Originally published August 8, 2017. Updated September 2026 with a summary, next steps and answers to common questions.
Your kitchen can either be your favorite place in your home – or it can be your least favorite. For lots of homeowners, keeping your kitchen is the top priority. But sometimes even a sparkling clean kitchen can leave you feeling anxious, especially if the moment you open your cupboards all you see is one big mess.
A disorganized kitchen is frustrating for everyone that uses it. Not only does it make it impossible to find things, but it can be downright dangerous when those piles of pans come crashing down. And old food? No one wants to find that.
Below are our five favorite tips for kitchen organization (and they won’t take you the entire weekend to do!)
- Implement Pegs. Using pegs to hang things on your walls, like aprons, towels or oven mitts, can help to clear out drawer space – and they can look pretty too!
- Put Like with Like. Scattering things all over your kitchen can make using those things a nightmare – you can never find what you need! Something as simple as just putting like things together, like all of your baking supplies in one pan and stainless steel cookware in another, will make it easier to keep track of where everything is.
- Clear Out. Even the most organized kitchens can benefit from losing a couple (or dozens) of items. What are the tools you never use? What about that tupperware that is missing a lid that fits? Spend an hour and let go – you’ll feel so much better at the end.
- Learn to Love Shelf Organizers. Go to your local hardware or home good store (or Amazon) and search for shelf organizers. These often overlooked kitchen essentials can take chaos and clutter and turn it into an organize masterpiece in just an afternoon!
- Dare to Double Duty. If you’re short on space, think of ways to combine kitchen essentials. Can you put your measuring spoons in a mixing bowl? Store your spatulas and whisks in large mugs? You get the idea – let your creative side have some fun!
Organizing your kitchen can feel like a big task, but don’t let that stop you. Even an hour or two in a weekend can make a big impact. Don’t let that mess stop you from CLAIMING YOUR WEEKEND. Get your hands dirty in your kitchen – and then get outside and play!