Organizing and Decluttering Your Kitchen Cabinets

It may seem daunting to organize and declutter your kitchen. If you’re like most people, you probably have a stockpile of pots and pans, mugs and glasses, serving pieces, and so much more. And then there’s the pantry, filled with dry goods, cooking staples, and boxes of cereal, pasta, snacks, and other food items. The best ideas on how to organize kitchen cabinets will help you tame the clutter and make this all-important center of your home more efficient, functional, and liveable.

Why Do You Need to Organize Your Kitchen Cabinets?

There are many reasons you should take on the task of cleaning out and streamlining your kitchen. Here are some of the benefits of an organized kitchen:

• You won’t waste time trying to find that lost pot lid or scrambling to change your dinner menu once you realize you’re out of a key ingredient.
• By keeping all your pantry supplies where you can see (and reach) them, you won’t be wasting money on food that goes uneaten and expires. A well-organized kitchen is easier to clean and maintain.
• Your kitchen isn’t just beautiful; it’s the calm and peaceful heart of your home.

Here are seven steps for organizing kitchen cabinets and pantries that will help put you and your kitchen in a better place:

Tip #1: Out With the Old

It’s tempting to skip ahead to the fun part and buy sparkling new kitchen organizers. But you can’t get organized if you don’t know what needs to be organized. Chances are, your kitchen could use a good, thorough clean-out.

Decluttering is the first step toward getting reorganized. Separate the trash (stale spices, worn-out oven mitts) from the items that you don’t use but could be donated (cocktail glasses, your grandmother’s old tea set). Before you start this process, make sure to have plenty of boxes and trash bags on hand so you can get rid of everything you don’t need all at once.

Tip #2: Group Your Kitchen Goods Together

Now that you can see what you have left after decluttering, start putting like items together. Make piles for bakeware, cookware, silverware, everyday dishes, fine china, and the rest. Do the same for the pantry. For instance, you may want to create a snack station where your family members can grab bags of nuts or chips after school or on a weekend run. Or you may want to designate a specific shelf for sugar, flour, chocolate chips, and other banking supplies, or organize your pantry with separate shelves for breakfast, lunch, and dinner items.

The key is creating spaces that work for your family and your lifestyle. You also want to keep in mind your kitchen layout as part of your planning. Pots and pans can be stored near the oven, where they’ll get the most use, while you may want to keep glasses near the kitchen sink so you can easily get a glass of water.

Finally, store items you don’t frequently use, like your waffle iron or pasta maker, towards the back of kitchen shelves or on lower shelves in cabinets, especially for heavier items.

Tip #3: Buy the Right Pantry Containers

Clear bins or jars are excellent storage containers because you can see just how much sugar or pancake mix you have left, so you don’t end up short for a recipe or buying extra when you already have plenty. Plus, they keep your pantry clean since you won’t have crumb spillage out of cracker boxes or partially opened granola bags. Bins that you can label are an added bonus.

Of course, there are some things you can’t store in bins, like spice jars or soup cans. You can keep these items together in baskets or trays; lazy susans are great pantry solutions, too, because they spin around to provide a 360 degree view and easy access to each item.

Tip #4: Transform Your Shelves

If there’s one essential tip for organizing kitchen cabinets, it’s this one. Pull-out shelves are ingenious kitchen solutions because they make the back of the cabinet accessible, instantly giving you more valuable storage space. Our Glide-Out Shelves slide smoothly, so all your kitchen goods stay in place.

No more digging around the back of your cabinet trying to reach a mixing bowl, where it’s probably been collecting dust because it’s so hard to reach. Pull-out shelves are simply one of the best ways to organize your kitchen cabinets and pantry.

Tip #5: Maximize Empty Spaces

Pull-out shelves work just about everywhere in a kitchen. That means you can transform the formerly unusable space under your sink, in corner cabinets, or in tall cupboards. This is a smart solution for your trash and recycling containers, as well as storage for kitchen cleaning supplies. You can also get special shelving to stash long items like cookie sheets vertically instead of horizontally, which is an ideal use for any narrow cabinet.

Tip #6: Don’t Forget Your Drawers

You don’t have to paw through your drawers looking for the garlic press or teaspoon. Drawer organizers are often used to manage silverware, but there are many solutions for small kitchen tools or odds and ends. Again, try to group similar items together, such as measuring spoons, cheese knives, wine openers, and bottle stoppers.

Tip #7: Customize For the Best Fit

Made-to-measure shelving isn’t a luxury–it’s a necessity when you want a well-organized, functional kitchen. Custom pull-out shelving guarantees a perfect fit, so there aren't any gaps or overhangs that prevent cabinet doors from closing all the way.

ShelfGenie® pairs you with one of our design experts. They’ll review your kitchen in person or online to create a custom 3D rendering of their recommended kitchen solutions in real-time, which you’ll use to make your final design decisions. All products are made in America and installed by one of our professional team members (learn more about how we work).

Contact Us

Once you’ve completed your declutter kitchen checklist, contact us to get the exact shelving solutions you need. Book online today for a free kitchen design consultation.