APRIL’s Challenge:

KITCHENS

Now that we have our Garages/Sheds/Cars all “Spic and Span” it’s time to move into the Kitchen!

I know we organized Kitchen Drawers in January, but for April’s Challenge, I’m talking the entire Kitchen.  So, let’s get this party started!

First, find a location in your kitchen to use as your “dumping ground”.  Clear off the kitchen table or maybe an island.  You will want to give yourself plenty of space.

Let’s break it down:

Pantry

• Remove everything and wipe down the shelves.  Get creative and add decorative paper or a coat of fresh paint to give it a new, fresh clean look.
• Purge any items that are expired, rotten, spoiled and stale.
• Donate unexpired items that are never going to be used.
• Use clear airtight containers for storing dry items.  Using square containers takes up less space and fits better on shelves.
• Use the back of your door for added storage.  I recently re-pinned this storage item on pinterest which generated a lot of activity.
• Utilize lazy susans and/or tiered shelving to help make the most of your space.

Refrigerator/Freezer

• Repeat the first two bullet points from Pantry.
• Take inventory of the remaining items in the fridge and meal plan based on what you currently have in stock.
• Consider these fridge coasters to help keep veggies fresh longer.  Fridge Coasters also are super absorbent and add color to the inside of the refrigerator.

Cabinets/Drawers

• Empty out all of the contents and clean the cabinets and drawers.  If you participated in January’s challenge, your drawers should already be pretty clean.
• Decide which items you want to put back and categorize them.  Some people like to put all baking items together, while others like to keep all kitchen equipment together (ie. Mixer, blender, waffle iron, crock pot, etc.).  Decide what works best for you!
• Wipe down all of the items that are going back in to the cabinets and drawers before placing them back in your clean cabinet.
• You may want to put items that are used on a daily basis on your countertop.
• Use pull out shelves and drawers for easier access.

General

• Consider using space in your pantry and cabinets that you don’t currently use by adding command hooks and cork boards or cork tiles.
• Place a chalkboard or erase board on or near the pantry door to help with making a grocery list.
• Wipe down countertops, cabinet doors, and appliances.
• There are a lot of DIY projects for the kitchen that are very inexpensive.  Use your imagination!

Here are some of my favorites that I have found on the internet:

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Lastly, take lots of before and after pictures and mail them to me at oisfororganize@gmail.com.  You will have worked hard and you should want to show off your work!