Clutter and general disorganization is a total time and energy waste. Thinking about, maneuvering around it, and feeling guilty about it doesn’t help either. If we just tackled the problem before it even happens, we’d have more time and feel more refreshed throughout the day. The kitchen and bathrooms are the most used rooms in the home and it only makes sense that a good level of organization and clarity will help these working rooms work for us, not against us.
Ann Marie Williams, a professional organizer and owner of Atmosphere Consulting in Massachusetts, concurs, “The kitchen is one of the most used spaces in our house. Make sure the space is used efficiently.
As with any space, the key to being organized is that everything should have a home. It not only makes it easier to find, but it makes it easier to put items away. Most clutter is delayed decisions … if you bring items in and leave them in the kitchen or on the counter and you don’t have a place for them to go, there is a good chance they will just stay there and pile up.
Also, once the space is organized, it is important to do regular maintenance. Put items away. Do it on a daily basis. Create that habit. Having a “home” for items will help, but you need the discipline to keep up the organization.”
Ah, discipline. There’s the rub. Well, seriously, don’t you always just feel better when the laundry is put away and that pile of mail has been sorted, filed, and recycled?
Ann Marie shared some quick tips for getting, and staying, organized:
An Organized Kitchen:
• Review what is in the cabinets and remove any items that are no longer used. Sippy cups and your kids are in school? Wedding gifts you have never used? Baking pans for days but you don’t bake?
• Relocate any items that you seldom use such as large pots and serving dishes to another area. Perhaps shelving in the basement/garage, dining room, or at least the less accessible space in the kitchen.
• Store dishes and glassware near the dishwasher – less time and action to put away.
• Maximize space: use shelf separators to add vertical space to cabinets.
• Store in zones: baking, spices, canned goods, breakfast.
• Use small, clear bins to contain small items. Easy to access and you can maximize vertical space. Do not let an island or counter be a catch all for papers. It is a kitchen. Create a mail center or office are in a specified section of the kitchen if need be.
• Make time to review food in the cabinets. Remove items no longer of interest (thought you’d like that cereal but didn’t …) and be sure to look at expiration dates.
• Do not let an island or counter be a catchall for papers. It’s a kitchen. Create a mail center or office in a specified section of the kitchen if need be.
• Determine how much Tupperware type of products you really use … remember you have a dishwasher! Keep only what you need. Toss any that are starting to wear or do not have a cover!
An Organized Bathroom:
• Review supplies regularly and remove anything that is no longer used.
• Look for expiration dates.
• Create zones for like items (shampoo, makeup, sun screen, paper products).
• Use clear bins to store smaller like items.
• Use under-the-sink organizers/shelves to create more vertical space in the vanity.
• You’ll be surprised at how many times a year you can go through a bathroom and edit items out.
Okay, so we’ve cleaned out the cabinets, sorted items, and created zones. What else can we do to maintain efficiency? Every extra step we take while going about our business adds time to our routine. One product that makes kitchen work easier is a pull down faucet. The high arc allows for easy pot filling and cleaning and the single lever makes for ease of motion. I’m a big fan of the built-in soap and lotion dispensers. Whether it’s dish soap in the kitchen or hand soap in the bathroom, a built-in soap dispenser makes for a less cluttered sink and they are attractive and easy to fill. More great space saving ideas for the bathroom are the Kingsley wall mounted toothbrush holder and soap dispenser. The sink area will feel less cluttered and be easier to clean as a result!
The IO Digital shower control allows you to pre-program your shower preference—from heat to beat. With the touch of a button or click of a remote, you will have a custom shower on demand.
Remember, time is money, so clear the clutter and organize your space so what you need is ready at hand. Add some efficient fixtures and you will be listening to the birds chirp instead of listening to your time go down the drain!