To organize kitchen cabinets, take everything out, declutter and deep clean the empty space, then sort items into clear groups — food separate from cookware — and return them so the things you use most are easiest to reach. Keep food higher, pots and pans lower, and dishes near eye level, and add tools like spice racks, slide-out drawers, and dish organizers to make the most of the space.
There’s no better feeling than organized kitchen cabinets. Hunting for the thyme — or worse, buying more only to find you already had it — is a waste of time and money. Organizing your cabinets is simple in principle, but it helps to do it in the right order. The plan: pull everything out, group items in ways that make sense, then find the spaces that work best. This works whether your kitchen is large or small.
The three stages to focus on:
- Declutter and clean
- Organize into groups
- Find the spaces that work best
If a full cabinet overhaul feels like too much to take on alone, our professional organizing service can do the decluttering and setup for you — but if you’re tackling it yourself, here’s how.
How does organization help you in the kitchen?
Organizing your cabinets might not seem like a big deal, but there are real benefits you may not have considered.
- You can see what you have — gadgets, supplies, and food — so you’re likely to spend less at the grocery store.
- You’re more likely to take care of yourself well when your space is organized — it’s easy to eat healthy food when you know where to find it.
- A cluttered kitchen can be stressful, while a neat one may help you feel calmer and less stressed.
- Organizing helps you eliminate sources of bacteria, since you can see what needs cleaning — and it’s easier to clean when things are organized.
An organized kitchen looks better than a disorganized one — but it can benefit your mental and physical health too.
How do you start — clearing it all out?
The first step is taking everything out of your cabinets — all the food, pots and pans, and miscellaneous items. Along the way you’ll find things you never use that can be tossed, plus a few problem-solvers. Here’s how to declutter as you empty them.
Why put everything on the floor?
Most people only pull out what they need, but that doesn’t let you see the full space available for new groupings, or do a proper deep clean. Here’s the approach.
- Take everything out and place it on the floor. Lay towels down so your pots and pans don’t get scratched.
- Don’t pile everything on the counters — it clutters the space and makes it hard to see everything together.
- Throw out any old or expired food.
- Toss any broken, unfixable pots, pans, or supplies.
The goal is to cut clutter and get rid of what you don’t need, don’t use, or can’t use — you’ll be surprised how many stale snacks are hiding at the back.