How to organise your kitchen and keep it that way

Want to take this opportunity to reorganise your kitchen? Now's the time to get stuck into a project which has a clear goal: achieving a kitchen worthy of Marie Kondo, the famous tidying guru. Organising your kitchen properly will boost well-being of both you and your home, so let's get started! Follow these tips and banish chaos from your kitchen forever.

ONLY KEEP THE ESSENTIALS

To avoid that avalanche of Tupperware every time you look for a container or having to empty a whole cupboard just to dig out that big casserole dish, the first step is elimination. What should I throw out? Anything broken or useless. What should I give away? Anything in good condition that is no longer used or needed. According to Marie Kondo's Konmari method, every drawer, cabinet and cupboard should be completely emptied before separating the contents. Take the opportunity to give the inside a good clean, too. Avoid the temptation to only remove the items you don't think you need, because you'll end up keeping things you never really use. Only keep the basics!

STORAGE TIME!

The next step towards efficient kitchen reorganisation is putting things away. It's best to do this task in three phases: first, put away all your cooking utensils and tableware (pots, pans, crockery, glasses, cutlery, tablecloths, etc.) then cleaning products (cloths, dishwasher tablets, rags, etc.) and then food (tins, fresh food, etc.).

Now, as you put everything back in its place, group objects by category and keep them together: for example, cookware in one large drawer (casserole dishes, pots, pans, etc.), Tupperware in a cupboard, cutlery and small utensils in drawers with separators. If baking is your passion, dedicate an area to all the required kit (piping nozzles, moulds, cookie cutters, sieves, etc.), and always stack whatever you can to save space. Pans with detachable handles are particularly practical for compact storage spaces.

EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE

It's better to spend time thinking about where everything will go, rather than just putting it back anywhere, especially when you're organising a small kitchen. This way, every item will have its own place where you can put it back after use, banishing disorder forever. And if you identify a need for storage accessories to achieve a better layout, now's the time to get some. Try drawer separators, removable trays for condiments, racks for cloths, etc.

As a general rule, place the most commonly-used products between your waist and head height, following the ergonomic dimensions for comfortable access, and those you use less often in the rest of the space. If possible, install your pantry near the fridge and use transparent sealed jars in glass or plastic, or metal with a viewing panel or label, to store ingredients such as pulses, pasta, rice, nuts and biscuits.

The cupboard under the sink is usually where we store cleaning products. If you have small children at home and this feels too accessible, lock this area with a key or place items in a higher unit. For safety, never store cleaning gel, bleach, ammonia, etc. near food. Always remember to keep these products in their original packaging, without removing the label.

HOW TO ORGANISE A SMALL KITCHEN

In kitchens of all sizes, particularly smaller ones, the best way to achieve an ultra-organised look that's also easy to keep clean is to declutter your countertops. These are our work surfaces but we often fill them with small appliances we hardly use. Put your mixer here if you use it at least once a week and the toaster and coffee machine if you use them on a daily basis. Everything else, however, is better off in a storage unit with shuttered doors to avoid a ‘busy' look.

All in all, organising your kitchen is a way to achieve order in a space full of all manner of items with very different uses, assigning a single, definitive place for every item. As you can see, it's not such a laborious task as you might think and the results last forever. Don't give in to the temptation of accumulating unnecessary things because in the end it only stops you from finding the utensils you do need. You'll also enjoy your updated kitchen much more, we promise, because a well-organised kitchen creates a calm and welcoming oasis in your home.