12 Simple Steps To Organizing Clutter In Your Kitchen

A part of life is getting older. I know people who don’t like birthdays or say they are 29 and holding when they are obviously much older. I like to say I am 74 and then people say, “oh you look much younger” (which I am). We all have a good laugh when I tell them my real age.

It doesn’t matter how old we are; we all work constantly on organizing clutter in our homes. It may be because it is driving us crazy or because we have decided that we have too much stuff or it could be because we are tired of cleaning and caring for all the clutter we have accumulated throughout the years. By organizing clutter it no longer is clutter because everything has a home and therefore things have a place to live until we need them and everything is organized.

Many people as they get older plan on moving from their homes, others want to grow older in their own home. Organizing clutter and turning the home you (or your parents) have now into the home you will live in as you age can be easy. Here are 12 ideas on how to organize clutter and make your kitchen function with convenience and safety for you or a loved one who is older.

1. If your cabinets are so high that you have to use a stool to reach items, which can be risky, move heavier items or the things you use every day to the lower shelves. Now is the time to consider getting rid of those appliances (like a bread maker) that you no longer use to reduce clutter.

2. Use a “lazy Susan” or flat round tray that spins easily inside a deep shelf or a corner cabinet. This saves space and lets you reach items easily from the back of your cabinet.

3. Install ready-made, slide-out shelves or baskets in cabinets so you don’t have to reach to find what you are looking for. These are very inexpensive and come in white or stainless steel.

4. Keep countertops clear of unnecessary clutter. This will free up more space to work.

5. Have a landing place for mail, like a basket or some other container. It is easy to move to the office or other places where you like to sort mail.

6. In a cabinet below the counter place small appliances you don’t use every day. This will make more counter space and reduce clutter.

7. Add inexpensive, under-cabinet lighting to make it easier to work, to see and to clean the countertops. Battery-powered, stick-on varieties are available at most home improvement stores.

8. Clearly post emergency numbers for poison control, neighbor’s phone numbers and relative’s numbers. In an emergency it is easy to forget even often called numbers. Write these numbers in large print so they can be seen easily. Also program them into your phone and have a list of the programmed numbers.

9. To protect your wrists and arms from burns use full-sized oven mitts instead of hot pads.

10. Place heavy food items like flour and sugar on lower shelves.

11. Check expiration dates often to prevent spoilage.

12. Mark expiration dates with a bold marker so they are easily readable. This is a good practice to do with prescription medications also.

Organizing clutter is simple with a little planning. It also makes living in your home easier and more pleasant.

By: Marilyn Bohn

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Marilyn is a professional organizer who works with women and seniors in clearing clutter and providing organizing tips. Visit her website www.marilynbohn.com for free organizing tips on her blogs, articles and videos.