How To Organise Your Kitchen – Our Top Tips

It’s all too easy to lose control of a space and kitchens – often the heart of the home – are no exception!

We understand how kitchen gadgets, utensils and, of course, food, can start to add up over time, so we’ve put together a list of our top tips for how to organise your kitchen.

Whether you’re clearing out a busy family kitchen or starting fresh in a new home, you’re sure to find a helpful hack here!

Declutter

Get your organisation’s journey off to the best start by decluttering the space and getting rid of as much as you can.

Start by clearing out section by section and then separating everything into categories – such as pantry, fridge, utensils, pans, gadgets etc. – and then divide those categories further, into keep, donate, and throw away piles.

Decluttering means that not only will you have less to put away and organise, but you’ll also have a fantastic blank canvas to work with.

You could try selling utensils, glassware, kitchen gadgets and the like online or at markets to make a little extra cash. You might even find a few things suitable for regifting!

When clearing out food, remember that food banks and charities can’t distribute any food past its use-by date – only donate what they can use and throw anything expired away.

Clean

To really give yourself a fresh start, be sure to give everything a clean before you put it away. Give the insides of cupboards and drawers a refresh, and wipe down kitchen gadgets.

Now’s also a good time to clean any storage boxes or tubs you plan on using, making sure they’re ready for when you add food to them.

For a fun and fresh new look, try adding a liner to your drawers. You can even get removable ones to make future cleaning a breeze!

Prioritise what you actually use

Take stock of what you have and prioritise what you use the most. You want to make sure whatever organisation plan you put in place keeps those things front and centre, to make accessing them regularly as easy as possible.

If you have items you want to use more, try putting them in obvious and more accessible spots around the kitchen. Hiding things in drawers and cupboards means you’re less likely to reach for them, so bring them out into the open and try and build some new cooking habits!

Go shopping

You might already have some storage containers ready for organising, but you may need to grab more – especially if you’re hoping to try out a few of the hacks below!

You’ll find no end of storage solutions at big box stores, discount stores, and online, so stock up on what you need, and get organising!

Kitchen organisation hacks

You cleared out as much as you can, sorted it into zones, and purchased all the products you need – it’s time to start organising! To get the ball rolling, here’s a few of our favourite hacks and tips to help you organise your kitchen.

1. Zones

Organising your kitchen into zones is a great idea. Every item has its specific place, making finding it – and putting it away again – easy.

If you’ve already prioritised the items you use/want to use frequently, you’ve already got a head start here! Spend a bit of time thinking about your kitchen habits and plan around that. For example, if you have a coffee machine and use it regularly, setting up a coffee station might be useful for you. Or you might need a specific cupboard for baking equipment and supplies. Figure out what you need and set up a specific zone for it.

2. Clear containers

Using clear containers is a simple but effective hack when organising any room – including the kitchen. Because they’re clear, you’ll be able to see what you have right away, making planning meals and writing shopping lists a breeze.

3. Labels

Labelling your shelves, cupboards and containers not only helps you track what you have, but also makes putting everything away so much easier.

You can easily print your own with a home printer or a label maker, or you could order them online.

4. Tension rod storage hack

Adding a tension rod to a cupboard is a great way to maximise space. Use it to hang cleaning products, food packets, or even pots and pans, and free up the base of the cupboard for more storage.
Be wary of the amount of weight you’re putting on the rod though – no one wants to hear a bunch of pans crashing down in the middle of the night!

5. Pull-out shelves

Adding pull out shelves to your cupboards can help maximise the space available to you. While some will require some DIY and drilling, you may be able to find renter-friendly options that click or slide into place.

6. Lazy Susans

Adding a lazy Susan to your cupboard or fridge offers has multiple benefits. It’s a great space saver, let’s you easily see what you have on hand, AND can improve access to awkward spots, such as cupboards that are particularly deep, or built into a corner. Keep an eye out for lazy Susans with a raised edge running around the circumference – this will help keep items in place while it spins.
Condiments and herbs are perfect for this hack, though feel free to experiment!

7. Unusual organisers

Got some file organisers leftover from organising your office? You’ll find plenty of uses for them in the kitchen!

Metal file racks can be used to stack pots, pans, chopping boards, serving platters, container lids, or plates, while magazine organisers are great for water bottles or recipe cards that come with meal kit boxes.

You could even repurpose a hanging bathroom caddy as a fruit basket, and hang it on the back of a door, or use a desk tidy to keep keys and other knick-knacks safe on a kitchen counter.

Explore the storage sections of your local big box and discount stores or check online for inspiration. You never know what you might discover!

Get organising!

Hopefully, we’ve armed you with plenty of tips and tricks to help you organise your kitchen! If the kitchen is just the beginning of your organising journey, check out our guides to organising your pantry or home office for more expert tips.

References

1. Mary Marlow Leverette, 2023, “How to Organize Your Kitchen to Make It More Tidy and Functionalnd tricks to help you organise your kitchen! If the kitchen is just the beginning of your organising journey, check out our guides to organising your pantry or home office for more expert tips.”, Real Simple
2. Charley Ward, 2021, “How to declutter and organise your kitchen”, Good Housekeeping
3. 2015, “50 ways to organise your kitchen”, The Organised You
4. “Organizing a kitchen: 21 tricks organizers use to keep order”, Homes & Gardens