How to Organize Kitchen Drawers

Kitchen drawers can be perfect places to hide all the mess simply because they are out of sight. They are very prone to disorganization and clumsiness because we do not give them the concentration they need.

But you wouldn’t want to spend so much time looking for your favorite silverware or that dish you love.

Although getting things in order can be very overwhelming, the end results do bring a good look and neatness in your kitchen. It also does increases the functionality of your kitchen as it makes it easy to access the items you require.

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Table of Contents

General Steps to Organizing Kitchen Drawers

Let’s learn the steps to organize kitchen drawers to make household tasks become an experience you want to feel every single day. Here is what you need to do: –

1. Empty and clean the drawers

The first thing should be emptying all the drawers of their contents and place them on the countertop. This will make it easier for you to well know what steps to take.
Go ahead and vacuum clean the drawers. Afterward, you can wipe off any remaining dirt with a cloth and cleaning spray. If the drawer has any tough stains, you can use baking soda.

2. Sort the necessities

Having placed all your items on the countertop, determine what you really need and what you do not need. It can be hard deciding what to do away with but below are some of the possessions you should give up: –
Items you have not used in the past six months
Items that you will not need in the near future
Items you can purchase again
You might find yourself having multiple items. Select the useful ones and toss out the rest. You can give them out for donations or sell them. Toss tools you no longer need somewhere else so that they don’t eat up drawer space.

3.Create a spot for everything

Creating enough space makes it much easy for you to decide where to keep different items. You can also set zones in your kitchen that help ease the headache of finding items.
Zoning is practically getting things near to where they will be needed. It can, however, be different in various households. Here are some zone ideas: –

Cooking- for pots and pans, spices, and bakeware
Food preparation- cutting boards
Eating –plates and other utensils
Food storage- for aluminum foils and plastic wraps
Junk/miscellaneous

4. Shop for drawer organizers

Now it’s time to get organized! Firstly, measure the length, width, and depth of the drawers and purchase organizers with different compartment sizes.
Some have adjustable compartments in the market and they can be a great addition in your kitchen. Check out some of the drawer organizers in the market that you would love in your kitchen: –

Clear kitchen drawer organizers

These organizers have different compartments where you can arrange your spoons and spatulas.

Bamboo adjustable drawer dividers

They are easy to install as you just need to measure the length and width of your drawers so that they fit well. They are great for organizing items with long handles in the kitchen like ladles and spaghetti servers. They are also good with deep drawers.

Spices drawer organizer

This organizer is for smartly keeping your spices. It makes it easy to find a specific type of flavor that you might want to use. With just a few tools, you can DIY an organizer. They also keep spices from rolling over. That brings the organization we all seek in our drawers.

Silverware organizer

This organizer helps make your countertop clutter-free. You can get either plastic or metal storage containers. These containers have different compartments to keep your forks, knives, and spoons.

Knife board

With the drawer measurements, you can get a knife board that fits into it. You will just pull the drawer and put the board into it and slide the knives into them. The top drawer is the best for placing it so that you do not have to bend over to reach them.

Pegboard divider

Pegboard dividers are great for organizing plates, baking trays, and casserole dishes. Ensure you get the correct drawer measurements so that you buy a pegboard of the right size. They are great when placed at a reachable distance without having to climb over a stool or bend to get them.

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Organizing different items in drawers

Some items require special organization techniques. Some of those items include pot lids and junk items. Below is an overview of how to get them in order: –

i) Pot lids and pans

Lids cannot fit together with pots. It can be difficult getting them in order as there is a risk of breaking for those made of glass.
If you have a wide drawer in your kitchen, it should be the one to get your lids into. You will just need to place them in a flat position then place dividers in between to separate the pans from the lids.
But what if you have small drawers? All you will need to do is have one drawer for the pans and another for the lids.
Adding tension rods at the drawer edges can also be a good option since you will rest the lids against the rods and then you can place pans on the remaining space.

ii) Dishes

Drawers can be quite messy if the dishes are not properly organized. Store those regularly used dishes on lower drawers. Those that you use specifically on special occasions can be fit into higher drawers.

iii)Pantry

If your kitchen has no pantry for storing food, drawers can fill the gap. Get items of the same genre and height in one drawer.
For example, you can place pasta containers, cereal boxes in the same drawer. In another, place your canned fruits, canned vegetables. And in another, place baking products like flour and sugar.
If there are kids in the house, you can save them a snack drawer. It should be low so they can easily reach it.

iv) Storing junk items

Every kitchen has those items that are necessary for the kitchen but rarely used like flashlights, scissors, etc. They tend to get disorganized easily.
There’s a mix-up of the small and the large, chords and chargers and it leaves kitchen space messy. Here are some tips to get your junk in order: –
Place the small items in one container

A clear container works best as one can easily see the items in it. But that doesn’t mean that you cannot use containers that are not clear, all you will need to do is label the contents in it.

Use drawer dividers for larger items. For each space, stack a different item so

v) Pots and pans

Pots and pans are large and bulky making them the best item to go into the deep drawers. They should be stack into the drawers and preferably, stack the same pots in the same drawers.
The lids should be stored separately and you can stack some dishes into the pots and pans to save on some space.
Bamboo dividers are also good for deep drawers as they hold things in place without them falling out when the drawer is pulled. Water bottles and muffin tins are good in deep drawers that they can be organized vertically.

Bonus tips for perfectly organized drawers

There are some other things you can put into consideration if you want your kitchen to stand out. Below are some of them: –

a. Purchase some contact paper

Contact papers placed at the bottom of the drawer adds beauty in your drawers. And that’s not all, it also keeps the bottom surface clean. The paper is easily wipeable and for you to save on it, apply it only on areas that are exposed.

b. Do not forget kids

If your family has kids, it’s great to create space in a low and reachable drawer for the things they frequently use. Also, stock other lower drawers with safe items that kids can have fun with.

c. Remove the bulky packaging

Doing away with bulky packages like those of tea bags can make them fit better and in a neat manner.

Video: How to Organize Kitchen Drawers

Conclusion

Attaining neat drawers is a perfect idea so that finding items becomes easier. It does take up a lot of time but it brings a perfect look in your kitchen. However, with time, they may get disorganized. With regular maintenance, you can achieve an ever smart look in your drawers. All the best!

Rita C. Donnell

Rita C. Donnell (Jennifer) has spent the last 26 years studying and practicing nutrition science. She has used a larger part of this time in improving people’s livelihoods. She has done so by coming up with unquestionable ideas on how to tackle food problems in her community. Readmore

How to Organize Kitchen Drawers | Perfect Tips