Messy Kitchen? No Problem! 28 Clever Storage Ideas You Need to Try

If you’re anything like me, the kitchen can get really messy when you’re cooking up your signature dish. But in many cases, the kitchen is pretty messy all the time.

This is usually due to having too many items on display which are taking up valuable space and could be hidden out of sight. As long as it’s done right, storing food, utensils and equipment in the kitchen can make the room tidier and save you time when preparing a meal.

In this article I’m going to share 28 smart storage solutions to help you achieve a tidier, more efficient kitchen. Keep reading to find out how.

The Five Stages Of Decluttering Your Kitchen

It’s not difficult to create a clutter free, tidy kitchen. I’m going to break it down into separate sections to make it easier for you to implement. Let’s get started with the first stage.

1. Get Rid Of The Unnecessary Clutter

The first stage is to remove all of the clutter that’s not needed which includes;

Get Rid Of Bulky Packaging

Packets and boxes take up a huge amount of space in your cupboards. By removing the packaging and storing those goods in airtight containers, you can save valuable storage space.

If you like to buy dry goods in bulk when they’re on offer, look for stackable storage containers and refill them every time you buy more products.

Create Designated Areas

You need to organise your kitchen so that you know where everything is whenever you need it. For instance napkins and towels should always be stored in the same place so that you can get them as soon as you need them.

You can keep them in baskets that will fit in drawers or on shelves or countertops and keep these loose items tidily in one place.

Get Rid Of Manuals & Menus

In this digital age, there’s no need to hold onto handbooks and user manuals. Most can be found online and if you do keep a user manual, you often can’t find it when you need it anyway.

By removing these paper manuals from your kitchen you free up space that can be put to better use. And don’t forget those takeaway menus you only use once in a blue moon. They should be either thrown out or stored neatly in a folder.

Remove Any Important Papers

If you work from home, you probably find much of your work is done at the kitchen table. But you shouldn’t store any of your paperwork in the kitchen. 

And it’s not just work papers, any bills, forms or other important paperwork should be stored somewhere safe and not in the kitchen.

Create A Must Use First Bowl

If you’re anything like me, you probably have lots of opened and half used sauces, spices, herbs and snacks in various cupboards in your kitchen. Not only is this wasteful, it’s also another cause of clutter.

You should choose a large enough bowl to house this collection and place it on the countertop. Then make a rule that everything in that bowl needs to be used before anything new is opened or bought from the shops.

Store Seasonal Stuff Away

We all have certain items that only get used during one season of the year. Like that pumpkin shaped pancake mould or the hot chocolate mugs with Santa’s face on them.

These seasonal items are great, for a season, but after that, they’re just taking up valuable storage space. They should be packed away in large storage containers and stored in the garage, loft or cellar.

Label each container with the name of the season or holiday or even the theme.

Reduce The Number Of Cookbooks

Cookbooks are great for inspiring us to cook new adventurous meals. But do you really need so many? If you’re honest, you probably only cook one dish from each book and you probably know it by heart now anyway.

Any cookbooks that you do use regularly can be kept on a small bookshelf on top of the countertop but be ruthless. Only keep those that you actually use.

The rest can either be donated, sold or thrown away.

Donate Extra Water Bottles

Most of us now use reusable water bottles to save on plastic waste and reduce our environmental footprint. But you don’t need 12 reusable water bottles!

Keep a couple for regular use and the rest can be donated to a charity shop so that others can benefit from them. Those that you do keep can be stored on special water bottle racks or on a wine rack to keep them tidy.

Get Rid Of Unused Gadgets & Utensils

We have all been guilty of buying unnecessary gadgets and appliances over the years. They look like a great solution to whatever the advertiser told you. 

But the reality is that after only ever using them once or twice, the novelty wore off and now they’re just contributing to the clutter. It’s time to get rid of any gadgets or utensils that haven’t been used for more than a year.

Remember that egg separator that you bought, that’s now sitting at the back of the cupboard? Or that popcorn maker that only got used once? It’s time to let them go. If they’re in really good condition, they can be sold or donated and if they look the worse for wear, they should be dumped.

2. Get Cleaning

The second stage is the clean up phase, where everything in the kitchen gets cleaned properly.

Gather Your Cleaning Tools

The cleaning tools you use in your kitchen need to be close to hand at all times without causing more clutter. So replace any bulky items with streamlined slim models.

That way when you need to sweep up a few crumbs, you don’t need to reorganise the whole kitchen cleaning cupboard to get to the dustpan and brush.

Compost Your Food Waste

In the UK now, we all have to recycle our vegetable waste weekly. This involves placing the vegetable trimmings in a bucket that is then transferred to a larger bucket outdoors which is collected weekly.

You need to get into the habit of using this bin to prevent your main bin from getting too heavy or smelling of rotten vegetables. If you’re a keen gardener, you can use these scraps in your own compost pile to create healthy soil for next year’s crops.

Keep Utensils Together

Instead of simply throwing all of your kitchen utensils in a drawer, place them all in a pot or container that can be kept on the countertop for easy access.

The container can be grouped together with other containers for spices, herbs etc to make a pleasant, functional display.

Ditch Half Empty Unknown Cleaning Products

Most of us have a few half empty containers of cleaning products under the sink that have been there for years. Some of them will have labels that are no longer readable.

