A messy kitchen can rob you of your sanity or whatever that is left of it after a busy working day. Though modular kitchens have made our life easier, it is not feasible for everyone to have one installed in their homes. While the modular kitchen with its well-designed drawers, trolleys and cabinets provides ample space for storage, a non-modular kitchen requires a little extra effort to obtain that neat look. But it’s not impossible.
The following hacks will help you declutter and organize your kitchen efficiently.
01. Easy Access:
Keep the items of daily use at an easily accessible constant place. Having to search for them creates clutter especially when you are in a hurry.
02. Use Multi-Tier Organizers:
Do not stack the containers one over the other. Use a multi-tier organizer so the containers are easy to reach. This way, there are fewer chances of toppling them over. Put them back at the exact location after their use.
03. Organize Space Under the kitchen Countertop:
Place cabinet organizer racks in areas where there are no inbuilt shelves. Keep similar items together. For example, pots go into one shelf while pans in another.
04. Stick Protective Wall Stickers:
They are oil proof, self-adhesive and great at preventing oil and grease stains on kitchen walls. These wall decals, with their beautiful patterns, render a new and stylish look, particularly in rented houses where you cannot opt for renovating the kitchen. Stick them in areas where there are no tiles. They can be easily cleaned or disposed of.
05. Install a Wall-Mounted Organizer Rack:
Fix it above the kitchen sink to save space and eliminate the need of having a separate dish drip rack. Also, your daily use utensils will be handy.
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06. Opt for a Self-Draining Soap Dispenser and Sponge Holder Rack:
Choose the one which can be placed at the corner of the sink. This prevents stinky, soggy sponges and dirty sinks. Sponges and dishcloths harbor harmful bacteria since they provide a warm, moist environment for the microorganisms to thrive. Hence you should clean and dispose of them often.
07. Do not Store Bottles and Food Items on Top of the Fridge:
This area is not easily accessible for cleaning. Also, it is not good for the longevity of the fridge as the overcrowding of stuff doesn’t allow for heat dissipation.
08. Keep the Kitchen Window Free of Unnecessary Clutter:
Do not hang pans, cleaning brushes etc. on the window grilles. They make your non-modular kitchen appear shabby. Allow ample light and air to stream in. You can keep a decorative plant on the window sill instead if space allows.
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09. Minimalistic Approach:
Pack up and stash away your unused cutlery in storage cartons. Keep only the basic tools at hand. When you need a cup, clean the one which has been already used and reuse it again instead of taking a new one out of the cupboard. This saves you unnecessary clutter and you don’t have to deal with a mountain load of dirty dishes in the sink.
10. Refrain from Buying Needless Stuff:
Nowadays there are a variety of kitchen tools available in the market which claim to make cooking easier. Though they look fancy, they may not serve their purpose. Probably many of us are guilty of buying that “highly efficient” vegetable cutter for ₹200, only to dump it at a corner in the drawer after a single use. If you’re going to use a garlic crusher, garlic peeled, herb grinder, ginger grater, vegetable chopper, onion cutter, mortar and pestle to cook one dish, you’d be spending your entire life cleaning them; not to mention the disarray that is caused in the process. A good knife with basic chopping skills will be better, faster and neat. Don’t buy what you want. Buy what you need.
11. Use a Drawer Organizer:
This will help in sorting out spoons, forks and like wise. You can do it yourself by recycling old containers and painting them a new.
12. Keep the Kitchen Counter Clear of Extra Stuff:
Seeing a clean and clear counter as you enter the kitchen first in the morning or after a day of hectic work, eases your stress. One way of achieving that is to limit the items on countertops. Store the mixers, electric blenders, toaster and kettles out of sight until the next use. It will also reduce the wire clutter at the electric switchboards.
13. Design and Utilize Space Saving:
Make optimum usage of hidden storage areas. If you are staying in a rented house, you can have a multi-purpose portable modular table custom made from a local carpenter. Erect a space saving corner stand on the countertop if there are too many daily use items and too less space.
14. Install Dustbins at Close Quarters:
It’ll not only help in segregating waste at the source but also eliminates the confusion of putting scraps in the appropriate place. Empty and wash them often.
15. Practice Sustainable Living:
Recycle waste. Grow your own vegetables if it’s feasible. Limit usage of plastic containers. Eliminate them one by one from your kitchen. Carry your own bags while grocery shopping. This will also reduce the hoarding of carry bags in the kitchen.
16. Design a Pantry If you’re Building a New House:
A pantry is good for storing food items, is readily accessible and invalidates the need for extra cabinets and storage baskets.
17. Follow the Konmari Method of Organizing:
Keep the things that spark joy in you and discard the rest. There are numerous videos and information online regarding the Konmari system which you can go through to learn all about organizing.
To sum up, ‘the kitchen is the heart of our home’ as said by Trisha Year wood. While modular saves your time, decluttering the non-modular kitchen requires a tiny bit of conscious effort and time for the first few days. Once the habit for neatness is ingrained in your system, it’s hard not to remain tidy.
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Author Bio
Preema Pinto