It seems that many of us move into our houses, set up our kitchens and never really give it another thought to revise the way we set things up in our kitchens that we use every single day. It seems pretty wise to possibly rearrange things after you’ve lived in your house and gotten a feel for things and the way you move about the kitchen. 

I tend to get in my spring cleaning mode at the beginning of the new year and have a real energy about decluttering and organizing our home. While you might think first of tackling your master closet or perhaps your go-to spot where clutter tends to lurk, actually starting with the area you use the most in the house makes the most sense and will make you feel happier and more energized to tackle other places in the home.

Here are a few fun little tips and tricks for organizing in the kitchen you might not have considered:

1. Your Cookie Sheets Are in the Wrong Place

Unless you are a big time baker, most likely you use your cookie sheets, or baking sheets, far more often to roast veggies, or toast nuts,or other things of that nature. Instead of keeping them in the back of the cupboard with your dusty cake pans or muffin tins, keep them right next to your other weeknight dinner workhorse items like your skillets and cutting boards.

2. Know Your Leftovers

This is the coolest idea to know how long your leftovers have been the fridge: write on the outside of a your clear, glass containers the date you put your leftovers in the fridge with a dry erase marker. It easily wipes away and is especially quick and handy if you have a magnetic one that you stick to the side of your fridge. No more guessing about iffy leftovers and no more waste!

3. Spice Drawer

If happen to have a drawer that is deep enough that could hold your little jars of spices, that is probably the quickest and easiest way to locate the cumin or oregano for a busy weeknight meal. By labeling the top of the jar, whether by label maker or Sharpie, your eyes can quickly scan and find what you’re looking for a flash.

4. Protect Your Beloved Pots and Pans

You can make your trusty pots and pans and skillets last longer if you use household items you most likely already have to organize and separate them a little more. By using file separators, you can store lids to your pots and pans upright and separated so they are not getting banged around all the time and that you can find super quickly. You can add a paper plate or coffee filter in between your stacked pans so they don’t get scratched.

5. Prevent Messy Oil Spills from Your Pantry.

Place sticky or messy items like oil or honey on a little plastic or ceramic tray within your pantry or cupboard. This will prevent messy spills from staining or getting on other items, and all it takes is a quick run through the dishwasher when it gets messy.

6. Double Your Space in Your Cupboards

By simply adding a little shelf your cupboards, you can add a whole new “shelf” and double your space in there. You can seperate dinner plates from salad plates, add mugs on top of your bowls, etc. They are very inexpensive and can easily be found in places like Walmart or from Amazon.

Do you have any similar tips to share with our readers to help keep things smooth and efficient in the kitchen? Please share in the comments below.