Organising the kitchen and laundry / utility. HELP!

[smilesandsun]

Hi,

what are your best organisation tips for kitchen and bathroom?

How do you store:

• wine glasses
  
• spices
  
• rices and grains
  
• knives
  
• cooking utensils
  
• baking trays
  
• pots and pans
  

How do you label things to make them clear and accessible

I'm rearranging the whole kitchen as I can't stand the mess it has become. What storage items do you think are best? or have you found work really well?

For the laundry / utility How do you store soaps etc, what are the best drying racks, what helps you keep organised?

All help greatly appreciated!

[cozietoesie]

I think that my tip would be to really assess carefully what you're actually using on a daily/regular basis and plan only on the basis of that. I don't make exotic cakes for example but I still seemed to be the recipient of a considerable number of items eg from my mother who felt, it seems, that nobody's kitchen was 'complete' unless they had some 'wurgle-grinder' to hand if they needed one.

I'd go through, ruthlessly, and consign things to the charity shop (or the loft/deep storage if you can't bear to part with them) if you're not in the habit of using them much. This applies to everything by the way, not just pots and pans. I reckon, at a rough estimate, that most people's kitchens contain at least a third to a half more (by volume) than is needed for regular/daily living.

My experience of bathrooms and laundries is more that people tend to have too many 'half-bottles' of stuff around and buy new without using up the old properly. You'll be able to assess your own habits best here.

[P1nkP0ppy]

Utility room has substantial tall slim racking with large crates for walking boots, house cleaning stuff, laundry products etc - crates are transparent so no need to yank everything out.
Kitchen organised much like pps, trying to be logical 😳, all storage canisters are transparent.
I have deep pan drawers for pots, casseroles and baking trays and tea towels etc are in baskets so easily accessed.

[ppeatfruit]

I have an old fashioned kitchen without specific storage areas in the cupboards so I've made my own with solid cardboard boxes so we can see what we've got. I use smaller, slimmer ones in the larder\ spice cupboard

True about having too much, try being married to my obsessive shopper of a dh you name it, he buys it.

[smilesandsun]

thank you. Yes I agree I need to get rid of things I don't use and unwanted gifts etc that you just hang on to.

Does anyone hang their wine glasses?

Matching containers are ordered and will be a big help in clearing up things.

Bathroom I agree, probably plenty of half used items!

[cozietoesie]

We're lucky in that this current house has no shortage of storage. (In fact I actually have empty places/shelves because I've been ruthless about getting rid of things. (I could have put things like the exotic smoothy maker and the breadmaker etc in the loft I suppose but I'm always edgy about using electrical gadgetry that's been stored. Just me and probably needless caution.))

I've never had to hang wine glasses therefore - but I probably wouldn't anyway. I've always found that reducing to the items you really need frees up so much space that it's usually unnecessary to create many 'mechanisms' for storage.

[smilesandsun]

thanks.


What about laundry drying options?

[LikeASoulWithoutAMind]

Totally agree about getting rid of stuff you don't need or use.

• wine glasses - just on a shelf in a wall cupboard
  
• spices - in racks screwed to the inside of cupboard doors near the cooker. When we were renting I kept them in clear plastic boxes in a wall cupboard so I could just pull them out to see what I'd got.
  
• rices and grains - used to have a pantry; now have one of those pull out larders. I just store in packets.
  
• knives - knife block (currently on windowsill)
  
• cooking utensils - pot next to cooker & drawer next to cooker
  
• baking trays - in shallow drawer under oven
  
• pots and pans - in deep pullout pan drawers. I stack them with their lids on but upside down. Or you can get those lid holders from Ikea.

[cozietoesie]

I think that laundry drying options mainly depend on where you live/what washing you do etc. I have a washing line outside and try to use it whenever possible. If not possible, I have a tumble dryer and also airers. (And I've been known to use heating radiators as well in bad weather. )

The one thing I haven't got is a heated airer but I know that some people have them and swear by them Other posters may wish to comment.

[LikeASoulWithoutAMind]

Those Sheila maid drying racks are great if you have a suitable space for one.
I try and dry as much as possible outdoors and have a couple of collapsible airers and the tumble dryer for when it's too cold and/or wet.

Recently acquired an airing cupboard for the first time and that's brilliant for drying slightly damp washing off the line.

[smilesandsun]

thanks yes I had a roof hanging drier but sadly it won't fit in my new utility room. I hate having laundry drying all over the radiators and heated towel racks. Drying outside not really an option unless its a super sunny day. I wash almost every day. Maybe I need a heated airer to hide somewhere!

[Rascallsall]

Waiting for an opportunity to show these off Containers from IKEA and a chalk marker from Rymans.

[ppeatfruit]

They look good Rascalls

[smilesandsun]

Rascalls, excellent organising! Im getting one of those markers.

Thank you!!!

[Rascallsall]

Thank you both. The chalk marker pen costs £2 to £3 and was super easy to use. Just wipe off if you make a mistake. Look much better than the sticky labels which were on there before.