Tips to Help Organize the Kitchen

• Take an inventory of your kitchen supplies. Toss, give away, or have a yard sale with all the uneccesary and unused kitchen items. Once you have only the ones you use and need, you will want to sort the items by use and size.
• Simple changes can help with storage and organization. Many items don’t fit well in the cabinets. By hanging them from a frame with hooks, attached to the ceiling, it not only saves precious shelf space but also makes the pots and pans more accessible. There are tons of very pretty designs you can purchase. You can also make a simple one yourself using a wood frame, dowel rods and hooks. They can be mounted above the stove or an island (if you have one in your kitchen).
• The way your kitchen is laid out will have an impact in how you organize it. A kitchen island offers a wonderful workspace that also provides a good deal of storage. Sometimes you can find small islands on wheels that can be kept in a cupboard or pantry and only brought out when needed. These can be a helpful addition to a smaller kitchen.
• Storing bake wear near the oven is a practical way to set up your kitchen. Many ovens have a storage drawer in the base where you can keep cookie sheets and other metal baking items. Your other non metal baking supplies like spatulas, wooden spoons, and sprinkles, can be stored in drawers near the oven.
• Storing dishes, glassware and silverware near the dishwasher or sink makes for easier clean up. This reduces the amount of time it takes to put things away after washing. There are many kitchen cabinet organizers that can help maximize your space for storing your dishes as well.
• Make use of organization and storage units. They can really help make the most of your space. Even an extra set of shelves on top of the cabinet can increase your space. Canisters can help keep your baking supplies looking and the contents will last longer.

Every kitchen has a different layout and space. So, it may take some time and experimenting to see what organizing system works best for you. Once you get it all worked out, you will most likely be surprised at how much more space you have! Plus, your newly organized kitchen will save precious time in preparing meals for your family. Time you can now spend with them!

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Do you have any tips for organizing the kitchen? Let us know! We would LOVE to hear them!

Shelves - Attaching shelves to the walls of the garage can increase your storage space. There are also stand-alone shelving units that are perfect in the garage. They are heavy-duty plastic or metal and can hold the heavier items that are often found in the garage, such as tools and sports equipment.

Pegboard – They can have hooks and baskets attached to allow for storage of a variety of items of all sizes. Brackets can be added to place shelves as needed. They can be completely customized to hold tools – both for the garden and the garage, parts, cleaning supplies, and much more.

Tool hangers - There are a variety of hanging systems to hold tools. There are roller versions that grab the handles and hold them in place. There are also standard hooks that will hold the tool, with the handles hanging down. These will keep the tools out of the way, making things not only neater, but also safer.

Store-Pod - Store-pods are a great addition to your garage storage system. They are waterproof, heavy-duty plastic storage units that are attached to the beams above. They look like a large plastic bag with shelves inside. The front is a clear plastic door that zips closed. They have ventilation slots that help reduce dust and mildew, while still keeping pests out of the things being stored.

Racks - There are specially designed holders for sports equipment and large items. There are some for balls, bike racks and more. There are bike racks that can be mounted on the wall or ceiling.

Cabinets - Cabinets with a work surface are perfect for the garage. You can close the doors and hide any possible clutter. You also have a work area for projects that are too messy or noisy for the house. Many of the cabinets also come with locks, not only to protect your tools, but also to keep small children safe.

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Time to clean up your home. Out with the old. In with the new. Get rid of the dust and clutter for a healthier, fresher environment.

Spring Cleaning need not be a boring chore. It can be fun. Take it as a creative break. As a kid, I loved wearing a pair of soapy wet rags as slippers and sliding around the home, cleaning the floor as I went, to my mom’s horror.

Okay, that might not be a good idea. The chances of slipping and getting into really nasty, even life-threatening accidents are high if you try sliding around on rags. Getting paralyzed because of fall just isn’t worth it.

There are other things you can do though.

These 5 Spring Cleaning tips help you get organized, making it easier and more pleasant to clean your home.

1. File and Organize.
Before you even begin, take stock of the mess around you. Are newspapers all over the floor? Are magazines lying around? Do you have sheets of papers as in bills, flyers and letters lying around on tables or other surfaces?

