax paper just hanging out on the counters, then this solution is for you; old magazine holders hold these boxes easily, and can be put in the cabinets or under the sink.
6. Avoid sponge and soap space awkwardness with a sink drawer
This slanted drawer is easy to install and is the perfect size for a sponge, brillo pads, and a bottle of dish soap–ultimately abolishing the need for these items to sit out in the open or occupy space elsewhere.
7. Stop fighting the cabinets for space by installing small shelves
A growing family results in an extensive mug and glass collection, but small, angled shelves not only store excess items, but add a contemporary, decorative twist to your kitchen.
8. Cork it in the cabinet
Though cork boards are not necessarily visually appealing, they are practical–especially when installed inside your cabinets. Cork measuring spoons or cups, recipe notes, or lists describing the content of the cabinet to save time and to eliminate confusion.
A video demonstrating how to easily execute this project can be viewed below.
9. Over, under, around the shelf
Put shelves on your shelves by attaching them onto stands and placing them atop another one; wire rack baskets serve as additional storage under the shelves. This drastically increases your storage and looks fairly stellar.
10. Attractive chalkboard with a functional purpose
Small chalkboards create a vintage, French cafe feel in your kitchen, and work wonders when you write measuring equivalents on them. Never turn to google again for when you need to turn a cup into tablespoons.
11. Never give up on the lid again thanks to cabinet hooks
There is no denying that finding a lid in a cluttered cabinet is a dreaded task that often results in giving up on the item entirely. Sticky hooks will not ruin your cabinets while they hold onto lids, though, and reduce the clutter of the cabinet.
12. Make use of an awkward corner cabinet with hanging hooks
A lazy Susan is not the only way to transform a corner cabinet, but hanging hooks allow for pots and additional utensils to hang in an organized harmony that expands the space of the room.
13. From the office to the kitchen: file rack storage
Even the sleekest of kitchen equipment, like baking sheets, can pose problems in terms of storage and organization. File racks hold them neatly and firmly in place, and more than one rack can be placed in a cabinet.
14. From dinner to space for a function: folding wall tables
If you are somebody who loves to entertain or simply hates moving the table to efficiently mop or sweep the floors, you must invest in a folding wall table. These are easily installed by professionals or are easily able to become a DIY project; a tutorial can be viewed below.
15. Roll through stress with a rolling cart
Not only can these be fairly cute and add a decorative element to the room, it greatly expands storage. Cooking books, extra pots, Tupperware, and crockpots are only a few of the items that can rest on these carts. Shop for one now on Amazon.
16. Peg it on the wall
A peg board often possesses a futuristic appeal that serves the purpose of storing important kitchen tools, like strainers, pots, slotted spoons, and spatulas. A backdrop over the stove makes cooking a breeze, while one over the sink doubles as a dish rack.
Follow these tips to make sure it turns out flawless!
17. Improve efficiency & expand counter space with a magnetic knife strip
A magnetic knife strip looks modern as well as elegant, and can make even amateur casserole cooks seem like filet mignon chefs. By eliminating the need for a chunky knife block, counter space is increased, while wall space is utilized effectively and attractively.
Space for a knife collection to grow is possible with these strips, but a cutting block would need to be replaced or even doubled.
18. Save empty six-pack holders for ultimate refrigerator storage
Aside from protecting the environment, holding on to six pack holders is a great way to store bottles in the fridge, like condiments, dressings, juice, soda, and even yogurt. This keeps similar items together and reduces the time cramming everything onto the shelves, which also eliminates the risk of spills or breaks. Buy a few six pack holders on Amazon here.
19. Plastic container obsessed?
You may want to purge your never-ending collection of plastic containers, as they’ve probably built up over the years. Get rid of any ones that won’t seal, have cracks, or are entirely stained.
Once you get rid of those ones, stack the containers by size. Then, you can purchase a divider to store all of your lids (also by size)! This will give you easy access and visibility to all of your storage containers.
Tip: Make it a goal to replace all of your plastic containers with glass ones over the next year to help cut down your use of plastic.
20. Keep bags out of sight
We always recommend re-using plastic bags that you get from the grocery store, but it can be challenging figuring out where to store them so that it isn’t a complete eyesore.
Well, why not DIY your own storage container? Take a canister and, using a utility knife, cut an X-shaped slit in the middle of the lid. Cover the container with your favorite cardstock and decorate it with sticky letters (or paint the words on if you’re excellent at lettering)!
Then, you can roll your plastic bags together in a tight circle and put them in a canister, and thread the first bag through the slit. Think of how a tissue box works – that’s the same concept you’re using here. Voila!
Is Your Kitchen Organized Yet? Well, It Should Be…
To finalize, innovations to organize your kitchen are fairly endless and undoubtedly simple to execute. Most of these solutions are easily done in five minutes, while some of them may take a few hours to complete.
To sweeten the deal, costly professionals are rarely needed to complete these projects, but have adapted to incorporating them into their practices. Items once deemed as junk convert to their new purpose by saving space in every corner of the room, adding decorative elements that never interfere with functionality, and generally just eliminate the stress associated with kitchen clutter.