Tips for Organizing the Kitchen

By Jordyn Austin on March 11, 2017

image via https://www.pixabay.com

If you live in an apartment, you may feel the desire to organize it. It can be quite overwhelming living in an unorganized space, especially if your place is on the smaller side.

Whether it be for space purposes or just to make the apartment look neater, organization can go a long way. One of the main areas that may need organization is the kitchen. Here are a few tips for college students, so you can fully utilize your apartment kitchen.

Plan out your organization

The first tip for organization is figuring out exactly where you want everything to go. If you have a good idea about where you’d like items to go (i.e. dishes, non-perishable food items), then it will be much easier to organize. Look at your kitchen and cabinet space and start to brainstorm how you can organize your space in order to totally utilize the kitchen.

Websites like Pinterest have tons of ideas to show. All you have to do is simply search “kitchen organization.” You will find DIY projects or other ideas for organizing your kitchen space. These include using everyday items like dividers, small storage bins, and different types of organizers that you may not have even known could be used in that way.

Remember your containers/utensils

If you want to get more specific with your results, tailor your search more, for example, “kitchen organization Tupperware.” This will yield more ideas about ways you can organize your Tupperware. One idea this search brought up was using compact storage bins. You can separate the Tupperware containers and their lids however you want and label the bins for easier access.

It can help to buy silverware holders and organizers because sometimes silverware can become cumbersome and overwhelming if you have a lot with nowhere to put it. It can also help to get ideas from other people or friends. Sometimes other people have tips and suggestions of their own. They can vouch for what works for them and what doesn’t.

Get rid of clutter

Another tip is to get rid of everything you don’t need. Sometimes students tend to hoard items “just in case,” but it ends up becoming a cluttered mess because you aren’t actually using any of it. If you know friends that are looking for dishes and Tupperware, contact them and let them know you have things to give away.

If the items are new or well maintained, many donation centers and thrift stores will be glad to take them off your hands. Some places even pay you for your items. You can even declutter your refrigerator and maximize its space by making sure you are constantly clearing it out and ridding it of items that are expired or simply taking up space.

If food has been in your freezer for three years, it is safe to say that you probably will not be eating that anytime soon. It is okay to throw things out or offer them to other people. If you aren’t eating any of your non-perishable food items, a local shelter could use them to feed the residents. Clearing up your space allows for more room for organization.

Utilize cabinet space

Make sure you are utilizing all of your cabinet space. Sometimes items in your cabinets can be rearranged in a way that will give you more space to add other items. Cabinets are a great place to store dishes like plates, bowls, pots, and pans. They also serve a great purpose for storing canned goods and other non-perishable food items. If you can, try to stack your canned goods on top of each other. This will create more space for other foods. You can even go as far as stacking similar canned goods together so not only is the cupboard organized, but things are also easier to find.

Rework the freezer

One area of the kitchen that can sometimes be a hassle is the freezer. There are so many food items that can be preserved for a long time by the freezer, but if you have a smaller freezer, it can be hard to fit a lot in it. You also have to factor in sharing the space, if you have a roommate(s).

One great organizational tip for utilizing freezer space is taking food out of the cardboard boxes and putting them in large zip lock bags. Cardboard boxes can take up a lot of space because they are not exactly bendable in most cases. Removing the food and putting it in a zip lock bag allows for folding room.

In the end, only you know the type of space your kitchen has. If you organize your kitchen, only buy necessary items that will fit well with your organization setup. Organizing your kitchen does not have to be expensive at all. In fact, you can get most of your kitchen items and organization material from places like the Dollar Tree.

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