How do I keep my cupboards organised??

[PussinJimmyChoos]

I tidy them all up, line everything up neatly with the things I use most at the front etc and then....a few weeks later they are chaos again!!

Help!

[MadamePlatypus]

Apparently you are supposed to make it easier to put something back than it is to take it out.

For instance, it is really easy to pull a towel out of the bottom of a pile, but quite a hassle to fold it up neatly and put it back again in the right place. On the other hand, perhaps if you had some see through plastic drawers from muji, it would be quite hard to take the bottom towel out, but easy to put it back in the drawer?

I struggle with this too, but its a nice theory!

[Pannacotta]

What is in them?
If food then try and use tiered shelves so you can see whats at the back.
For small bits and pieces I try and put things in labelled boxes inside the cupboards.
But have to say I am no domestic alpha mum...
Lakeland sells lots of useful things for storage...

[PussinJimmyChoos]

Tins, packets etc....its driving me mad! What I really need is a big kitchen with a swish carousel type thingy that holds everything and is effortlessly to hand in manner of Anthea.....

[gibberish]

According to Anthea - 'baskets, baskets, BASKETS'. She is a basket case though.

I tend to tidy out just one cupboard and one drawer a week. It doesn't take long and every few months I get through all the drawers and cupboards. It keeps things from getting completely out of hand. Also, make sure you only keep what you actually use. Clutter makes keeping drawers and cupboards tidy virtually impossible.

[peachygirl]

I have this step it up
from lakeland and it really helps to be able to see everything

[southeastastra]

i know. wait until teenagers start cookery lessons at school

[Pannacotta]

Def suggest Lakeland if its kitchen stuff. They have lots of things such as racks/tiered shelves which you can place inside your units to make it easy to separate and see what you have.
www.lakeland.co.uk

[peachygirl]

Oh and I put all my baking stuff in one of those cheap IKEA boxes

[Katymac]

I changed all my deep base units for narrow wall units (24 of them)

& my life has been so much easier since - they stay lovley & tidy plus you can see what is there

[Pannacotta]

peachygirl I have some of those too, they are great

[PussinJimmyChoos]

oooooohhh!! I'm liking the step up!!! Will surf lakeland next....

How sad is it that I'm actually excited at prospect of a product that will organise my cupboards???!!

[PussinJimmyChoos]

Ps

This is great - other people who like storage ideas as much as I do!

[uberalice]

I've got a carousel type thingy and it's not that good. Tall tins don't fit in it, and the larger boxes of cereal that I store beneath it often get caught when I spin the rack.

The best thing I ever did to organise my kitchen was to put up some open shelves, and get a load of glass jars from IKEA to store pasta/rice, etc. It freed up loads of space in my cupboards for tins/jars.

[MrsSpoon]

I've got a carousel too, and it is rubbish. At the time Dh and I thought it a step too far to splash out on the wire rack system that pulled out, however i wish we had now as the carousel is really useless.

[Katymac]

I took the carousel out & have a recycling cupboard with bins for rubbish, glass, cans & plastic, paper, confidential waste & Newspaper

I love my recycling cupboard - sad isn't it?

[PussinJimmyChoos]

Katymac - no it isn't sad. Have you been watching saving Planet Earth series on BBC1?? Really makes recycling worthwhile imho! Was crying at tonights prog!!

[Katymac]

No - I'm not watching much telly atm

I am working towards opening my sustainable nursery - so not much telly (waaay too much MN)

[PussinJimmyChoos]

Oooh yes! Actually, was thinking of your nursery yest - was watching how Clean is your house (I'm addicted) and they featured a nursery there and were talking about antibac wipes etc and wondered what an eco friendly nursery would use for anti bac treatments??? Or would you still have to use them?

[gibberish]

Oh no! I've just bought 2 carousels for my new kitchen..

[Katymac]

I'm leaning towards teatree & lavender in a spray with water

Tea tree is anti bac & lavender is antiseptic (I think??)

[PussinJimmyChoos]

Yes! That's what they were using in How Clean is your House...said Lavender is a very good antiseptic...I just wondered if Ofsted would be all oh no, you need to use x,y z etc....

Sounds very interesting project actually...admire that

[Katymac]

Gibberish - one of them will make a lovely recycling cupboard

[gibberish]

Lol Katymac. I'm a first class recycler. My whole understairs cupboard is our recycling area lol Don't you think we should have a reduction in our council tax for the amount we recycle?

Back to topic now, sorry.

[PussinJimmyChoos]

A whole cupboard for recycling!! Oh to have that much space!

And to think when we bought this house (three bedroomed btw!) we thought it would be a lovely size....one ds later and it seems to be shrinking by the day!

[gibberish]

We have 4 kiddies and a 3 bed house.. but have LOADS and LOADS of cupboard space fortunately. Actually, we may have to move some of the kids into the cupboards soon...