Get the papers organized in a something that is both decorative and functional. Letters and bills can go into decorative letter holders, or into files hidden out of sight. Magazine racks, good-looking ones, that is, are wonderful for keeping your newspapers as well as magazines. The key thing is to train everyone in the household to put things where they belong. Magazines and newspapers go into the rack or else.. come up with a deterrent to motivate them.

Don’t you hate it when halfway through cleaning the bedroom, you need something and you have to go all the way to the store room to get it? Get a pail and put everything you need for your spring cleaning in it. Detergents, soaps, brushes, spare gloves, polish, the works. Then carry that around with you as you go from room to room.

2. Wear Gloves
Protect your hands as you clean your home. Wear gloves to keep the irritating detergents away. Dry cracked skin can be avoided if you remember to wear gloves throughout your cleaning mission.

3. Work from top down.
Think of gravity. The dust you brush off higher surfaces will end up on the lower surfaces. Clean the tops of cupboards, the lights and everything high up first, move on to the lower furnishings and when everything else is done, then tackle the floor.

4. Flowers and Fragrance
Once the house is all cleaned up, brighten your home with vases of cut flowers. Reward yourself with long lasting flowers that are in season.

5. Makeover
Give your home a makeover with new bedsheets, curtains, floor mats and towels. The bedding dresses up the bedrooms. Curtains dress up every room. Towels and shower curtains give your bathroom a makeover and floor mats add the finishing touches. Reward yourself with a gorgeous new home now that you have decluttered, cleaned and organized everything.

Here’s where you can get the necessary magazine racks to tidy your home. This article 7 Spring Cleaning Tips was written for http://www.home-decor-ideas.com the author’s home and garden and living it up site.

Spring is in the air! It’s still chilly outside, but the glimpses of sunshine and warmer days are inspiring me to get out my cleaning supplies and begin my spring cleaning.

Every time I am in the middle of cleaning I think of other things I need to get around to doing and then forget about them later. I decided to sit down and make an exhaustive spring cleaning checklist. My list details every cleaning task I could think of, everything I hope to get around to taking care of this spring.

By no means, don’t think that you have to complete everything on this list. If you are a stay-at-home mom, you can probably comfortably accomplish at least two to three of these tasks a week. Get your kids involved and have them help!

Some days I won’t do any cleaning, and other days I might accomplish two or three of my spring cleaning tasks. If you work outside the home, it’s easy to let some of the cleaning go, but if you try to work in one or two small cleaning jobs on the weekend, you will be proud of your accomplishments. It’s amazing how cleaning just one small area of your house can make your whole day and make you feel like you got something done.

Kitchen

___ Clean Out And Organize Refrigerator
___ Clean Inside Of And Under Stove
___ Clean Microwave
___ Clean Toaster Oven
___ Clean And Organize Pantry
___ Clean And Organize Freezer
___ Wipe Down Inside And Outside Of Kitchen Cupboards

Bedrooms

___ Wash Or Dryclean Bedspreads
___ Organize/Purge Master Bedroom Closet
___ Organize/Purge Children’s Closets
___ Organize/Purge Children’s Toys

General

___ Wipe Down All Doors; Clean Door Handles & Moldings
___ Wipe Off Window Sills
___ Clean Inside Of Windows
___ Wash Or Dryclean Curtains
___ Dust Mini-Blinds
___ Clean Sliding Glass Doors Inside And Out
___ Remove Marks From Walls; Apply Touch Up Paint
___ Clean Wall Moldings
___ Dust Ceiling Fans
___ Dust Picture Frames
___ Dust Lamp Shades
___ Steam Clean Carpets
___ Steam Clean Furniture
___ Wash Out Wastebaskets
___ Dust Artificial Plants
___ Change Batteries In Smoke Detectors
___ Organize Linen Closet
___ Wipe Down And Clean Under Washing Machine And Dryer

Outside

___ Clean Up Flower Beds
___ Finish Raking Leaves
___ Prepare Planters For Planting
___ Clean And Fill Water Fountains
___ Straighten Storage Shed
___ Hose Down Patio
___ Clean Patio Furniture
___ Clean Windows On Outside
___ Inspect And Repair Window Screens
___ Wash Out Garbage Cans
___ Clean Barbecue

About the Author: Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What’s for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, gardening, organizing tips, home decorating, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.