Fact: the average homemaker will spend 15 years in the kitchen. If you’re going to be spending all that time there, why not make it a little more relaxing? Try some of these simple strategies for streamlining the most popular area of the house:
Use the wall. Maximize counter space by taking the spoon holders, dish soap, and paper towel dispenser out of the equation. Find suspension rails with accompanying containers, such as those sold at IKEA, which can hang from the rods and hold kitchen tools. Use shelves for bigger or heavier things. To free up some space in your cupboards, hang a pan holder in the ceiling.
Keep the favorites on-hand. On one of those shelves, put attractive containers holding your most used ingredients—flour, sugar, salt, etc.—for easy access. Tape a few of your family’s favorite recipes to a cupboard door near your working space; that way, you won’t have to search through all your cards each time you want to make it.
Clear the cupboards. Go through and identify which mixing bowls, baking pans, strainers, etc., you use the most; get rid of the rest. Chances are, you’re hanging onto a popcorn bowl you haven’t used in ten years.
Stash appliances. With your newly free cupboards, put your blender and stand mixer away. Unless you’re one of the few who use these appliances daily, they’re taking up valuable counter space.
Get an easy-wipe backsplash. A good backsplash will save you clean up time. If you have a beautiful mosaic backsplash, look into taping up a smooth layer of plastic wrap or putting laminate over it.