The kitchen is the heart of many homes, and since it must be functional as well as a pleasant place to spend a lot of time, it is imperative that the clutter and chaos is kept to a minimum. Here are five sure-fire ways to keep the kitchen organized and under control:
1. Don't overbuy. Only buy food and paper products that you know you are going to consume, and don't impulse buy trendy sale items such as cheap plastic cups that are on the end of the aisle at the grocery store. Don't buy in bulk unless you have a large family and a place to store extra large cans, jars and boxes.
2. Label leftovers. If you date and name leftovers with a permanent marker on their container you are much more likely to use them up before they become unidentifiable and inedible. This is especially important when freezing food items that may become covered in ice and will help you determine what is still safe to eat.
3. Don't get overrun by dirty dishes. To manage the dishes, dispose of extra dishes and glasses that you don't need. You'll do the dishes more frequently, but they won't be able to stack up in get out of control. Create a habit of emptying and filling the dishwasher at the same time every day. If you wash dishes by hand and have a double sink, get an in-sink dish drying rack to free up counter space and install a built in soap dispenser for liquid detergent so you can banish messy dish soap bottles permanently.
4. Clear the refrigerator door. Take everything-paper, magnets, photos-off the refrigerator door and keep it clear. Your kitchen will look automatically larger, neater and it will be easier to keep the fridge clean.
5. Contain the paper. If your kitchen is also a catch all space for kids' homework, the family calendar, phone messages, take out menus, etc., create a dedicated inbox for paper material, or consider a folder system for each family member. Don't let paper pile up on every surface, give it a single place to accumulate, and go through the stack frequently, tossing whatever is trash and taking action on everything else. Reference materials, such as menus or recipes, should be filed in a family binder or in a magazine holder with your cookbooks.
by Lelah Baker-Rabe
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