Tag Archives: organizing your kitchen

Tips for Organizing Your Kitchen Sink

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The kitchen is the heart of the home, and creating your dream kitchen can express your style and design. From mesmerizing backsplashes to intricately designed appliances, your kitchen can quickly become the most stunning part of your home. However, nothing takes away from this dream oasis quite like clutter, and one spot reigns notorious overall in this category: the sink. Having a messy sink is easy. We usually eat three times a day and sometimes feed more than one person a meal, so this can quickly become an eyesore if not taken care of correctly. However, some simple kitchen sink organization skills can help have your sink looking clean and less cluttered. Today, we will break down the three ways to organize your sink and keep it clean and crisp all year. Let’s take a look!

The Essentials 

Your kitchen sink most likely has some critical components which you use daily when washing your dishes. For instance, you may have a soap dispenser, maybe a plug near the sink, and perhaps a drying towel, and even a scrub brush. If you can tuck any of these away in your drawers, take advantage of the space. If not, have a clean and organized set up of where these items belong and assign them to it as their “home” spot. 

Drying Area 

The next key spot is your drying rack. If you have a dishwasher, you do not need to worry about this. However, if you do not have this amenity or have wooden or plastic utensils, you will need to designate an area for drying. Some drying racks can connect right into your sink. Make sure these areas never become cluttered. The drying area is easy to allow items to overstay their welcome, but use your drying towel and have the dishes and utensils back to their homes before leaving the kitchen.

Down Below 

Under the sink is a useful area. You can store your trash, recycling, cleaners, and other kitchen supplies. In fact, this is where your extra cleaning material should go when you do not use them daily. If you have small children, you may need to put a locking mechanism on this cabinet as well. Extra sponges, cup cleaners, and stain removers can all reside happily underneath your sink until needed. 

It is easy to allow your kitchen to become cluttered since we tend to use it every day. That being said, do not let this become the downfall of your beautiful kitchen. Take pride in your kitchen and allow this heart of your home to warm your whole household.

A Fresh Start on Organizing your Home: The Kitchen II

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The large island with schoolhouse pendant lights, rich dark cabinets and light granite countertops combine to make this Fulton Design Center kitchen memorable.

The large island with schoolhouse pendant lights, rich dark cabinets and light granite countertops combine to make this Fulton Design Center kitchen memorable.

If you’re ready to organize your kitchen but are hesitant to engage in an all-out full-day redo, you can take baby steps that will leave you with a fully organized and functional kitchen. The following can be accomplished over a number of days or even weeks.

  • In a corner of your dining area or somewhere near the kitchen but still out of your way, place a large wastebasket and a box. These will hold your discards and giveaways.
  • Begin with one cabinet or drawer. Take everything out, wipe it down and put in new shelf paper if you desire.
  • Only put back those things that you want to keep there in the future.
  • Take a look at what’s left and discard or give away whatever you can.
  • Put the remainder on a corner of your countertop. If you want, you can stop here until the next day.
  • Choose your next cabinet based on what remains on your countertop. Which one is the logical place to put the bulk of what you have there?
  • Empty that cabinet and continue as before, wiping the shelves down and replacing what you feel belongs there, including those things that are currently waiting for their new home on your counter.
  • As you continue around the kitchen, are there certain groups of items that never seem to have a place? Perhaps you need to designate a specific cabinet or space for them. If they aren’t essential for your kitchen, consider another location such as the laundry room or garage.
  • Once you finish, do you still have leftover items on your counter? It’s time to decide whether you really want to keep those things or if they go in the giveaway box or boxes.
  • As you work, keep thinking of your specific needs rather than trying to follow arbitrary rules. For example, the bookshelves on the end of the island may be designed for cookbooks, but they may work better for your family as cubbies for the kids to put their homework and books for school the next day.

Yes, this process leaves your kitchen a bit up in the air for a while, but once you’re done you will have a space that matches your functional needs, with nothing extra cluttering up the room. So it’s worth it to bite the bullet and deal with the disorganization for a few days for the benefits at the end – a kitchen that works!

A Fresh Start on Organizing Your Home: The Kitchen

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One of the kitchens on display at the Fulton Design Center

One of the kitchens on display at the Fulton Design Center

At first glance, getting your kitchen organized may seem like a daunting task. Chances are that when you moved in your goal was simply to get unpacked and able to make meals. Even if you had some plan of organization at the time, actually using your kitchen can help you discover that some items need to be rearranged. You have at least two ways to tackle your kitchen. See which one appeals to you.

Complete do-over. This is a full-day project, preferably with at least one other person to help as well. To make this work, try the following steps:

  • Clear off counters, placing any decorative items in another room for the day.
  • Have a bag ready for garbage and a box for giveaways.
  • Empty every shelf onto the counters and dining table.
  • Dispose of anything you don’t want or use in either the discard bag or giveaway box.
  • Wipe down counters and add or change shelf paper if desired.
  • Place the “sure things,” those items you already have a good place for, in their cupboards.
  • Thinking of function and utility, rearrange the other cabinets & drawers.
  • Determine if you need baskets or other containers for some items, and measure the space to know the size. Make a list for an upcoming shopping trip.
  • Measure your drawers for appropriate drawer dividers – these help keep drawers in shape once organized.
  • Compare the space left to the items left. Can you make them work? If not, consider more discards.
  • Put your kitchen counter accessories back, or not. Analyze what you actually want back in your kitchen.
  • Celebrate by going out to eat – you don’t want to mess up your newly-organized kitchen right away!

In our next organizing blog, look for advice on the second suggested method of kitchen organization. It takes longer but is less overwhelming.