If you have a dishwasher, there is never a reason to stack dishes in the sink. Train everyone to rinse the dish and put it in the dishwasher as soon as they set it down. Then your kitchen sink will always be ready for washing hands or cooking, and it will look relaxing to the eye.
The kitchen is one area that tends to get messed up quickly. People set things down on kitchen counters, and pretty soon you have a pile of stuff that is an eyesore. Designate one time during the day (or you can do it throughout the day) to grab one thing and put it away, and grab another thing, and put it away. If you tidy up while dinner is cooking, you can have a restful environment after dinner.
As far as drawer space is concerned, use drawer dividers to help you find utensils more quickly, or group them in a container on the counter. I’m not talking about just the silverware. The more dividers you have in your drawers for your bigger utensils, the easier it will be for you to find each item. You can also hang utensils on the wall on a utensil holder that has hooks for each utensil. Keep cooking utensils near the stove where you need them, and get rid of any duplicate utensils (except for spatulas and wooden spoons; have two of those.)
Put away appliances that you don’t use every day, such as food processors or blenders. The fewer items you have on your counters, the more restful you will feel when you enter the kitchen, and you have a place to prepare food.
Spices can be stored on a spice rack on the wall to free up cupboard space and enable you to find spices more quickly. You could also use a tiered shelf in your cupboard so that you can see all your spices at one time and not get an avalanche when you open your cupboard door. Also, if you have two containers of cinnamon, dump the one in the uglier container into the one with the prettier container. When a couple gets married, often they will have two of every kind of spice. Another way to sort it is by throwing away the older ones.
Containers for the refrigerator should be stackable and clear so that you can see what’s in them. Place the container in the freezer if you don’t plan to eat it during the next couple of days. You can label them with a Sharpie marker on masking tape. This keeps the fridge from having spoiled food.
If you would like more tips on organizing your kitchen, or if you would like to have a tour of my kitchen, check out my class, Organizing for a Fun Homeschool. The kitchen section is only about 10 minutes, but it helps to picture what I’m saying.
