Organize Your Kitchen #7 Little Stuff

by Tina on January 30, 2011

We’re on a Freedom Journey (Little Stuff) that will declutter and organize your kitchen in 21 days, using about 10 minutes per day. Three weeks will come and go. If you are able to join us on this Freedom Journey, after 21 days, you will be celebrating in your newly organized kitchen. You can do this.

(If this is your Day #7 with us, you’ll notice a pattern. :-))

Remember, first we declutter. Then we organize.

Declutter

  1. Gather all the clean little stuff in your kitchen (seafood pickers, twine, silicone ties, cheese serving pieces, microplanes, graters, sifters, corn cob holders, skewers, salad scissors, tongs, reusable picks, garnishing tools, extra salt-pepper shakers, etc.). Look in all the drawers, cabinets, countertops, the clean dishwasher, and the drying rack.
  2. Sort “like items with like items” – make little piles on the countertop or table – food prep, cook, garnish, serving pieces, etc.
  3. Purge through your piles. Designate new areas on the countertop or table as Donate, Sell, Trash, and Recycle piles. You can mark the designated areas with post-it notes or a slip of paper with each title on it. Scan the “like with like” piles. Remove anything you think is unusable, and place it in either the Trash or Recycle piles. Remove any items you no longer use, love or want, and place them in either the Donate or Sell piles. (When you decide whether to Donate or Sell an item, keep in mind the time, effort, and energy it will take to sell it (auction, garage sale, one-on-one, etc.). Make sure your return on investment is worth it. Consider unchaining yourself from that item by putting it straight into the Donate pile. Someone else really needs it.)
  4. Make a Purge Storage Area. This could be individual paper bags, plastic bags (different than your regular trash bags), boxes, containers, or a section in your laundry room or garage. Label your containers to avoid confusion. Place your Donate, Sell, Trash and Recycle piles into the appropriate container. Place that container in its designated space until you get ready to dispose of these items.

Organize

  1. Take a look at the remaining little stuff – remember, you use, love or want them.
  2. Where do you want their home in your home to be? Near Food Prep Area? Near Dishwasher? Drawer? Cabinet? Countertop? Shelving?
  3. Do you have a divided container already in which you want to continue to house them? Will they fit in this container? If not, you may have to go back to the purging step (Donate or Sell).
  4. Would you like to buy a divided container in which to house them? Plastic? Stainless? Wood? Color? Style? Size? (Note: you may find it helpful to wait to purchase any organizing products until after you’ve completed decluttering and organizing. For now, just make notes about what you might like and the size it needs to be.)
  5. Locate your selection in which to house them.
  6. Place your items into your selection. Place the selection into its home.
  7. Enjoy being able to find your little stuff whenever you need them.
  8. Remember to return your little stuff here after each use.

Congratulations! You did it! We’ll continue your Freedom Journey tomorrow. There are only 14 days left to your newly organized kitchen.

“But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:25 (New International Version)

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 Hello, my name is Tina Bonifacio, and I am a Professional Organizer working with residential and commercial clients in the greater Savannah, Georgia area. For more information, visit https://organizedbytina.com. Thanks for stopping by. You are welcome back anytime.


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