Those should be dumped while any that can be used up should be. Once all of those old cleaning products are gone, then and only then should you replace them.

Keep Worktops & Doors Clean

No matter how much you organise your kitchen cupboards and work surfaces, if you don’t keep them clean, the room will always look untidy. Use a trusted kitchen surface cleaner and a microfibre cloth and wipe all doors and surfaces clean.

The worktops should be wiped down after every use and the doors and fronts at least once a week.

3. Get The Cupboards Organised

The third stage is all about storage and includes;

Make Use Of Storage Bins & Baskets

You can store cans, packets and other items in groups in baskets and storage bins that fit in your cupboards. This keeps cupboards organised and tidy and gives you more space than you realise.

Large packages can be split into smaller containers and those items that get used the most can be stored closest to your cooker for example.

Get Creative With Storage Solutions

On a similar vein, using washed and dried large pickle jars are great for storing dry goods and smaller jam jars look good when filled with leftover grains that you use every now and then.

Use Pull Out Shelves

If you struggle to reach the back of your cabinets, consider fitting pull out shelves. These are easy to install and can be used to store food items, pots and pans, crockery or anything else that’s needed in the kitchen.

All you need to do is either screw or use adhesive strips to attach the runners to the cupboard and then load up the shelf with whatever you need.

Use Door Racks For Thin Items

You can also get over door racks for pantry doors. These simply clip over the door and provide extra storage for thin items like pot lids, chopping boards and even spices.

Use Pot Racks To Keep Pots Tidy

You can buy pot racks that have adjustable grooves for storing pots, pans and their lids. These keep all of your pots and pans tidily stored in one place without the lids spilling onto other areas of the cupboard.

Use A Lazy Susan

These small round turntables are ideal for storing herbs and spices in a small space. Because it turns 360 degrees, the turntable makes every item stored on it easily accessible.

The Lazy Susan is ideal for utilising corners of the countertop which would ordinarily be unable to store anything practically.

Use Shelf Risers

To increase the storage on your kitchen shelves by 50% all you need is to install shelf risers. These simply stand on the shelf and can have items stored on top of, as well as underneath.

You can get shelf risers in all different designs from see through plastic to more sturdy wooden designs.

4. Sort The Drawers

The fourth stage involves getting the kitchen drawers sorted including;

Organise The Cutlery

Is your cutlery drawer a hot mess? Do your knives and forks jostle all over when you open the cutlery drawer? If so, it’s time to do something about it.

No one wants to struggle to find a suitable spoon every time they open the drawer. You need to invest in a decent cutlery holder. You can get adjustable cutlery holders that extend to fit many different drawer sizes.

Your life will be transformed once you have a place for everything and everything in its place. Start with the cutlery drawer and witness the difference for yourself.

Use Grip Liners

If your utensils are stored in a drawer, they probably roll around all over the place when opening or closing the drawer. You can get drawer liners that actually grip onto the utensils, preventing them from moving so much.

All you do is cut them to size and place them in the bottom of the drawer. Then place your utensils on top and close the drawer. The grip liner does the rest!

Sort The Drawer Handles

Over time the handles on kitchen drawers can become loose. This leads to them looking droopy or rattling when any vibration (from the microwave for example) happens.

By simply tightening or replacing the handles on your kitchen drawers you will make the room feel tidier.

5. Sort the Fridge Out

The fifth and final stage is getting your fridge in order. Which involves;

Creating Food Zones

An organised fridge saves you time and money. Time because it will be easier to find what you’re looking for if it’s always put in the same place. Money because you’re less likely to forget about something until it’s gone past its expiry date.

Make a system that works for you like placing raw meat on the bottom shelf (for hygiene) cooked meats on the top shelf and separating each section into different areas. For instance, place your cheeses together on the middle shelf along with butter etc.

Or whatever works for you. But remember raw meat, poultry and fish should always be placed on the bottom shelf to prevent any dripping onto other foods.

Installing A Wine Bottle Holder

We all enjoy a glass of chilled wine after a busy day but loose wine bottles often slide out of the fridge and smash on the floor. To prevent this from happening invest in a fridge wine bottle holder.

Adding A Fridge Drawer Rack

We often have extra space in the fridge that we can’t use because we don’t want to stack items on top of each other. You can now buy insertable drawer storage racks that make use of the space under the fridge shelves.

Using Stackable Storage Containers

Often, the problem we have with storage in the fridge is lots of plates of different food stuff. This means we waste loads of usable space because we can’t stack on top of the plates.

Instead of struggling with fridge storage space, why not invest in a few stackable containers with airtight lids that can be grouped together in the fridge? This allows you to keep that one piece of cooked ham and that half a block of cheddar on the same shelf without worrying about them touching each other.

Enjoy Your Kitchen Again, Clutter Free and Functional

Now that you’ve worked through these five simple stages, your kitchen should be feeling far more spacious, organised, and easier to use. By getting rid of what you don’t need and making smarter use of the space you already have, you’re not just tidying up, you’re creating a kitchen that actually works for you. 

Cooking will be less stressful, cleaning will be quicker, and you might even find yourself enjoying the time you spend in the heart of your home. So, put these ideas into action, and take back control of your kitchen today!

If you found this helpful or interesting, share it with your socials so others can benefit from a clutter free kitchen as well.

SEE ALSO: The One Laundry Mistake That Makes Your Clothes Smell Weird (And How To Fix It!)

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