Is your kitchen looking less ‘Nigella Lawson’ and more like a clutter magnet?
Are your worktops littered with assorted foodstuffs, utensils, dying potted plants and equipment you never use?
If this sounds like your kitchen space, we have the secret recipe to getting well-organised in your kitchen – and it won’t take up too much of your time either!
1. Look behind that larder door – if you are lucky enough to have a larder, is it ordered and methodical or more a case of always shutting the door quickly to hide the mess? If you use it for storing tins and packets of dried food but can’t remember the last time you saw the back of the shelves, now is the time to radically overhaul. Start by taking everything out, wipe the shelves and line with pretty paper. Throw out all goods that have gone beyond their sell-by-dates and put the remaining ones back in some sort of order i.e. tins on one shelf, packets on the other, pastas and rice together; whatever best suits your methodical mind.
2. Get crockery cruel – do you still have plates and bowls in the cupboard from when the kiddies were little? Or maybe you have ugly dinnerware brought from the local supermarket that you really don’t like. Replace this will pretty recycled crockery from your favourite store or market; mix and match with random patterns and aim for good quality china and you are sure to have a smile on your face when you serve up the food.
3. Zap those countertops – again, begin by clearing them off. If you have old and dying plants, remove them and put them in another room for hospital attention later. If you have enough cupboard space, keep kitchen gadgets tucked away and not on show. Coffee machines can take pride of place but other stuff should be in cupboards or removed; things you never use, donate or recycle with a trip to your nearest tip. Be ruthless – if you can’t remember the last time you used it, it has to go. And going forward, don’t get caught up with the latest ‘must haves’ such as smoothie makers and juicers when one good blender will do the job of many
4. Label those jars and tins – do you have rows of dusty jars full of unknown ingredients? Get them all out, give them a wipe over and fix pretty hand-written labels in place. They don’t all have to match or be the same size – you can even re-use nicely shaped jars with well-sealed lids or mix and match Kilner jars. The main thing is, make sure you know what is in them for future use; that way you will not be buying items that you already have.
5. Millions of mugs? – if so, you need to get busy and keep only your favourites and enough to provide drinks for the family and a few guests. Remove those that are far too big or just too tiny and aim for pretty and good quality items, particularly those found in upcycling stores which are good to look at as well as practical. Cups and saucers can be kept for special occasions such as afternoon tea or parties. So there you have it – our fast fix tips to all that is homely, clean and de-cluttered in every kitchen. Whether yours is cute and small or spacious with central islands, a well-organised kitchen will renew your interest in cooking and make time spent preparing food a real pleasure.
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