Kitchen cabinets can be hard to keep organized. There are so many different items we use for cooking, baking, and eating that are stored in them. And if you don’t have a separate pantry, you probably store food items in them also.
With so many different items stored on those shelves it’s no wonder the cabinets become a nightmare of chaos. Since most of us don’t have huge kitchens with tons of cabinet space we have to come up with better ways to organize them.
Of course, no matter how much space you have, decluttering the items you never use will help tremendously.
Over the years I’ve learned that sometimes a simple tool can make the difference between an organized cabinet and a chaotic one.
Before my current kitchen was remodeled six years ago, I had a cabinet where I stored my cutting boards, baking sheets, serving trays, and some baking pans. Early on I knew I needed some way to keep those items organized or I would never be able to find what I needed when I needed it.
So within the first year or so when I moved into this house, I invested in some storage racks that held most of the items. Back in the early 1990’s those two racks cost me $11 a piece at one of the home goods stores. It turned out to be the best investment I made for my kitchen. Those two racks help keep the cabinet organized for over 20 plus years.
New Kitchen
Six years ago we remodeled kitchen. We made a few changes with the cabinet layout so everything shifted slightly. My new cabinet was not the same size so I had to get a new upright rack to hold my cutting boards. I also had a new slim cabinet to hold the cookie sheets and serving trays.
Other Storage Tools
Corner Storage Racks
To help my everyday dishes stay organized I found some corner wire racks to hold them. My old cabinets had the center post but the new ones don’t. Either way, those corner racks are a big help in keeping my dishes organized.
Old cabinets:
New cabinet:
Shelf Racks
I use these kinds of racks in many of my cabinets. Usually there is a lot of wasted space between each standard shelf in the cabinets. Of course you can stack your items higher and higher to fill the shelf space but you know what a disaster that will be!
This kind of shelf works well for the Corning-ware/Pyrex serving and cookware in the cabinets and also for storage of food items in the pantry or cabinet. It truly is amazing how something so simple can make such a big difference. It even helps with the highest shelf in my cabinet where I have to get a step stool to reach the serving bowl. I don’t use that bowl that often but I can reach the Corning-ware dishes under the wire shelf that are used more often.
This is the most universal kind of shelf that will help double your storage space while still making it easy to get the items you need when you need them. Again, as I said above, make sure you measure your shelf space first then compare it to the product. There are different sizes available from different brands so I’m sure you can find a shelf that fits your cabinets.
Summary
There are many products to help us get organized in the kitchen. But don’t go buying every new product you see advertised. Do a little research and take a few measurements. Most important, think of how you will use the product to help you. Too often we buy an organizing product only to end up having that product add to our clutter/chaos.
Many of these products or similar ones can be found at either local or online stores.
My goal is to help you learn, as I have, that some products really do make a difference. It’s easier to find what I need plus, I can’t come up with any excuses for not putting the items back where they belong. And that’s the biggest help for me.
To a lighter load along the way.
Janice