By Bridget Johns
I love my kitchen: it’s where my family and friends gather happily as I cook and where I enjoy a glass of wine with my husband at the end of the working day. But I always seemed to be forever cleaning up; I couldn’t find anything; draws were endlessly emptied and I could never put my hands on that certain spice! I wanted a kitchen clear of clutter, so I developed these great kitchen hacks for a calm and organised kitchen.
Less bowls is best.
When you have too much crockery and cutlery your sink and bench are always cluttered. Use only eight bowls, plates, knives and forks so you are forced to wash an item if all eight are dirty. Keep extra for entertaining in another part of the house so you are not tempted to use them.
Utensil drawer divider.
If your utensil drawer overflowing? Take everything out and remove the duplicates. You don’t need fancy utensils such as an avocado slicer when a knife will do the same job. Put a utensil divider in the drawer so everything has a home and doesn’t move around when you open the drawer.
Clear the bench.
A clear bench reduces visual clutter. What items don’t need to live on your kitchen benches? Put your toaster in a cupboard, tea and coffee in a cupboard near the kettle and do you really need your knife block on display?
Launch pad drawers.
Launch pad drawers are a home for all the things thrown onto the kitchen bench when people come home, such as your handbag, keys and mail. Create a space in your drawers for these items and your kitchen will be more visually appealing.
Plan your meals. Your pantry is not the local supermarket and doesn’t need to be overflowing with items. Plan your meals before you shop and only buy what you need. This will also save you money as you only purchase the ingredients you need for the week.
Plastic containers without lids.
Most of us have many plastic containers without lids. You don’t buy new storage containers, you just need to repurpose the containers into storage to hold smaller things in drawers and cupboards.
Pot lid organiser.
Pot lids are annoying and most of the time we don’t need to use a lid when cooking. Use a pot lid organiser to stand the lids up so you can easily access them when you need them. Organisers are inexpensive and easy to find at big stores such as Big W.
Drink bottle box.
Do drink bottles multiply in your house? Keep a drink bottle for each family member in the fridge and then put the spares in a box. This box gives us a space boundary. When the box is full, say no to free drink bottles.
Say goodbye to cookbooks.
Many cookbooks are simply aspirational clutter as most of us search for recipes online. We all have a few much loved and used cookbooks, but do we really need all of them which just live unopened, taking up space? Be brave and say goodbye!
Bridget Johns, a decluttering coach and life organiser, is on a mission to help women simplify their lives. She is the owner of www.besimply.free.com.au where you can find lots more helpful tips.
SheSociety is a site for the women of Australia to share our stories, our experiences, shared learnings and opportunities to connect.
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