As one of the busiest rooms in the house, the kitchen suffers from a great deal of food and tableware collecting in cupboards to make it cluttered and less efficient in running the household every day. Take stock of what's hampering your processes - remove what's not needed and store what is in a manner that makes it easy to put your hands on every day.
1. Take stock
Working from one cupboard to another one at a time, take stock of what's in there. Pull everything out for inspection.
2. Clean the surfaces
Grim builds up over time in corners and on shelves from food, sauces, dust and daily use. Whilst you have everything out of the cupboard wipe down the shelves and other surfaces with a damp cloth, freshly scented with essential oil - try eucalyptus or peppermint.
3. Cull the contents
Anything that hasn't been used in 12 months should be removed and stored elsewhere or discarded.
4. Stack neatly
Stack and store remaining items neatly so they are visible as soon as you open the cupboard and are within easy reach. Consider adding extra shelves or wire baskets for more efficient storage of smaller items.
5. Consider open shelving
'Out of sight, out of mind'. Consider open shelving in some areas to minimise lost objects at the back of deep, dark cupboards and maximise the functionality of items used every day. Open shelves do need a regular wipe down however when the contents are on show you may be more likely to keep things clean and tidy.
6. Invest in good quality storage
Pantry wizards swear by making an investment for the long term in storage containers of high quality that stack beautifully and look good. There's nothing more rewarding than row-upon-row of matching canisters. Use buckets and baskets for larger items.
You might also like:
A sneak peek inside Gwyneth Paltrow’s pantry
