Declutter your kitchen

Story by Kathleen Crowley

If you have to rummage through three drawers to find a kitchen utensil or take apart an entire shelf to find an elusive jar of spices, it may be time to get your kitchen clutter under control. We consulted professional organizer Dawn O'Connor of Calgary-based Organizing Matters for her top tips on organizing the busiest room in the house.

1. Think through kitchen activities from the perspective of what kind of flow you need for efficiency. Whatever you need for a given task - food preparation, cooking, phone calling - should be at arm's length: utensils and seasoning for cooking, pad and paper for phone messages and so on.
   
2. Though it may seem daunting, the best way to get organized is to pull the kitchen apart. But before you do, get organized for the job - equip yourself with garbage bags, boxes, markers and labels.
   
3. Purge the unused and outdated. Pull everything out of cupboards and drawers and throw out if expired. Donate food items you'll never use to a local food bank and give away unused appliances and orphan dishes to charitable organizations.
   
4. Strategically put the room back together. Organize storage based on frequency of use - the most accessible shelf space for items most often used.
   
5. Don't let seldom-used items take up valuable space. Appliances and pots that are used only once a year can be stored either in the basement or in the garage.
   
6. Store likes with likes. Put all of your bowls together in one cupboard and all of your canned goods together in the pantry. Use storage baskets to organize items like teas/coffees and kitchen towels. If you enjoy baking, keep all of your baking supplies together including ingredients, measuring cups, cookie cutters, muffin tins and so on. 
   
7. Look into storage accessories. Maximize your space with cup hooks, can risers and hanging racks or shelves. For instance, a wall-mounted shelf can keep spices and seasonings visible and within easy reach; or install a pegboard to keep your most-used cooking utensils easily accessible.
   
8. Strive for clutter-free countertops. Ask yourself: does this really need to be on my countertop? Unless you use it on a daily basis, it probably doesn't need to be there.