Help organise my tiny kitchen please!!

[Justchillaxing]

I'm living in a tiny rented house with a tiny kitchen! Attached photos show how chaotic it is!

Please help me organise it ...

Where would you put plates, mugs, bowls?
Where would you store pans/ baking trays?
Where would you keep cans of food/dry foods etc?

The cupboards are full but chaotic

I can't decimate decorate or put any shelves up. I'm on a very low budget so no new appliances/ shelves etc. Hooks for mugs won't go in the - small amount of available - walls...

It's driving me mad. It's just for me and dd16 plus dp is here most evenings. I cook an evening meal and bake at least once a week.

At the moment plates mugs and bowls are in a base unit, cans and dried food too, spices herbs and sweets in one wall cupboard, pet food coffee tea and meds in another, pans on the hob ... it's chaos and I know it could be better but I can't see the wood for trees! It's got so bad, i don't know where to start

Thanks!

[Justchillaxing]

One more!

[Justchillaxing]

I've another two cupboards to sort through, the food cupboards. They just need tidying though.

[BitOutOfPractice]

Ooo you've been busy! It looks a million times better!

[NannyR]

That looks brilliant!!!

[Justchillaxing]

Thanks .. and thanks for all the tips. I've not bought any shelf organisers yet ... I'll see how I get on first.

[ScrubbyGarden]

Ooooh chill that looks great!
You have tons of space fir those hanging shelf baskets too, you will be fine.
Command hooks are removable hooks (you can also get strips for sticking up pictures) which you stick to the wall, and can be removed cleanly when you have finished. They really do work! You get them in supermarkets, and hardware shops usually have amazingly comprehensive selections.

[Justchillaxing]

Thanks Scrubby I'll look out for the hooks.

[Dawnedlightly]

Brilliant!!

[gingerbreadmam]

ooh lots better! well done.

I would definitely turn those tumbler glasses upside down and stack and stack the small plates on the big plates then maybe move the cuttlery into one of the cupboards.

[Justchillaxing]

Now it looks ok but smells awful ... any suggestions for good air fresheners... I don't want to use a plug in due to the possibility of them catching fire. My cupboards smell dank and damp (I think) .. it's a horrible smell, turns my stomach. My landlord isn't going to do anything about it ... I go through an agency who show no interest in sorting anything, including the damp in all rooms .. well they'll sort little things but not the main problem of damp. I can't move for two years.

I thought about using scented drawer liners in the cupboards?

[MrsNuckyThompson]

A great space saver for us when we had a tiny kitchen was buying square bowls and side plates and rectangular dinner plates. They all came from Tesco. The upshot was that they could all fit on a single shelf of a standard 60cm cupboard.

[Letmesleepalready]

If you have the funds, then an electric dehumidifier should help, but you're looking at £100 ish for a basic one.
Bowls of bicarb help somewhat, and those little moisture traps can help a bit, but it's usually due to more water than the disposable things can handle.

[Letmesleepalready]

Our next door neighbour bought an electric dehumidifier under our recommendation and collected over 20 litres of water over a few days. He bought a more expensive brand, but ours works pretty well.

[Justchillaxing]

Thanks, I actually have one I use upstairs, it'll not fit in the kitchen but I'll try it in feint of the door for a bit. The smell is horrible though, not just damp but like ... I can't describe it

[Justchillaxing]

And it's not there all the time ...

[Etymology23]

Have you poured bleach down the sink? Sometimes it's a drainy problem?

[SasBel]

I have this in one cupboard, works well. Cheaper versions are available Also have a this for spices in a cupboard door.
Would definitely make work space a priority, good luck!

[SasBel]

Looks fab!

[Justchillaxing]

I've tried bleach in the past, will try again. It's strange because it's inside one floor cupboard and near the washing machine. But sometimes it seems to come from outside (maybe the drain?) ... The floor cupboard stumps me though ... not near the drain, it's on the other wall ...

[Justchillaxing]

I've tried bleach in the past, will try again. It's strange because it's inside one floor cupboard and near the washing machine. But sometimes it seems to come from outside (maybe the drain?) ... The floor cupboard stumps me though ... not near the drain, it's on the other wall ...

[WhatWouldTheDoctorDo]

Try a maintenance wash in the washing machine?

And cupboard storage shelves are great - we use the ikea ones.

[NannyR]

I know it sounds awful, but have you had a look under the floor cupboard (behind the kick board) - you might have a dead mouse under there.

[Justchillaxing]

I daren't look! But it doesn't smell like something rotting...

[Justchillaxing]

Thanks, it's been a while since I've done a maintenance wash in the machine, I'll try that.

[notafish]

It looks like there are a lack of shelves inside the cupboards. There's a lot of wasted height in the bottom and top cupboard. The shelf with the wine glasses could be moved up and a shelf could be added about the tumblers. It would be high enough to slide in boxes of tea bags, a tin of crackers etc...