Maximize the Efficiency of Your Kitchen Cabinets

Regardless of whether your kitchen is large or small, there's a good chance that you're not maximizing the usefulness and efficiency of your kitchen cabinet space. Kitchen cabinets just seem to have a way of getting cluttered and disorganized, no matter how hard you try to keep things under control. If your kitchen cabinets seem to frustrate you every time a door is opened, it's time to maximize the space and increase your kitchen's overall efficiency and space utilization. Here are a few tips you can use to help get your cabinets better organized.

Purge Unnecessary Items

If you're like most people, you probably have at least several items stored in your kitchen cabinets that you rarely use. For example, although you might bring out your large turkey platter on Thanksgiving Day, the rest of the year it's just taking up valuable cabinet space. Take a good look at the items stored in your cabinets. If there are items that you don't need anymore, donate them to your favorite charity or give them to somebody you know that could put them to good use. The same is true with duplicated items. If you only use the item rarely or perhaps on a seasonal basis, look for another place you can store the item when it's not being used. For example, a basement closet could be a great place to store large serving pieces or infrequently used small kitchen appliances in between uses.

Dishes, glasses and plastic containers are other items that can easily become out of control in kitchen cabinets. If your glassware collection is a motley assortment of several sets blended together, perhaps it's time to replace them with a more space efficient set. If you cannot find the lids to your plastic storage containers, find another use for them or simply discard them. When choosing cups, plates, and containers, look for those that nest together so that you can save cabinet space.

Organize Cabinet Drawers

If you're constantly rummaging through your cabinet drawers to find the utensil you need, it's time to clean things up a bit. Drawer organizers are a great way to get your clutter under control. Look for organizers that are a good match for the utensils and other items that you store in your cabinet drawers. In some cases, simple plastic bins might be best. However, the specialized compartments provided by some drawer organizers can serve as a good reminder to always put items back where they belong.

Many families use one of their cabinet drawers as a designated "junk drawer." While this practice can be a good way to keep a wide variety of often-used items close at hand, it's also a good way to end up with an unmanageable mess. Make it a rule to clean out your "junk drawer" on a monthly basis. Discard items that are no longer needed while tidying up the ones you actually do use. If a few items have found their way into the drawer that really shouldn't be there, take the time to put them back where they belong. Drawer organizer bins can also be quite helpful when used in a "junk drawer."