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The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house and the hardest to keep clean. By clearing the clutter and organizing your kitchen, you can simplify your cooking and cut cleaning time in half.

Before organizing your kitchen, you should empty all your cabinets and drawers. Then wipe them clean.

Almost all of the clutter we have in our houses exists because it does not have a designated home. For this reason, there should be a place for everything, and everything should be in its place.

When organizing, the items that you use most, should be in a convenient location that is easy to get to. For example, place cooking utensils and cookware near the stove. Keep plates and other dishes on a low shelf, and place the coffee maker near the cabinet containing the coffee and/or coffee cups.

Make a special effort to organize your plastic containers. Be sure that each container has a lid and vice versa. If a container or lid does not have a partner, throw it away. Then come up with a system to stack and store your containers that makes them easily accessible and neat.

Be sure to organize like-items together. For example, put all cookware together, but separate cookware from bake ware. Within each cabinet and drawer, make it your goal to find things without pushing items aside. If you cannot do this, you may want to get rid of some items or purchase drawer dividers and cabinet organizers. Also, avoid having a "junk" drawer.

To rid yourself of clutter, throw out or give away items you do not need. Just about everyone has at least a few appliances, gadgets, and dishes that they never use. These include impulse buys and gift items that you probably did not need in the first place. Odds are that if you cannot remember the last time you used an item and you cannot see yourself using it in the next couple of months, you probably do not need it.

Keep counters as clear as possible. The only items you should keep out on the counter are appliances that you use daily and other items that have a purpose and look tidy.

Regularly clean out your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry, purging them of foods that are expired.

Remove items from your kitchen that do not belong, such as papers, coats, shoes, and backpacks, and designate a location for these items in other rooms of your house.

Finally, no room can remain clutter-free and organized without proper maintenance. Put items away after you use them, and try to keep all storage areas neat and orderly. After each meal, do the dishes, wipe the table and counters, and leave the kitchen just as clean as you found it.

With a little work and practice, you will be surprised at how clean and clutter-free your kitchen will be, and taking these steps toward organization will make your work in the kitchen so much simpler and enjoyable.

Learn more about this author, Jerri Rivers.
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