Arguably, the kitchen is the heart of the home. We cook there,
eat there (hopefully as a family), entertain there, chat at the
table, do homework, and any number of other family-related
things. A disorganized kitchen discourages us from doing the
above; we don't want to cook and eating will likely then take
place in front of the TV. We don't want to entertain others or
sit and chat because the clutter distracts us and makes us feel
ashamed of not keeping things in better order. So let's get to
it!
Please understand that this room CANNOT be done in one day or
in one chunk of time. I'm willing to bet it took more than one
day for your kitchen to look the way it does-so it will take
more than one day to un-do it. Be patient and attack these
different tasks in small chunks of time-small steps! You'll
find that as each one is done that you'll be motivated to do
another and another. And then when it's all done, you'll not
want to mess it up, and so be motivated to keep it organized!
Oh happy day!
1) Unload your dishwasher. If your dishwasher is full of clean
dishes and not put away, you won't have a place to put your
dirty dishes as you clean up. If you don't have a dishwasher,
take a look at your sink. If you've got clean dishes in your
dish rack, put them away now. Then move your dish rack to the
counter and put an empty dishpan under the sink. You'll see why
as we keep going.
2) Take a look at your countertops. Are they piled high with
papers, dishes (dirty), and appliances (some you haven't used
in weeks or months)? Are they stained (underneath the stuff on
them)? Let's clear off one countertop at a time. Pick your
smallest one and clear everything off. Put it on a table or
other surface where you can go through the things. Put the
dirty dishes in the dishwasher (or dishpan under your sink), go
through the papers (junk mail = trash can, bills go to the
study, etc.). Put the other miscellaneous things you've found
in separate piles to be schlepped to the appropriate rooms
where they belong. Then look at the naked countertop. Take a
cleaner of your choice (I love the Lysol disinfecting wipes,
but you could use a spray cleaner, a bleach cleaner, or simple
window cleaner) and a rag and start wiping from back to front.
Sweep the crumbs in to the garbage can. Now put only the things
which are *necessary* back on the counter. That means no excess
paperwork, no hairbows, etc. If you need space for a coffee
maker or other small appliance, you now have it!
3) Move to the next counter and repeat the same steps as above.
In Part Two of Organizing Your Kitchen, we'll take a look at
the next round of steps to create a kitchen you're proud of!
Disclaimer: The information presented and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of ArticlePros.com and/or its partners.
