Kitchen Organizers to Cut Clutter

Is that once good sized kitchen feeling cramped and crowded? Or maybe your kitchen was never that big to start out with. It's probably not so much the size of your kitchen as it is the clutter that's overtaking every empty inch.

I know that's that way it is in my kitchen!

Clutter just has a way of sneaking up on you. My once organized glass and cup cupboard is now overrun with... too many glasses and cups. And my everything-in-its-spot panty is not a jumble of plastic containers, mixing bowls, cookie sheets and 48 cans of evaporated milk (DH has a thing about running out of milk for his coffee!). Of course, my kitchen didn't start out that way.

If you follow organizational divas like Martha Stewart or FlyLady, you probably know you should start with "baby steps" and build up your neatness habit. I don't have time for that. My kitchen needs some serious help! Now!

So here's the deal, I've searched out some cool kitchen organizers to cut the clutter and I'm sharing them here.

Use these five tips and be on your way to a well-organized, efficient kitchen.

1. Banish counter clutter! It's the first step to feeling like you're getting on top of the clutter. Not only does too much counter stuff look messy, it make becomes an obstacle to work-flow (this is one of those do-it-now-feel-better-right-away projects)
2. Purge cupboards and drawers. Throw away, give away or find someplace else for any items you haven't used in the past year.
3. Categorize! Keep like items together, like baking pans, utensils or foods (cereals, sauces, tuna, you get the idea).
4. Hang it up! Use hanging baskets and pot racks to free up cupboards space and keep your most used kitchen utensils within easy reach.
5. Invest in products that help you stay organized, like some of these great buys below.
   

Clear containers are great for food storages. They let you see what you have at hand. But make sure they are well-sealed to keep out creepy crawlies and humitity. And if they are as pretty as these one form OXO, you can use them display them on an open shelf or on the counter.

Pyrex is a classic and has been around for years. Your mother probably used Pyrex, as well and your grandmother. This glass containers with blue plastic lids are simply striking and are sure to be used frequently.

Don't think of see-through containers as just for food. I like to use large containers to hold smaller, plastic containers, plastic knives and folks and even paper napkins (once I open a package, they seem to fall all over the place). These large 6-quart sized containers from Cambro can hold all sorts of small items clutter the cupboards.

One of best things that freed up cupboard space in my kitchen was a pot rack. Not only can you hang up lots of pots and pans, but many rack have a shelf that can hold large pots or baskets (to fill up, too).

There are two types of pot available: the classic type that hangs from the ceiling and and rack/shelf that attaches to the wall. Both are terrific kitchen organizers.

Whether it's a way to correl your spices, contain your knifes or just organize your pot lids so you can find them again, there's bound to be an organizer to help. Here are some of my favorites.

You've got to love this pull-down spice rack. At 11 x 11 x 8" it holds from 30 to 60 spice bottles.

If you find yourself says "where's the lid" too many times, then maybe this sliding lid rack will those three words.

The under-cabinet lazy susan makes a hard-to-access corner cabinet usable again.

The best way to get more storage space, is to... get more storage space. Building a new cabinet is proably not possible, but buying one of these kitchen carts can add a lot more room for not a lot of money.

Choices can be as simple as this chrome rolling cart (don't forget to add a chopping block on the top and baskets on the shelves to hold your kitchen gadgets) or as kitchen island-like Napa Kitchen Center with drawners, doors and shelves.

Now that your kitchen is organized, how about dressing it up a but with some style?

• Kitchen Cabinet Design
• Kitchen Furniture | More Than Cupboards

• Kitchen Cabinet Organizers - A Smart Idea for Your Kitchen Clutter

• Kitchen Canister Sets