Inspiration

These tips will keep your kitchen clean and clutter-free

Article by Your Home and Garden

From creating order in your fridge to learning clutter-clearing habits, these quick tips will help you to organise the chaos in your kitchen

kitchen

Designate a place for each glass or item of crockery to live. Have a specific drawer for tea towels, a shelf for baking supplies and a place for each food type in the pantry. This can help to create order, and make it easy to return things. Try using trays, jars and containers to separate sauces from snacks and cleaning supplies from pots and pans.
Keep larger items at the back of the fridge or pantry, and smaller items in front, so you can find things easily. Similarly, store plates, pots and the like by size. You may also want to store items you use most at eye level, and those used less often on higher or lower shelves.
Put the dishwasher on before you go to bed, or before you leave for work, to help keep on top of dirty dishes. Unload it when you wake up or return from work.
Give the fridge a quick clear-out before doing a supermarket shop, to ensure you don’t double up on products, and that nothing scary is lurking in the bottom of a drawer. On that note, keep leftovers in clear containers so they are not forgotten.
Write items on a shopping list when they are getting low, rather than waiting until they run out.
Benchtops or window sills can easily become cluttered. Encourage people to put items away after using them, and do a quick tidy once a week to keep on top of this.
The kitchen can be a good space to keep a wall planner or calendar, to help the family remember important dates. Using the fridge or a pinboard for appointments, invitations and tickets can help, too.

Words by: Fiona Ralph. Photography by: Helen Bankers and Emma MacDonald.