Whether you’re starting from scratch in a new home or looking for a way to reorganize your existing kitchen to make it more efficient, the following tips will prove invaluable.

An efficient kitchen is essentially one that reflects your lifestyle. It’s about organizing systems that meet your daily needs and help streamline your activities. An organized and efficient kitchen is also clean and tidy because everything has a purpose and a place.

Let’s review the five key steps to make your kitchen flow better.

Step 1

Stop by your kitchen and be ruthless. Give away or sell things you don’t use. Throw away foods, spices, and medications that are past their expiration dates.

Step 2

Remove everything from your kitchen cabinets and drawers. Wash all shelves and interiors with warm soapy water. Rinse, let dry and add new shelf and drawer liners.

Step 3

Designate certain zones for each task you perform in your kitchen. Each zone should also have a related storage area that includes all the tools needed to accomplish the tasks performed in this particular area of ​​your kitchen.

For example, store pots, pans, and cooking utensils near your stove. Place pots and pans together to save space or hang a pot rack. Cookware can also be hung on hooks, stored in drawers with dividers, or if you have the space, stored in a container on the kitchen counter.

Things like everyday dishes and cutlery should be kept near the kitchen table, as well as the sink and/or dishwasher. Helper shelves make it easy to retrieve everyday dishes (no need to remove lunch plates to get to dinner plates), and divided silverware trays help maximize drawer space.

Stage 4

Keep similar items together, for example, canned goods, baking supplies, snacks, etc. Alphabetize spices so they are easy to locate.

Keep the food your family eats every day in an easily accessible place. One of the first foods our children accessed on their own was cereal. If they got up early, it was nice to know that they could easily retrieve their own bowls, cereal, spoons, sugar, and milk.

step 5

Clear your counters of excess clutter. Remove large and infrequently used appliances. Store them in an appliance garage or kitchen cabinet. If the appliance is used infrequently, throw it away completely or at least store it somewhere else in your home.